Complete polls

Norfolk, Va.----The Wingate University swimming teams are featured in the preseason College Swimming Coaches Association of America NCAA Division II top 25 polls released this week. The Bulldog women's team is number two, while the Wingate men's team is number six. The CSCAA NCAA Division II Swimming and Diving team rankings are voted on by CSCAA member coaches and media representatives. They are released on a monthly basis.
 
The CSCAA Poll Committee will produce in-season rankings of the 25 best performing NCAA Division II Swimming and Diving teams in rank order at the time of each poll. The rankings are not designed to predict the results of the NCAA Championship, but rather which teams would win head-to-head against other teams in the country.
 
What They Are Saying
Wingate head coach Kirk Sanocki
 
"I believe this is our highest preseason ranking in history for both squads. Having the ability to go early against four of the top 10 programs in the country and scoring more swimming points than all but one has led to these rankings. The preparation and effort to perform this way was a focus for the team from day one."
 
"As we've stated in the past, polls are nice talking points, but we have our eyes clearly focused on our championship season in February and March. We don't qualify for NCAA with seasonal victories, but we use them to gauge what we are capable of doing at the end."
 
Looking at the top 25
 
Indianapolis (UIndy) is the number one team in both polls. In the women's listing, Queens University of Charlotte is third, Carson-Newman University is seventh and UNC Pembroke is 25th. In the men's listing, Queens is number two, while Carson-Newman is no. 11.
 
Wingate traveled to Indiana to participate in the UIndy Invitational Oct. 9-10. Grand Valley State, Lindenwood and Nova Southeastern joined the host Greyhounds and the Bulldogs for the two-day event.
 
GVSU is number five in the men's poll and number six in the women's listing. Lindenwood is third (men) and fifth (women), while Nova Southeastern is eighth (men) and fourth (women).
 
Wingate is one of eight schools with both teams in the top 10. The others are UIndy, Queens, Lindenwood, Grand Valley, Drury, Colorado Mesa and Nova Southeastern.
 
Wingate's last event
 
The Wingate women's swimming team finished second in the UIndy Invitational. The Bulldog men took third place. Senior All-American and team captain Kate Agger (Broomall, Pa.) won the 500 and the 1000 Freestyle races to lead the Bulldogs. UIndy defended its home turf (pool), taking the team title in both the women's and the men's events. Lindenwood was second on the men's side.

On the horizon
 
The Bulldogs open the home portion of their 2021-22 schedule Saturday, hosting Carson-Newman. The event features two sessions: one at noon, the other at 5 p.m. Admission is free.
 
Wingate travels to Atlanta in early November for the Emory University Invitational. The event will feature a star-studded, multi-divisional field Nov. 5-6. The Bulldog men host Catawba and Lenoir-Rhyne Nov. 12. The Wingate women visit Catawba the next day to face the host Indians and the L-R Bears.
 
Wingate will see six-time defending NCAA Division II national champion Queens University of Charlotte twice during the first semester. The Bulldogs will participate in the Queens Fall Frenzy Invitational at the Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center (MCAC) in Charlotte Nov. 19-21.
 
The Queens men visit Wingate Friday, Dec. 3, while the Bulldog women venture to Charlotte Saturday, Dec. 4. Queens and Wingate finished 1-2 in the 2021 Bluegrass Mountain Conference championship meet in Fort Mill.
 
CSCAA
 
Founded in 1922, the College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) - the oldest organization of college coaches in America - is a professional organization of college swimming and diving coaches dedicated to serving and providing leadership for the advancement of the sport of swimming & diving at the collegiate level.
 
Wingate University
 
Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a laboratory of difference-making that serves more than 3,400 students in North Carolina. Wingate offers 37 undergraduate majors as well as eight master's and five doctoral degrees. The University is home to the Cannon College of Arts and Sciences; the Levine College of Health Sciences; the Byrum School of Business; and the College of Professional Studies, which includes the Thayer School of Education and the School of Sport Sciences.

Wingate is a leader in healthcare education, and nearly one in five Wingate undergraduate students is preparing to be a pharmacist, physician assistant, physical therapist, occupational therapist or nurse. Student-athletes on Wingate's 24 teams compete in NCAA Division II and have brought home the SAC Echols Athletic Excellence Award for 13 years straight. The University's motto is "Faith, Knowledge, Service." View current news and videos at www.wingate.edu.