VIDEO | Wingate at Tampa live stream
 
Tampa, Fla.----The No. 7 Wingate University men's and women's swimming teams put the finishing touches on their 2025 training trip Saturday, competing against the top-five University of Tampa squads in a dual meet. The Spartans are hosting this clash of the titans at the Riseman Aquatic Center on the UT campus. The first event is slated for a 10:30 a.m. start.
 
The Tampa men are the defending NCAA Division II national champions. In the December 2024 CSCAA top 25 coaches' poll, the Spartan men are No. 2, while the Tampa women are No. 4. The No. 7 Bulldog men are 5-0 overall in dual meets this season, while the No. 7 Wingate women are 3-2 overall.
 
What They Are Saying
Wingate head coach Kevin Hennessy
 
"It's been great being able to go back to Florida for our Winter training trip. The team has been getting after it really well. The energy they brought has been next level. The double workouts, long course training and ability to train outdoors really helps add to the whole experience."
 
"I'm really looking forward to racing Tampa on Saturday. Going against the defending national champions will be a great test as we continue to build and grow into the best team we can be. If we ever hope to be the best, we have to continually put ourselves in these positions to compete against the best. I have no doubt we will rise to the challenge and have a great meet with some great races. WU WHAT? WU SWIM!"
 
Wingate concludes '24 fall semester with Carson-Newman meet
 
Competing in their final 2024 fall semester event, the top-10 Wingate University swimming teams split a South Atlantic Conference dual meet against Carson-Newman at the Maddox Student Activities Center Friday and Saturday, December 13-14. The Wingate men grounded the Eagles 164-151, while the Carson-Newman women picked up a 162-152 victory.
 
The Bulldog men picked up eight individual event victories on the way to its victory over the host C-N Eagles. The Wingate women won five events during the two-day extravaganza.
 
South Atlantic Conference Swimmers of the Week
 
Wingate sophomore Damir Ipkaev (Moscow, Russia) and freshman Elizabete Paula Ozola (Ropazi, Latvia) earned South Atlantic Conference WePlayed Sports Swimmer of the Week recognitions following the Carson-Newman meet.
 
Ipkaev won two events in Jefferson City: the 500 Freestyle (4:30.89) and the 1000 Freestyle (9:23.88). He scored 18 points for the visitors. Ozola touched first in the 200 Freestyle (1:56.17). She tallied 16 points across her events. Eight different Bulldog student-athletes have won SAC WePlayed Sports Swimmer of the Week honors so far this season.
 
Wingate University
 
Wingate University is a lab of difference-making that serves more than 3,400 students in North Carolina and offers 60 degree pathways, including 37 undergraduate majors, 10 pre-professional tracks and five dual-degree programs. Graduate students choose from seven master's and five doctoral programs. The University 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.
 
Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a leader in healthcare education where nearly one in five undergraduate students is preparing to be a pharmacist, physician assistant, physical therapist, occupational therapist or nurse. Student-athletes on Wingate's 26 teams compete in NCAA Division II and have brought home the SAC Echols Athletic Excellence Award the past 16 times it has been awarded. The University's motto is "Faith, Knowledge, Service." View current news and videos at www.wingate.edu.
 
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