Nine Eagles selected for NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – For the first time in program history, the Carson-Newman swim team will venture north to Indianapolis and participate in the NCAA Division II Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships set for March 11th through 14th.
Four freshmen, three sophomores and two seniors, which are made up of four men and five women, make up the nine Eagles who have a chance to clinch C-N its first-ever swim title in just the program's second year of existence.
Freshman Paul Ungur (Baia Mare, Romania), sophomore Sam Schechter (Knoxville, Tenn.) and seniors Stephen Parsons (Auburn, Ala.) and Ben Young make up the men's side, while freshmen Maggie Melhorn (Knoxville, Tenn.), Lexy Raybon (Sarasota, Fla.), Margaret Stansberry (Knoxville, Tenn.) and sophomores Samantha Starnes (Knoxville, Tenn.) and Natalie Burnett (Sevierville, Tenn.) combine for the women's team.
"The hard work has definitely paid off for these young men and women who are champions in and out of the water. They are proud to represent C-N at Nationals," swim coach Paige McCord said.
With the setup of the Championship meet, swimmers that have qualified for the meet that have previously swam a provisional time, or "B" time, will have the opportunity to swim those in Indianapolis. Each student-athlete can swim up to seven total events, which includes four individual events and three relays.
In November at the Fall Frenzy, Ungur swam the program's first-ever "A"-time, which clinched him a spot in the NCAA meet, in the 100 Back. He also has a "B"-time in the 200 Back.
For the men, the 200 Free Relay clinched spots for three more Eagles for Parsons, Young and Schechter (Knoxville, Tenn.) who will join Ungur in the Hoosier State.
Ungur has a provisional time in the 50 Free and the 100 Fly. Young has times in the 50, 100 and 200 Free. Parsons swam a "B" time in the 50 Free, 100 Free, 200 Free and 200 Individual Medley. Schechter possesses provisional times in the 50 and 100 Free.
The men have also clinched provisional times in the 200 Medley Relay, 400 Medley Relay, 400 Free Relay and 800 Free Relay.
On the women's side, three swimmers made the meet via individual times and two more will be participating due to a relay's accomplishment.
Stansberry, Raybon and Burnett will be swimming individual events. Burnett swam two "A"-times at the Bluegrass Mountain Conference Meet in Charlotte, N.C. in the 50 Free and the 100 Fly; she also holds a provisional time in the 100 Back. Stansberry made the cut with a fastest enough time in the 200 Free. She holds "B"'-times in the 200 Back, 200 IM, 100 Free and 100 Back. Raybon's times are quick enough in the 500, 1000 and mile Free and the 200 Fly for her to compete in Indy.
Melhorn and Starnes will participate along with Burnett and Stansberry on one of the grandest stages in the 400 Medley Relay.
Individually, Melhorn can compete in the 200 IM as well as the 100 and 200 Breast; Starnes will be available to swim in the 50 and 100 Free after the times she put in during the regular season.
Sophomore Amanda Henderson (Bartlett, Tenn.) is one of ten female alternatives who could potentially swim if an athlete drops out of the meet for any reason.
The National Championship meet will take place in the IU Natatorium on the campus of Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis campus on March 11th through 14th. More information will be available on cneagles.com and on our Twitter account, @cnathletics, as the Championship nears.
