Vikings’ Brand named SAA Swimmer of the Week
Competing in his final meet before the league championships, senior Noah Brand was named Southern Athletic Association Men’s Swimmer of the Week following his performance last Saturday.
The award was announced by the league office Monday afternoon.
The Norcross native won the award for the first time this season in the final time he would be eligible for it in his career. It came on the strength of a fast time in the 50 yard freestyle in which he touched the wall in 20.82, a personal best.
He would anchor Berry’s 200 yard freestyle relay team with a split time of 20.28. Swimming the butterfly portion of the 200 medley relay for Berry, Brand had a time of 21.44, the fastest leg of the butterfly portion of the relay from any swimmer by over a second.
Brand and the rest of the Berry swim and dive squads will be back in action for the SAA Championships Feb. 8-11 at the Birmingham Crossplex in Birmingham, Alabama.
Vikings get final tune-up before conference meet
Berry’s 200 yard freestyle teams were both highlights in a competitive day in the pool as the Vikings men’s and women’s teams competed against Birmingham-southern and SCAD in a tri-meet at the Birmingham Crossplex in Birmingham, Ala.
On the women’s side, Hannah Smith, Ashley Young, Emma Stewart and Sarabeth Brown combined for a time of 1:42.77 to win the event by better than a second.
For the men, Ross Valdez, Sam Tate, Bear Breeze and Noah Brand touched in a time of 1:26.49 to win the event.
There were other highlights for the Vikings along the way. In the women’s 100 yard breaststroke, Ashley Young had the two fastest splits, winning the event in 1:11.82, a personal-best. The men’s 100 yard breaststroke also featured a win for the Vikings, with Ryan Mackinnon pulling away to win in 1:00.82.
Grace Pleasant had a pair of season-bests for Berry in the meet, finishing the 200 yard free in 2:04.59 and the 100 yard free in 55.88.
Brand finished second in the 50 yard free, just being outtouched by .02 as he clocked a 20.82. That marked a personal-best for Brand in the event.
Tate’s finish in the 200 yard freestyle in 1:46.79 was a personal-best and was nearly a second better than the closest Birmingham-southern foe.