C-N Prepares for Nationally Ranked Clash With Wingate
Carson-Newman travels to Wingate, N.C. for a two-day meet with the Wingate Bulldogs, where both programs sit comfortably inside the CSCAA Top-25 poll
VIDEO: Ben Young Wingate Preview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman swimming makes the trip to Wingate, N.C., for a nationally ranked clash with the Wingate Bulldogs.
The Eagles' two-day meeting with the Bulldogs is slated to kick off on Friday, Dec. 12 at 6:00 p.m. and run through Saturday, Dec. 13 with a start time of 1:00 p.m.
"Wingate is a fantastic program, and with what they've done throughout this year, I would expect their men's squad to be nationally ranked top-five," said head coach Ben Young. "It's going to be a good meet, it's going to be a fun meet—especially coming off finals. Having the ability to go a two-day format with a team like this is always interesting to see how everything plays out. We have an opportunity to reset after the first session and come back the next day and get back to work."
In the CSCAA November poll, Wingate's men's squad jumped up to the fifth spot in Division II, while the women's team was slated ninth in the country. Carson-Newman is not far behind, with the men's team ranked 17th and the women's squad sitting at 19th.
"Coming off midseason and a lot of our swimmers taking on focus events… we wrapped up midseason with really good swims," Young said. "The biggest thing for us going into this was seeing if we could get through finals and get up to race before we head to Florida."
Last season's meeting between the Eagles and Bulldogs in Mossy Creek saw the C-N women's squad pull the upset over Wingate in a final score of 162–152. While the Bulldogs ultimately took home the overall victory, it was a good building block Young and his staff could improve upon this season.
"Last year's atmosphere was electric from start to finish, and I expect nothing less for the meet this year," said Young. "We both have a big roster and a lot of people to get the place loud and bring a lot of energy to the pool deck."
The Eagles prepare for a nationally ranked head-to-head showdown with the Wingate Bulldogs beginning Friday, Dec. 12 at 6:00 p.m. and continuing Saturday, Dec. 13 at 1:00 p.m. at the Wingate Natatorium in Wingate, N.C.
For updates throughout the week, follow @CN_Eagles on X and Instagram, or Carson-Newman Athletics on Facebook. Full coverage is also available at cneagles.com.
