THE FLATS – Georgia Tech’s swimming and diving program closed out the final day of the Yellow Jacket Invite on Saturday afternoon at the McAuley Aquatic Center. The Yellow Jackets were able to get valuable experience before beginning postseason competition at ACC Championships in Greensboro, N.C., next week.
“I am really proud of the way we raced and competed,” Toni M. And Richard L. Bergmark swimming and diving head coach Courtney Shealy Hart said. “The energy that our team gave cheering on the swimmers was awesome. It was a fantastic environment for our program and I am super proud of everyone that was here, whether they were racing or cheering. We had multiple lifetime best times and I am very pleased with their performances.”
Men’s Highlights
In the men’s 1650 free finals sophomore Clark Wakeland and freshman Josh Cohen each set new personal best as the pair took first and second-place. Wakeland’s time of 15:33.61 earned him the gold and topped his previous personal record of 15:41.38 set at the 2018 Georgia Tech Invitational by nearly 8 seconds.
Cohen recorded a time of 15:39.99 to shatter his previous PR of 15:50.28 set at the 2019 Georgia Tech Invitational this past November.
The men’s 200 free finals saw junior Jonathan Vater finish with a time of 1:38.77 to take first, earning him a new personal best in the process.
Women’s Highlights
On the women’s end of things freshman Abby Cohen led the way for the Jackets in the 200 free finals taking first with a time of 1:52.48. A strong start to the event led to her eventual victory as she clocked in at 54.07 (27.86) during her second split. Sophomore Sara al Khatib was right behind Cohen to earn a second-place finish with a mark of 1:58.83. al Khatib was milliseconds short from her current PR of 1:58.47 as she edged out fellow Yellow Jacket sophomore Macleary Moran, who took bronze with a time of 1:58.87.
Freshman McKenzie Campbell recorded a new PR in the women’s 100 fly during the preliminary round with a time of 54.85, besting her previous record of 55.62 that was also set at the 2019 Georgia Tech Invitational this past November. She would take first in that event during the finals with a time of 54.93.
The Yellow Jacket women will begin postseason play this upcoming week as they head to Greensboro for ACC Championships on Feb. 19-22, with the men slated to compete the following week on Feb. 26-29.
Alexander-Tharpe Fund
The Alexander-Tharpe Fund is the fundraising arm of Georgia Tech athletics, providing scholarship, operations and facilities support for Georgia Tech’s 400-plus student-athletes. Be a part of developing Georgia Tech’s Everyday Champions and helping the Yellow Jackets compete for championships at the highest levels of college athletics by supporting the A-T Fund’s Annual Athletic Scholarship Fund, which directly provides scholarships for Georgia Tech student-athletes, and Athletics Initiative 2020, Georgia Tech athletics’ ongoing $125 million initiative to allow Tech to recruit the nation’s most elite student-athletes, build a better student-athlete once they arrive on The Flats and, ultimately, win! To learn more about supporting the Yellow Jackets, visit atfund.org.
