The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

NCAA Division I Swimming and Diving opened its season and Bahamian student athletes in the Atlantic Coast Conference opened their seasons on an impressive note.

Both Lily Higgs of the North Carolina Tar Heels and Izaak Bastian of the Florida State Seminoles made their season debuts with performances that garnered spots on their respective medal podiums.

The Tar Heels dropped their first meet of the season to the North Carolina State Wolfpack (224-167) but Higgs delivered a pair of top three performances. She finished second in the 50 breast in 28.83 seconds and was also a member of the second place 200-medley relay squad that finished in 1:41.33.

Bastian and No.18 ranked Seminoles defeated the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 152-147 in their opener.

The team of freshman Mason Herbet, junior Izaak Bastian, sophomore Domen Demsar and junior Jakub Ksiazek (1:29.01) won the 200 medley.

Individually, he took first place in the 100 breast in 55.40 and was second in the 200 breast in 2:04.23.

“I thought we did really well,” FSU head coach Neal Studd said on the school’s athletic website. “I thought we fought really hard. We had some of our top athletes out. 2020 is different and we’ve got to go with what we’ve got. I’m excited with how they competed in this first meet of the year.”

His strong start to the season continued last night at the Georgia Invite with a fourth place finish in the 100 breast in 54.36 and he was a member of the 200 medley team that opened the night with a third place finish in 1:25.60.

In the previous meet, Bastian and the Seminoles dominated the TCU Horned Frogs 201.5-97.5. He finished third in the 100 breast in 55.32 and was also third in the the 200 breast in 2:00.26.

As a member of the the 200 medley team, Bastian helped his side to a first place finish in 1:27.50 and his 200 freestyle team was second in 1:21.31.