Miners get three firsts, finish third in Thanksgiving Invite in St. Louis

ST. LOUIS, Mo. - Missouri S&T's swimming team placed third over the weekend in the two-day Washington University Thanksgiving Invitational, the team's final meet before competing at the University of Missouri following the holiday weekend.

S&T had three first place finishes in the meet and numerous second and third place showings over the two days. The win on an individual basis came from Zlatan Hamzic in the 200-yard breaststroke in 2:08.92 - good for an NCAA Division II B-cut - to lead a sweep of the top two spots along with Zach Lemons. Lemons finished second in 2:09.36.

The Miners were also victorious in two of the freestyle relays as the team of Hayden Price, Jacob Dole, Hamzic and Sean Deegan recording a time of 1:27.86 in the 200-free relay and the group of Jeff Enge, Deegan, Andrew Schranck and Dole captured the 400-free relay in 3:09.78.

S&T got second place efforts from Schranck in three events -- the 200-yard individual medley in 1:55.78, 100-yard butterfly in 51.39 seconds and 200-butterfly in 1:54.42 - passing the NCAA Division II B-cut in the latter two events. Danny Murphy had a runner-up performance in the 500-yard freestyle in 4:48.36 along with Enge in the 400-yard individual medley in 4:10.53 and 200-backstroke in 1:55 flat and Deegan in the 100-freestyle in 53.73 seconds.

A second place finish was also recorded by S&T's 800-yard freestyle relay team of Murphy, Enge, Matt Welsh and Schranck with a time of 7:02.37. The Miners' 400-yard medley relay team of Enge, Hamzic, Schranck and Dole also took second in that event with a time of 3:30.88, while the 200-medley relay quartet of those same four individuals finished third in 1:37.07.

Welsh was third in the 500-freestyle in 4:49.93 and the 200-freestyle in 1:45.70, as was Deegan in the 50-yard freestyle in 21.80 seconds and 100-free in 48.04 seconds, Murphy in the 400-IM in 4:10.66 and Dole in the 100-freestyle in 48.01 seconds.

A fourth place finish was posted by Enge in the 200-IM in 1:57.59, while Lemons was fifth in the 400-IM in 4:11.67 along with Price in the 200-freestyle in 1:46.82 and Hamzic in the 100-yard breaststroke in 59.41 seconds.

Dole tied for sixth in the 50-freestyle in 22.29 and Murphy had a sixth place showing in the 200-breaststroke in 2:18.83. Hamzic came in seventh in the 200-IM in 1:58.98 as did Luke Norris in the 500-freestyle in 4:56.21 and Phil Arve in the 400-IM in 4:23.51 and 200-butterfly in 2:00.28.

Lindenwood took the team championship in the meet - which was held at Mary Institute-Country Day School - while Saint Louis University finished second.