The St. Thomas University Bobcats men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams were rated No. 1 in the first NAIA SwimCloud Ratings of the season. The ratings were released from Kansas City, Missouri, with both St. Thomas University Bobcats programs leading their respective fields. The men’s team received 576.41 points, while the women’s team received 510.03 points.
St. Ambrose ranked second in the men’s rating, 44.01 points behind St. Thomas. Midland, Keiser and Cumberlands rounded out the men’s top five. The women’s top five also included Keiser, Cumberlands, Aquinas and SCAD, with Keiser 40.63 points behind St. Thomas.
Men’s team leads several events
Brandon Holder has the best NAIA time this season in the 200-yard backstroke at 1:49.63. He also ranks third in the 100-yard backstroke. Holder is a transfer from Cumberlands.
St. Thomas has five of the six best NAIA times this season in the 1,650 freestyle. Flynn Smith ranks second in the event with a time of 16:29.71. The Bobcats also have the second-best 200-yard medley relay time and the third-best 400-yard medley relay time in the NAIA.
Women’s team features top national marks
Taylor Wagner leads the NAIA in the 1,650-yard freestyle with a time of 17:51.29. Wagner, a freshman from Sarasota, also ranks fourth in the 500-yard and 1,000-yard freestyle. Her distance-freestyle mark is one of several leading performances for the St. Thomas University Bobcats women’s swimming and diving team.
Ingeborg Marie Smehaug set a St. Thomas program record in the 200-yard butterfly at Indian River with a time of 2:07.63. That mark is the best time in the NAIA this season, and Smehaug also has the second-best NAIA time in the 200-yard individual medley. Smehaug is a freshman from Norway.
The Bobcats lead the NAIA in the 200-yard freestyle relay with a time of 1:35.92. That relay mark adds to the women’s team’s individual standing in the first ratings. St. Thomas has a leading performance in both the 1,650-yard freestyle and 200-yard butterfly.
Caesar Asadi emphasizes continued work
Head coach Caesar Asadi said the early rating reflects the team’s commitment while emphasizing the work still ahead. “We are proud of the commitment this young program has made to building better habits. There’s a long road ahead, and our actions will show who wants it more in February and March”
The St. Thomas University Bobcats are scheduled to compete next at the FIT Classic in Melbourne, Florida. The meet is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. the following week. The event will be the teams’ next listed competition after the first NAIA SwimCloud Ratings were released.
FSB Take
St. Thomas University Bobcats men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams enter the season’s first NAIA ratings in the top spot. The men’s ranking is supported by leading backstroke, distance freestyle and relay marks, while the women’s ranking includes top times from Taylor Wagner and Ingeborg Marie Smehaug. The FIT Classic in Melbourne is the next scheduled meet for both programs.
Source: Original report