RESULTS
 
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Queens University of Charlotte men's and women's swimming teams carried over their lead at the Bluegrass Mountain Conference Championships following another eventful day at the Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center. On Saturday, Queens took first place in eight events while recording four individual 'A' cut swims automatically qualifying them for the NCAA Championships in Greensboro.
 
The Royals women kicked off the evening in the 500-yard freestyle with a dominating performance. Monica Gumina flew through the race taking first place with an 'A' cut time of 4:47.98. Sophie Lange would take second posting a 'B' cut time of 4:52.84. Rebecca Dany, Amber Rydzewski, and Giulia Grasso would all round out the top six with 'B' cut times.
 
In the 100-yard backstroke, Vladyslava Maznytska and Caroline Lawrence represented Queens at the top with a 'B' cut time and first and second place finish, respectively. Maznytska was a second shy of earning an 'A' cut time in the event. Tova Andersson and Bobbi Gichard would put together great swims with Andersson earning a 'B' cut time.
 
The Royals only had two participants in the 100-yard breaststroke finals, and both earned all-conference nods for their finishes. Danielle Melilli took second place with a 'B' cut time while Maike Jung finished fifth at 1:03.56. Melilli's 1:01.51 finish was less than half a second off an 'A' cut time.
 
Kayla Tennant and Sophie Lange would put together great swims in the 200-yard butterfly as both swimmers earned 'B' cut times. Tennant took first place with a final time of 2:01.63 while Lange finished third at 2:03.41.
 
The women closed out their sensational day in the 800-yard freestyle relay as Monica Gumina, Giulia Grasso, Caroline Lawrence, and Tova Andersson posted a first-place finish and 'B' cut time.
 
On the men's side, Queens kicked off the afternoon victorious in the 500-yard freestyle. Luke Erwee took the top spot with a 'B' cut time of 4:25.08 and Aidan Henry finished fifth and a 'B' cut time of 4:28.28.
 
In the 100-yard backstroke, newcomer Alexander Bauch posted an 'A' cut time nearly breaking the conference record with a final time of 46.64. Finn Howard was right behind Bauch taking second with a time of 46.90 earning 'B' cut recognition. Andreas Marz would also post a 'B' cut time with a fourth place finish at 48.94.
 
The Royals men saw four compete in the 100-yard breaststroke and they each earned all-conference nods with 'B' cut times. Balazs Berecz and Jan Delkeskamp would finish second and third just .03 seconds apart. Declan Gleason and Brian Copley would finish fifth and sixth at 54.90 and 54.97.
 
Queens was unbelievable in the 200-yard butterfly as four Royals competed in the finals, including 'A' cut times from the top two. Alex Kunert took the crown in the event with a time of 1:43.92 and Yannick Plasil posted a second-place finish while also hitting 'A' cut status at 1:44.62. David Hjort would take sixth in the event and Conner Wang rounded out the Royals with a time of 1:52.87.
 
In the 800-yard freestyle relay, the pairing of Balazs Berecz, Skyler Cook-Weeks, Luke Erwee, and Alex Kunert took first with a 'B' cut time of 6:27.44.
 
Heading into the final day of the championships tomorrow, Queens leads on both sides. The Royals women have totaled 1,466 points and the men have recorded 1,448 points.
 
The Bluegrass Mountain Conference Championships will conclude tomorrow, Feb. 13 at the Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center. The preliminary runs will take place at 10:00 a.m. and the finals are set for 5:00 p.m. Be sure to follow the Royals all season on Twitter and Instagram to stay up to date on all the latest news and updates. Fans are also encouraged to follow Queens Athletics on social media @QueensAthletics to stay updated on all Royals sports.