TUPELO, Miss. – Historic and only just beginning. Those were the two takeaways from Millsaps men's and women's swimming and diving's performances at the three-day Rhodes Invitational held over the weekend. Fifth-year senior
Bryan Sullivan set three Southern Athletic Association records, posted two top times thus far for NCAA Division III, and the Majors combined for 17 program records inside the Tupelo Aquatic Center.
On Friday, Sullivan got Millsaps off to an incredible start by setting the SAA mark in the 50-yard freestyle, which doubled as the nation's top finish this season. His time of 20.25 seconds bettered the old record of 20.63 set back in 2014 by Berry's Graydon McCrite.
Millsaps would establish two more program records on the opening evening of the meet. Freshman
Catherine Passarelli swam the 500-yard freestyle in 5:50.83, while Sullivan joined
Breydon Conner,
Anthony Werner and
Jack Sewell in the record-setting 200-yard medley relay (1:42.53).
Sharpies and highlighters were needed as the record books continued to be rewritten on Saturday.
Sullivan set the NCAA's fourth swiftest time in the 100-yard butterfly and a second SAA record in 48.78. Remarkably, his 50 split of 22.25 ranks as an NCAA best and sits 50th overall across all classifications.
Sullivan, a Jackson, Miss. native, established his third SAA top time in the 100-yard backstroke. The mark of 49.19 sits third nationally for DIII. Once again, his 50 split of 23.43 eclipsed the Millsaps record and is 18th quickest at DIII as well. The SAA and NCAA only track the freestyle for 50-yard top performances. Both 50s are likely the fastest ever for the conference.
Millsaps went on to set five additional program records on Saturday. Freshman
Kat Burns set two in the 50-yard breaststroke (33.93 – also a split) and 100-yard breaststroke (1:10.82). Both the men's and women's 200-yard free relays as well as the women's 400-yard medley relays set top times.
In the 200 free relays it was Sullivan,
Cooper Clevenger, Conner, Werner (1:32.07) and Burns, Passarelli,
Alexandra Raybourn and
Ginny Ray Clevenger (1:51.48.). The 400 medley was eclipsed by Raybourn, Burns, Clevenger and Passarelli (4:26.11).
On Sunday, Millsaps combined for five final records. Sullivan, a product of Jackson Prep, crushed it in the 100-yard free at 45.98. Burns from Daphne, Ala., also swam the 200-yard breaststroke in 2:43.44.
Continuing to show her dominance as a distance swimmer, Passarelli covered the 1650-yard free in 20:58.41. Her 1000-yard split set a new bar at 12:07.58.
The quartet of Burns,
Chloee Beebe, Clevenger and Passarelli worked to improve the 400-yard freestyle relay time down to 4:00.30.
The Rhodes Invitational was just the third meet of the season so far for the Majors. Millsaps, in its third season as a program, will next travel to face the University of Montevallo on Saturday, Nov. 20, beginning at 10 a.m.
RHODE INVITATIONAL RESULTS – MILLSAPS SWIMMERS
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