COLUMBUS, Ga. - The UT Southern swim program continued to build momentum as it stepped into the Georgia Small College Cup, using the opening day to produce several steady swims and establish a foundation for the remainder of the meet. The Firehawks made productive use of their opportunities, collecting points, advancing swimmers into finals, and gaining valuable mid-season racing experience.
Men's Performances
The Firehawk men began the meet with one of their strongest performances in the 200 medley relay. The quartet of Janos Kadar, Hamza Asif, Logan Jones, and Rafael Gallegos pieced together a smooth race, recording a time of 1:34.67. Their early performance provided momentum as well as a significant scoring boost to open the meet.
In the sprint events, Hamza Asif delivered a dependable showing in the 50 freestyle. After a sharp prelim swim, he returned in finals to post a 20.91, adding timely points to the team total. Distance standout Janos Kadar contributed another key result in the 500 freestyle, tying for eighth overall with a 4:36.60 and strengthening the Firehawks' presence in the distance events. Michael McDaniel added depth in prelims with a 4:50.66.
UT Southern also placed several swimmers into the 200 freestyle prelims, gaining valuable experience in a mid-distance setting. Nicholas Milani clocked a 2:03.32, followed by Ty Ries at 2:08.19 and Cameron Holmes at 2:10.03 as the Firehawks rounded out a productive opening day.
Women's Performances
The Firehawk women found their rhythm across several events as well. In the 50 freestyle, Alexis Milani posted a 27.00 in a deep field of competitors, placing 44th and setting a solid early-season mark. Finley Boston also represented UT Southern in the event, swimming a 36.84.
The women added another individual swim in the 200 individual medley, where Diana Lacal Gracia recorded a 2:31.35 during prelims. Her performance contributed to UT Southern's event coverage and offered another building block for the program's progression through the meet.
Next Meet
UT Southern now looks toward its next outing, a dual meet on December 5 at Campbellsville. The Firehawks aim to use the experience gained in Georgia as they continue their steady climb toward the heart of the season.
