Oberlin, Ohio- The Wittenberg University men's and women's swimming & diving teams combined for a 2-2 record on Saturday (11/17) afternoon in an NCAC double-dual meet against Oberlin and Wooster at Oberlin College's recently renovated Carr Pool. Both teams picked up close victories over host Oberlin, with the men securing a 132-110 victory over the Yeomen and the women picking up a 139-117 win over the Yeowomen. However, the College of Wooster dominated the afternoon in the pool, earning a 208-70 win over Wittenberg in the men's competition and a 203-76 triumph over the women's squad.
On the women's side, Wittenberg accumulated seven top-three finishes on the afternoon, led by junior Marita Banta-Long crushing the six-swimmer field in the 200 fly with a winning time of 2:21.60. Her winning time was six seconds faster than the second-place finisher from Wooster. Freshman Abigail Dunaksy continued her success on the season in the distance freestyle events, finishing second in the 500 with a time of 5:33.83 and third overall in the 1,000 free after stopping the clock with a time of 11:28.62. Sophomore diver Kateleigh Lorimer also collected a pair of second-place showings in the diving events for the Tigers, accumulating 160.90 points on the one-meter board and 142.40 points in the three-meter competition. The Tigers also finished in the top-three in both relay events on the afternoon, starting with the team of freshman Jessica Crowder, junior Annelise Gibson, Banta-Long and junior Claire Bergefurd finishing second overall in the 400 medley relay with a time of 3:51.64. The women's squad then put a bow on the meet with the team of Bergefurd, Crowder, Dunasky and Banta-Long finishing third overall in the 400 free relay with a time of 3:58.58.
In the men's meet, Wittenberg combined for 10 top-three event finishes, highlighted by sophomore Trey Gregory outpacing the field in the 200 fly with a winning time of 1:58.57. Gregory was also the runner-up in the 100 fly race after reaching the wall with a time of 52.49. Junior Bradley Barren picked up a pair of second-place finishes in the sprint freestyle events, posting a time of 22.32 in the 50 and stopping the clock at 49.74 in the 100. Three additional freshmen athletes earned second-place showings in individual events, including Noah Curry in the 200 free (1:50.29), Noah Miller in the one-meter diving competition with 180.95 points and Anthony Petruzzi in the 500 free with a time of 5:06.74. Junior Nick Angeli also cracked the top-three in an individual event by finishing third overall in the 1,000 free with a time of 11:03.28. In the relays, the Tigers opened the meet with a third-place showing in the 400 medley, as the team of sophomore Connor Flanagan, freshman Benjamin Hongell, Gregory and Barren combined for a time of 3:42.85, while the grouping of Petruzzi, Hongell, Barren and Gregory finished second overall in the 400 free relay to close out the meet with a time of 3:23.64.
"It is great to see the team members working on the things that will help to make them faster in the end. While not every swim was a season best, as a group they are improving." said interim head coach Noah Moran. "We had good swims from all of the athletes considering where we are training over the last two days and some real recognition of smart swimming races."
The Wittenberg swimmers and divers will now take a week off for the Thanksgiving Holiday, before returning to the pool on the first weekend of December for the annual Transylvania Invitational, held at the University of Kentucky, in Lexington, KY, December 1-2.