Northwestern Sweeps Carthage and Olivet

Northwestern hosted a pair of Division III opponents Saturday at the Norris Aquatics Center, defeating Carthage College, 134-81, and Olivet College, 140-83, in a double-dual meet.

The Wildcats used a split squad in the meet, with eight NU swimmers and one diver currently in Dallas, Texas, for The Classic at SMU.

NU's 400 medley relay squad of Jake Vogel (Canton, Ill./Canton), Adam Lewno (Racine, Wis./J.I. Case), Bryan Pinkston (Richmond, Va./St. Christopher's) and Brian Kerr (East Grand Rapids, Mich./East Grand Rapids) kicked off the meet with a 1:35.81 and a first-place finish.

Freshman Sean Mathews (St. Louis, Mo./Lafayette) and junior Andy Long (Aurora, Ill./Waubonsie Valley) then took first and second in the 1,000 free, with Mathews winning in 9:43.96 and Long coming in second with a time of 10:00.82.

In the 200 free, senior Daniel Walls (Tucson, Ariz./Sabino) swam a 1:44.81 to finish first, then Kerr won the 50 free with a time of 21.91. In the 200 IM, Carthage Junior Stephen Schranck ediged out Kyle O'Brien by .10 of a second to win in 1:57.21.

Mathews captured his second event of the day with a 52.32 in the 100 fly, followed in second by Pinkston with a 53.12. Kerr (48.24) and O'Brien (49.37) then swept the top two spots in the 100 free for Northwestern.

In the 100 back, Vogel emerged victorious for the Wildcats with a 51.72, following in second by senior Eric Simpson (Wellesley, Mass./Wellesley) with a 53.19. Walls then won his second event with a 4:49.04 in the 500 free, placing ahead of teammate Long, who was second with a 4:51.32.

The Red Men's Schranck won his second event of the day when he took the 100 breaststroke in 58.91. Then NU's team of Charlie Cunnick (Davenport, Iowa/Davenport Central), Chris Doman (Westerville, Ohio/St. Charles Prep), Mathews and O'Brien took first in the 400 free relay with a 3:10.77. Both of those finishes did not count in the final score tally after NU exhibitioned the swims.

In other action at the meet, Carthage swam past Olivet, 123-97. Both D-III schools also brought their women's teams to Evanston, with Carthage winning that battle, 109-95.

Carthage’s Amanda Croix won both the 50 freestyle (24.91) and the 100 freestyle (53.90), while Michelle Pelka won both the 100 butterfly (1:00.28) and the 200 individual medley (2:15.12). Sarah Reynertson finished first in the 100 backstroke (1:02.46), as did Amy Mueller in the 100 backstroke (1:12.99) and Nicole Cleveland in the 1,000 freestyle (11:29.55).

The Lady Reds travel to Grinnell, Iowa on Friday-Saturday, Jan. 18-19 for the Grinnell Invitational while the Red Men head to Ohio to take on No. 2 Kenyon College. The Wildcats will stay at home to host Notre Dame.