Purdue Men, Florida State Women Win Seminole Fall Classic
Purdue’s men’s team and Florida State’s women won a scaled-back Seminole Fall Classic, culminating on Saturday.
The meet was moved up due to the threat of Hurricane Isaias, which led to Georgia Tech being unable to travel. Purdue won the men’s side, 352.50-347.50, while the host topped Iowa State, 391-284, on the women’s side of the draw.
The teams had fun with the meet, with a wide array of events that included the 50 strokes, 100 individual medley and 100-yard relays.
The men’s competition made for some thrilling relays. Purdue’s 200 medley relay quartet won in 1:26.18, a margin of .16 seconds over FSU. The Boilermakers also won the 100 medley in 38.16, a margin of .23 seconds. Luca Scampicchio, Aran Bissett, Nathaniel Thomas and Janis Dzirkalis comprised both teams.
Dzirkalis won the 50 freestyle in 19.71 seconds. Bissett finished second in the 100 individual medley in what is believed to be a school-best time of 47.81, then won the 100 free in 43.13. That was part of a Day 2 surge by the Boilermakers, on the heels of Evan Mackesy taking the 500 free in 4:23.31, Tom Jhang’s win in the 100 breaststroke in 53.93 and a 1-2 from Blake Rowe (1:42.07) and Dylan Burau in the 200 backstroke.
Logan Robinson was the individual standout of the meet. He won the 200 free in 1:34.88 ahead of Bissett; the 100 fly in 46.09; the 100 IM in 47.74; the 50 fly in 20.91; and the 200 fly in 1:43.42 for a fifth victory.
Mathias Christensen won three times for Florida State. He went 4:34.93 in the 400 IM and 1:57.50 in the 200 breast ahead of Jhang, who got his revenge in the 100 breast by .02 seconds. Christensen finished it with a win in the 200 IM in 1:44.38.
On the women’s side, Lucy Porter won four events, claiming all three individual medleys – she went 55.87 in the 100 and 1:58.22 in the 200 – plus the 500 free in 4:53.21 for Florida State. She placed second in the 200 breast. Pauline Zeller won the 100 fly in 53.72 and the 50 in 24.05. She was second to teammate Alice Velden in both the 50 and 100 back, Velden going 24.68 and 54.18.
Velden was second to Samantha Villacis in the 200 back (2:02.22), and Villacis was second to Zeller in the 100 fly.
Friday’s session started with a great race between Florida State teammates Mary Leigh Hardman and Ioana-Maria Stirbu, Hardman winning in 1:47.68 by .08 seconds.
Grace Swoboda of Iowa State swept all three breaststroke events. She went 27.75 in the 50, 2:11.18 in the 200 and 59.65 in the 100. Asia Salvato won the 200 fly in 2:03.04 for the Cyclones.
