Feb. 20, 2006

By Michael MacEachern, SCAD Sports Information

WOOSTER, Ohio -  The third-ranked Savannah College of Art and Design (Ga.) men's and women's swimming teams won the combined team title at the 2006 Blue Grass Mountain Conference Championships that were held at the Ellen Shapiro Natatorium Saturday (Feb. 18).

The Bees finished first out of 12 schools in the combined team standings with 972.5 points, 30.5 points ahead of Wingate University (N.C.).  Among the 11 women's teams, the Bees finished in third place with 565 points. Johns Hopkins University (Md.)won with 664 points, while Wingate, who was the defending women's champion, was next with 591. Among the eight men's teams, SCAD finished in fifth place with 407.5 points. Washington & Lee University (Va.) won with 812.

SCAD set two more college records on the final day of the meet. Junior Abigail Doxsey was named the meet's Female Swimmer of the Year for the second consecutive season after winning her third event. The Spanish Fort, Ala., native set a college standard as she won the women's 100-yard freestyle in a time of 52.48. Doxsey had previously won the 50 freestyle and 100 butterfly at the meet. Along with Elizabeth Harr, Emily Cardone-Dennis, and Laine Benthall, Doxsey also helped the Bees set a new mark in the 400 freestyle relay with a first-place time of 3:35.38.

Christine Phillips and Rachel Fritts also picked up individual wins for the women's team. Phillips won the 1,650 freestyle in a time of 17:55.79, while Fritts captured the 200 butterfly with a time of 2:08.89.

"I'm really excited that our teams stepped up on the final day of competition to win the combined championship," said head coach Scott Rabalais, who was named the BGMC Female Coach of the Year. "Doxsey continues to show she is one of the top swimmers in the NAIA."

SCAD returns to action March 1 when they compete in the 2006 NAIA Swimming and Diving Championship in St. Peters, Mo.