'Roos Finish Strong at SCAC Championships

GARLAND, Texas - The Austin College men's and women's swim teams wrapped up the 2024 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championship Meet on Saturday, with the men placing fifth while the women were seventh. Sammi Thiele made history as the first 'Roo swimmer to win two golds at the same championship, and was also named the Elite 19 Award winner for the second year in a row.

Thiele became the first Austin College swimmer, male or female, to take home multiple first place finishes at the same SCAC Championship after breaking the conference mark in the 200 backstroke. Thiele posted a time of 2:00.38, with the previous conference record having been 2:00.92, a time that's stood since 2018. She was also honored as the SCAC Women's Swimming Elite 19 winner, an award that goes to the student-athlete with the highest grade-point-average who also earns All-Conference accolades. Thiele earned three All-SCAC nods at this year's meet, in the 200 IM, the 100 back, and the 200 back. She's just the second Austin College student-athlete to repeat as the Elite 19 winner, joining former women's basketball player Ann Savage.

The men got a strong finish in the 1650 freestyle from Tim Smith, who placed eighth in the event with a time of 18:12.37, while Cassidee Levine placed 10th in the women's 200 breaststroke with a time of 2:46.23. Tyler McDermott added a 12th place finish in that event on the men's side, coming in with a time of 2:21.59. Zane Eklund gave the 'Roos another 12th place finish in the 200 butterfly, touching with a time of 2:06.76, and the men's 400 free relay team took fifth with a time of 3:22.02, while the women's 400 free relay team came in with a time of 3:49.55 to also notch fifth place in that event.

The Austin College women finished with 246 overall points to place seventh, while the men were fifth on the strength of 213 points as a team.