OCALA, Fla. — Rollins Swimming opened competition at the 2026 Sunshine State Conference Championships on Wednesday evening, turning in strong relay performances to begin the five-day meet. The Tars were highlighted by a runner-up finish from the men's 800 freestyle relay and a pair of scoring swims on the women's side to establish early momentum.
The evening began with the women's 800 freestyle relay, where Rollins' A squad of
Julianne Armstrong,
Gardner Viney,
Audrey Perry, and
Abby Jessup placed fifth with a time of 7:45.62, earning 28 team points. Armstrong led off in 1:55.72, while Viney (1:55.83), Perry (1:56.96), and Jessup (1:57.11) delivered consistent splits to secure the top-five finish.
Rollins added additional scoring in the B final, as the quartet of
Lizzie Sander,
Holly Hirsch,
Elliot Fox, and
Melanie Angelov combined for a 7:54.07 finish to place 13th overall.
The men followed with one of the top swims of the night for the Tars. The A relay of
Seth Basinger,
Trey Carter,
Luke Dinges, and
William Slowey powered to a second-place finish in 6:28.61, touching just behind Tampa while earning 34 points for Rollins. Basinger opened the race in 1:36.89, Carter followed at 1:37.61, Dinges delivered a 1:37.27 split, and Slowey closed in 1:36.84 to seal the result. The time not only set a new school record, but also met the NCAA B Cut standard.
Rollins continued to build depth in the event as the B relay of
Cooper Wiese,
Carter Kegle,
Keanu Garnier-Chan, and
Wade Chandgie finished 10th with a time of 6:38.35, adding valuable points to the team total.
After the relays, the Tars have positioned themselves well heading into the first full day of individual events. Rollins will hit the pool tomorrow, February 12th, with the women's 200 IM prelims first up, starting at 10 a.m.
