Taylor Smith
GAMBIER, Ohio - The Wittenberg men's and women's swimming and diving teams headed to the Kenyon Last Chance Invitational with one goal in mind: better times. That goal was accomplished thanks to four individuals bettering their NCAA Provisional Qualifying times and the setting of a new school record. Both teams finished fourth in the meet, the women among a field of 14 and the men a field of 15.
Sophomore Keaton Hannon (Peachtree City, Ga./McIntosh) established a new Wittenberg standard in the 100 butterfly with a 57.89 split in her 200 butterfly. She bettered her best time of the year in the event to help her chances in converting her 'B cut' into an invitation to the NCAA Division III Championship Meet at the University of Minnesota Wednesday, March 17 through Saturday, March 20.
Senior Adeline Brym (Mansfield, Ohio/Lexington) also improved on her best 200 backstroke time of the year, which already earned her a 'B cut', touching the wall in 2:05.21 and finishing first in the event.
Aside from the NCAA standards, several Wittenberg women's swimmers earned big points for the Tigers. Sophomore Sinjin McNicholl (Indianapolis, Ind./Ben Davis) placed second in the 100 freestyle, while the 200 free relay team of McNicholl, Brym, sophomore Cecilia Wille (Knoxville, Tenn./Farragut) and freshman Ward McNulty (Glencoe, Ill./New Trier) took first on a time of 1:37.75.
On the men's side, senior Neil Anderson (Lakewood, Ohio/Lakewood) improved his provisional qualifying time in the 200 butterfly with a time of 1:53.73, a result that earned him first place in the meet. Senior Taylor Smith (Mansfield, Ohio/Senior) also improved on a 'B cut' time in the 100 backstroke with a time of 52.24.
Junior Zachary Stewart (Vincennes, Ind./Lincoln) earned the men major points in the meet with a first-place time of 1:42.82 in the 200 freestyle, followed by Anderson in third, while freshman Michael Garza (Dayton, Ohio/Hampton) grabbed second place in the 200 individual medley on a time of 2:00.11.
The swimming and diving teams now wait to hear from the NCAA on the status of their provisional qualifying times.