Tampa Remains in Contention Following Day Two of SSC Championships

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Eight more meet records were established on day two of the 2012 Sunshine State Conference Swimming Championship and Nova Southeastern maintained its lead in both the men's and women's competition as the University of Tampa remains within striking distance in both.

On the men's side, meet records came in the 500-yard freestyle, 200-yard individual medley, 200-yard freestyle relay and 400-yard medley relay. New marks for the women were set in the 500-yard freestyle, 200-yard freestyle relay, 400-yard medley relay and 50-yard freestyle.

Nova Southeastern leads the men's competition with 398 points. Florida Southern is second with 312, followed by Tampa (252), Saint Leo (173), Rollins (143) and Florida Tech (103). The Sharks top the women's point totals with 391 points, followed by Tampa with 330. Florida Southern is third (260), Rollins is fourth (151), Saint Leo is sixth (127) and Florida Tech is sixth (57).

Three of Thursday's men's record went to Nova Southeastern. The Sharks' Oskar Nordstrand took the 500 freestyle in an automatic qualifying time of 4:24.00, with Tampa's Norbert Kovacs also earning an automatic qualifying time with his runner-up finish in 4:25.54. Nova's Armin Hornikel won the 200-yard individual medley with a meet-record, automatic qualifying time of 1:48.52. Florida Southern's Luis Rojas was runner-up in an automatic qualifying time of 1:49.01.

In the 200 freestyle relay, the Sharks' team of Hornikel, Esau Simpson, William Bunge and Ash Dougan won in a meet-record time of 1:22.16. Florida Southern captured the 400 medley relay with the team of Jeb Halfacre, Miguel Ferreira, Allan Gutierrez and Stephan Swan posting a meet-record and automatic qualifying time of 3:15.49.

Florida Southern claimed two women's meet records in the 200 freestyle and 400 medley events, with Nova Southeastern and Tampa each taking an individual event with a meet record. The Moccasins' team of Lisa Menne, Kelly Ruf, Anna McIntyre and Stephanie Doran did the honors in the 200 freestyle relay, posting a time of 1:34.15. Doran, Rae-Lynn Sheffield, Taylor Reynolds and Menne wrapped up the day claiming the meet record in the 400 medley relay with a time of 3:47.45.

Nova Southeastern's Erin Black established a meet record in the 500 freestyle, posting an automatic qualifying time of 4:51.11. Tampa's Erin Plachy did the same in the 50 freestyle with her meet-record time of 23.39.

Friday's events at The Long Center in Clearwater will be the 200-yard medley relay, 400-yard individual medley, 100-yard butterfly, 200-yard freestyle, 100-yard breaststroke and 100-yard backstroke. Finals are set to begin at 6 p.m.

The meet continues through Saturday.