VIDEO | Maike Hoener Interview
VIDEO | Giacomo Viazzo Interview
 
Wingate, N.C.----The nationally-ranked Wingate University men's and women's swimming teams begin their 2019-20 adventure Friday evening, hosting Bluegrass Mountain Conference rival Carson-Newman University for a double dual meet at the WU Natatorium. The two-day event begins Friday at 5 p.m. The Saturday session is slated for an 11 a.m. start.
 
In Wednesday's College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA)/TYR NCAA Division II top 25 preseason polls, the Wingate women are ninth and the Bulldog men are 20th. The Carson-Newman Eagles are 17th in both listings. "Every year, our schedule features a multitude of top 25 teams," Wingate head coach Kirk Sanocki says. "Our schedule is always designed to get us ready for the NCAAs."
 
Last season, the Wingate women finished seventh at the 2019 NCAA national championship meet in Indianapolis. On the men's side, the Bulldogs claimed 17th place on the 2019 NCAA leader board. Carson-Newman finished 21st (men) and 22nd (women) at the 2019 NCAA meet. Forty-five schools scored points on the women's side, while 32 men's squads earned team points.
 
In June, Wingate was the only NCAA or NAIA school with three men's swimming student-athletes on the 2019 Academic All-America® at-large teams (as selected by CoSIDA). On the 2019 College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) team charts, the Wingate women posted a 3.46 GPA. The Bulldog men had a 3.40 GPA. Both WU swimming teams were recognized as 2018-19 Scholar All-America teams by the CSCAA.
 
BULLDOG NOTES
 
Bevy of All-Americans returning: Wingate returns eight first team All-Americans from the 2019 national championship meet: women's team members Kate Agger, Sara Aringsmann, Maike Hoener, Abby Kosic, Anna Miram, Anne-Sofie Nissen and Leticia Odorici and men's breaststroker Giacomo Viazzo. Agger, Aringsmann, Hoener, Miram, Nissen and Odorici received first team All-American honors for the first time in their respective careers.
 
Viazzo finished second in the 200 Breaststroke (1:56.55), while Miram, Nissen, Hoener and alumnus Maria Madsen ('19) finished third in the 400 Medley Relay (3:42.17) in Indianapolis. The Bulldogs had 35 honorable mention All-American swims last season, including consolation finals victories in the women's 200 Medley Relay and the men's 400 Medley Relay.
 
Kosic has two national championship swims, as she was a member of Wingate's gold medal-winning 800 Freestyle Relay quartet in 2017 and 2018. Last season, Kosic, Odorici and WUSWIM alumni Madsen and Hanna Van Horen ('19) finished fourth in the 800 Freestyle Relay with a time of 7:21.71.
 
Schedule again one of the toughest: Wingate will see five-time defending NCAA Division II national champion (and preseason number one teams) Queens University of Charlotte in October. The Queens men visit Wingate Friday, Oct. 25, while the Bulldog women venture to Charlotte Saturday, Oct. 26. Queens and Wingate finished 1-2 in the 2019 Bluegrass Mountain Conference championship meet in Charlotte.
 
Wingate travels to Atlanta in early November for the Emory University Invitational. The event will feature a star-studded, multi-divisional field Nov. 8-9. Two weeks later, the Bulldogs will participate in the Queens Fall Frenzy Invitational at the Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center (MCAC) in Charlotte Nov. 22-24. Wingate concludes the first semester portion of its 2019-20 schedule Dec. 16-19 at the University of Tampa Spartan Invitational in Clearwater, Fla.
 
The second semester schedule features dual meets with Gardner-Webb (Jan. 10-11), Catawba and Lenoir-Rhyne (Jan. 17-18) and Barton (Jan. 24-25). Wingate will celebrate Senior Day on Friday, Jan. 24 when the Barton Bulldog women visit Union County for the first time.
 
The BMC championship meet is Feb. 12-15 at the MCAC in Charlotte. Wingate's student-athletes will have one final chance to record NCAA cuts at the Royal Invitational Feb. 21-22 at Queens. The 2020 NCAA Division II national championship meet is March 11-14 at the Spire Institute in Geneva, Ohio.
 
Strength in numbers: Kirk Sanocki and his assistant coaches welcome back 44 letter winners (23 men, 21 women). Of these 44 veterans, 16 have NCAA Division II national championship meet experience (10 women, six men).
 
Two Bulldog women (Kosic and Charlotte Knippenberg) and one Wingate male (Ben Evans) have made three appearances each at the NCAA Division II national championship meet. Evans is one of four 2019-20 team captains, joining Odorici, Ebba Stillman and Markus Furst.
 
Kirk Sanocki by the numbers: Kirk Sanocki enters his 19th season with the Bulldog women's swimming team this fall (and his 15th season with the men).
 
-Sanocki has coached Wingate student-athletes to 440 All-American swims
-Wingate has 44 national championship swims during his tenure (30 women, 14 men)
-At NCAAs, the Wingate women have earned second place once (2016) and third twice
-At NCAAs, the Bulldog men have earned fifth place once and sixth place five times
-Sanocki was named NCAA D2 national Coach of the Year twice (women 2016, men 2012)
-Sanocki has guided Wingate to 11 Bluegrass Mountain Conference titles
-Sanocki has earned the Busby Award BMC Coach of the Year 11 times
-Thirty (30) WUSWIM student-athletes have earned Academic All-America® at-large team honors from CoSIDA
 
WINGATE UNIVERSITY
 
A comprehensive, independent and growing university, Wingate serves more than 3,600 students in North Carolina. Founded in 1896, the University offers 37 undergraduate majors as well as graduate and professional programs. Wingate is home to the Cannon College of Arts and Sciences, the Levine College of Health Sciences, the Byrum School of Business, the Thayer School of Education and the School of Sport Sciences. Wingate blends in-class exploration with out-of-class application to deliver an uncommon and life-changing educational experience.
 
In addition to a robust intramural athletics program, Wingate student athletes compete in 22 NCAA Division II sports. The University has won the South Atlantic Conference Echols Athletic Excellence Award for the past 13 years. Wingate is first in the 2000s among NCAA Division II and North Carolina's colleges and universities with 113 CoSIDA Academic All-America® selections. Wingate is tops among all SAC schools with 122 lifetime Academic All-America® honorees. For more information on WU athletics, go to www.wingatebulldogs.com. Current news and videos can be found at www.wingate.edu.