KINGSPORT, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee Southern swim teams wrapped up competition at the Appalachian Athletic Conference Championship, a three-day meet held Feb. 12–14 at the Kingsport Aquatic Center, turning in a series of strong individual performances throughout the event. Both the men's and women's teams notched the highest team finishes in program history at the conference championship level.
Final Team Standings
Women
-
Milligan – 921
-
Brenau – 677
-
Columbia – 334
-
UT Southern – 208
-
Pikeville – 200
-
WVU Tech – 115
Men
-
Milligan – 1,041
-
UT Southern – 518
-
WVU Tech – 418
-
Columbia – 262
-
Pikeville – 192
On the men's side, UT Southern finished runner-up in the conference standings behind several standout swims. Hamza Asif delivered a strong showing in the sprints, placing fourth in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 21.33 and adding a fifth-place finish in the 100-yard breaststroke at 58.84. Janos Kadar was a consistent point scorer for the Firehawks, taking fifth in the 500-yard freestyle in 4:55.49 and finishing second in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:44.53. Rafael Gallegos contributed with top-eight finishes in both the 500-yard freestyle, where he placed seventh, and the 200-yard freestyle, finishing fifth.
UT Southern also made a significant impact in relay events. The men's 800-yard freestyle relay of Michael McDaniel, Asif, Gallegos and Kadar earned a second-place finish in 7:04.89, while the 200-yard freestyle relay touched second in 1:26.80. Earlier in the meet, the Firehawks opened with a silver-medal performance in the 200-yard medley relay.
The women's team placed fourth overall and saw multiple swimmers reach championship finals. Morgan Brosch led the way with a seventh-place finish in the 500-yard freestyle and followed it up with a sixth-place showing in the 200-yard freestyle, posting a time of 2:06.03. Alexis Milani advanced to the B final in the 50-yard freestyle and later added a ninth-place finish in the 100-yard backstroke. Diana Lacal Gracia recorded a top-eight result in the 100-yard breaststroke, finishing eighth overall.
In relay action, the UT Southern women placed fourth in the 800-yard freestyle relay and closed the meet with another fourth-place finish in the 200-yard freestyle relay.
Across the three-day championship, the Firehawks showcased depth and consistency, highlighted by strong relay performances and multiple individual finals appearances, to secure a historic second-place finish for the men and a program-best fourth-place finish for the women at the AAC Championship.
FOLLOW THE FIREHAWKS
Stay up to date with all the latest action from UTS Athletics! Follow the Firehawks on social media:
Twitter: @utsathletics
Instagram: @utsouthernathletics
Facebook: @UT Southern Firehawks
Don't miss a moment — Go Firehawks!
