ROME, Ga. -- Berry College swimming had a busy weekend as the team hosted the fifth Annual Viking Classic Invitational. The final Berry home meet was attended by a competitive field of seven teams and consisted of three sessions covering two days.
The Vikings wasted little time in putting up some fast swims during the first session of competition on Friday night. The meet opened up with the 200 freestyle relay, where the Viking women took second and the men's team took first place.
Junior Janelle Spanjers took the top spot in the 500 freestyle with a time of 5:25.71. SeniorJohnathon Purdy won the 50 freestyle with a time of 21.23, a new pool and meet record. Backing up Purdy's win were two teammates: junior Cameron Grant and freshman Garrison Bemis. They tied for second place with a time of 22.26.
On Saturday morning, session two started with the 200 medley relay where the women's team swam to a third place finish (1:56.67). The Viking men won the event with a time of 1:37.34.
In the men's 400 IM, senior Adam Jarrell took second with a time of 4:27.70. Senior Conor Monaghan (52.50) and freshman William Walker (54.60) took second and third respectively in the 100 butterfly. In the 200 freestyle, freshman Mac Stovall placed second after clocking a 1:49.96. He was followed closely by his teammates Joey Ellwanger in third (1:49.36), Purdy in fourth (1:51.48), and Matt Siniard in fifth (1:54.50).
Spanjers finished fourth in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:11.98. Sophomore Brooke Brogdon was third the 100 backstroke at 1:04.46. Freshman Robbie Ellwanger and Bates Jonesteamed up in the 100 breaststroke for a third (1:01.75) and fourth (1:04.64) place finish respectively. Bemis prevailed in the 100 backstroke with a time of 54.64. The men's 800 freestyle relay of Joey Ellwanger, Walker, Monaghan, and Stovall took second at 7:17.52.
Session three started on Saturday afternoon with the 1650 freestyle where Stovall took second after a season-best time of 17:29.33. Bemis continued his competitive streak by placing third in the 200 backstroke (2:06.67). Purdy and Jarrell took second (47.59) and third (50.13) place respectively in the 100 freestyle.
Freshman Haley Brown swam to a third place finish in the women's 100 freestyle (55.01). Spanjers took fourth in the 200 breaststroke at a time of 2:36.36.
Robbie Ellwanger was second in the 200 breaststroke with a swim of 2:17.81. The Viking men then swept the 200 butterfly with Monaghan, Joey Ellwanger and Walker finishing first (1:57.83), second (2:01.58), and third (2:02.91) respectively. In the final event--the 400 freestyle relay--The Viking men finished in the top three, with the B-relay finishing third at 3:24.03, and the A-Relay taking second at 3:16.71.
In addition, the team honored their three male seniors at their final home meet: Adam Jarrell, Conor Monaghan, and Johnathon Purdy.
"It is always an honor to get to this meet with the seniors and watch them swim well at the culmination of their four years of hard work and dedication to this program," said Berry College Head Coach Paul Flinchbaugh. "Their presence has been an integral component to the success of the team and they will be dearly missed."
The Southern Athletic Association Championships begin Feb. 11 in Birmingham, Ala.
