LEWISVILLE, Texas -- The Southwestern University men still lead but five-time defending champion Trinity University has closed the gap as the two squads head into the final day of competition at the 2017 SCAC Swimming and Diving Championships at the LISD Westside Aquatic Center. Official Website | Friday's Complete Results | Team Scores
Leading by 94.5 points after Day Two, the Pirates will take a 20.5 lead into Saturday's final day of competition. Southwestern has a team score of 610 compared to 589.5 for Trinity.
Colorado College remains in third place with a team score of 406 points while Centenary College is fourth with 307.5 points. Rounding out the standings, Austin College is fifth with 219 points, McMurry is sixth with 195 points and University of the Ozarks got on the board with its first three points of the meet.
Trinity freshman Jacob Hurrell-Zitelman got the momentum rolling for the Tigers as he picked up a win in the 400 yard IM with a NCAA 'B' cut qualifying time of 4:04.74. It was his second win of the meet after taking the 500 free on Thursday. Junior Juan Tapia of Centenary also picked up a 'B' cut in the race, coming in second with a time of 4:06.65. Junior Martin Martinez of Southwestern finished third in 4:15.14.
Junior Matt Sluss of Southwestern took first place in the 100 butterfly with a winning time of 50.15. Colorado College freshman Eric Dallesasse was second in a time of 50.22 and junior Charles Clark of Trinity was third in a time of 50.58.
Freshman Todd Coachman made it two consecutive wins for the Pirates as he touched first in the 200 freestyle in a finishing time of 1:41.77. Sophomore Zack Harrison of Centenary finished second in 1:42.06 and freshman Eric Grace of Trinity was third in a time of 1:43.66.
The following race, another freshman hit the wall first as Trinity first-year Elliot Fleming set the pace in the 100 breaststroke with a NCAA 'B' cut winning time of 56.67.. Southwestern junior Mickey Scharbrough, who finished first in the event last year, was second in a time of 59.04 and Centenary sophomore Anthony McDonald came in third in a time of 59.64.
In the most competitive race of the evening, Trinity junior Charles Clark outtouched his teammate senior Isaac Johnson by 1/100ths of a second - breaking Johnson's year-old SCAC meet and open record - with a NCAA 'B' cut winning time of 49.83. Johnson's second-place time of 49.84 was also 'B' cut worthy as well as faster than his record time of 2016. Junior Michael Glover of Southwestern came in third in a time of 50.98.
In the final race of the night, the 400 medley relay, Trinity's four-man squad of Johnson, Fleming, Clark and sophomore Cole Rezsofi set a new SCAC meet and open record with a blistering time of 3:23.30. Southwestern's team of Glover, Scharbrough, Sluss and senior Simmon Belaineh was second in a time of 3:25.48 and Centenary College's squad of junior Tapia, McDonald, sophomore Roberto Roig-Perez and Harrison came in third in a time of 3:30.81.
Earlier in the afternoon, the Trinity men took first, second and fourth place on the men's 1-meter board as sophomore Duncan MacAskill of Trinity repeated as champion with a score of 390.65. First-year Chad King finished second (378.90) and sophomore Thomas Ritthaler was fourth (222.75). Colorado College's Charlie Schneider placed third with a score of 335.05.
Competition concludes on Saturday with preliminaries beginning at 10:30 a.m., and women's and men's finals at 6 p.m. The 23 graduating seniors competing in this year's meet will be honored in a senior recognition ceremony beginning at 5:45 p.m.. Click here for the complete schedule of events.