Coppedge helps Piedmont to victory

Piedmont College’s men’s swimming team brought home the program’s first-ever home swimming event with a dominating dual victory over LaGrange College Jan. 16 at the Ruby Fulbright Aquatic Center in Clarkesville.
The Lions cruised to a 168-44 dual win over the Panthers by virtue of winning both of the day’s relay events while also taking home wins in 11 of the 12 individual events.
The meet began and ended on similar notes as Lions relay teams took home wins to bookend a historic day for the program. Piedmont’s relay team of Ross Coppedge, of Hazlehurst, Bryce Kornegay, of Kings Mountain, N.C., Jon Brown, of Flemington, N.J., and Michael Tappler, of Douglasville, started the meet with a 1:43.58 final time in the 200-yard medley relay, good enough to clear the LaGrange relay time by nine seconds.
Later, the 200-yard freestyle relay team of Coppedge, Alec Long, of Belmont, N.C., Matthew Luther, of Gainesville, and Mason Swaney, of Chatsworth clocked a 1:37.41 to close out the team’s first home win with one final victory.
Up next for the Lions is the Point Invite Jan. 30 at 11 a.m.