ATLANTA (Jan. 8) – Georgia Tech’s men’s swimming & diving team returned to action Saturday after a 33-day layoff and lost a 116-89 decision to the Air Force Academy at Cadet Natatorium in U.S.A.F.A., Colo. The meet was Tech’s first-ever in a high altitude condition, as Air Force is located 7,250-feet above sea level.
Tech(4-3) had a big day from freshman Shilo Ayalon (Kfar Hanassi, Israel) as he won three events and now has nine victories this year. He won the 1,000 yard freestyle in 9:53.99 and the 200 yard freestyle in 1:43.95 in back-to-back events. Ayalon won the 500 yard freestyle in 4:44.79.
Sophomore Charles Gersbach (Tabernacle, N.J.) won the 200 yard butterfly in 1:57.01, while freshman Scott Lenyk (Suwanee, Ga.) won the 200 backstroke in a mark of 1:55.00.
Sophomore Leo Salinas (Monterrey, Mexico) was second in the 1,000 freestyle in 1017.46, freshman Travis McQuinn (Cyrpress, Texas) was second in the 200 yard individual medley in 1:59.70, and freshman Tomonori Tsuji (Osaka, Japan) was second in the 200 yard breaststroke in 2:05.63.
Tech swam the meet without five of its top swimmers, who did not compete due to a violation of team policy. The squad has been in Colorado Springs, Colo., since Dec. 27 on a training trip at the United States Olympic Training Center.
The Yellow Jackets won five of the nine individual events, but were second in both relays and couldn’t overcome their lack of depth against the Falcons.
“We had some very good swims today and were pleased with our effort,” said third-year head coach Seth Baron. “However, we were competing without five of our top athletes and it did make a very big difference. We have now dealt with the situation and will move on, and it has been a very product training trip for us.”
Tech returns to action January 21, when it travels to face Atlantic Coast Conference rival Clemson at 3 p.m.
Tech's Individual Results400 Medley Relay: 2. GT-A, 3:30.64 (Oliver, Tsuji, Gersbach, Dye); 4. GT-B, 3:36.91 (Lenyk, Foster, Nozar, Hunter)1000 Freestyle: 1. Shilo Ayalon, 9:53.99; 2. Leo Salinas, 10:17.46; 6. Brady Skaggs, 10:42.61200 Freestyle: 1. Shilo Ayalon, 1:43.95; 5. Scott Lenyk, 1:48.63; 6. Mark Campbell, 1:48.67; 8. Leo Salinas, 1:50.9150 Freestyle: 3. Ross Dye, 22.38; 4. Jorge Oliver, 22.47; 5. Eric Hunter, 22.48; 7. Robby Foster, 23.14200 Individual Medley: 2. Travis McQuinn, 1:59.70; 4. Tomonori Tsuji, 2:02.10; 7. 2:07.23200 Butterfly: 1. Charles Gersbach, 1:57.01; Brady Skaggs, 2:03.67; John Fennessy, 2:15.88100 Freestyle: 3. Mark Campbell, 49.02; 4. Jorge Oliver, 49.10; 6. Ross Dye, 51.15200 Backstroke: 1. Scott Lenyk, 1:55.00; 6. James Nozar, 2:05.57500 Freestyle: 1. Shilo Ayalon, 4:44.79; 3. Hank Longmire, 4:55.59; 5. Leo Salinas, 5:01.19; 8. Brady Skaggs, 5:17.57200 Breaststroke: 2. Tomonori Tsuji, 2:05.63; 3. Robby Foster, 2:11.90; 6. Charles Gersbach, 2:23.55; 7. John Fennessy, 2:30.17400 Freestyle Relay: 2. GT-A, 3:16.02 (Campbell, Hunter, Nozar, McQuinn)
