Wittenberg Swims Past Centre on Senior Day

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — The Wittenberg men's and women's swimming and diving teams sent their seniors out on a high note with a pair of victories over Centre in the 2010-11 home dual meet finale.

Heading into their last dual of the campaign at perennial national power Kenyon on Jan. 29, the Tiger men improved to 9-3 with a 193-104 victory over Centre. The Tiger women took advantage of a significant edge in the diving events to pull out a 151-137 win over the Colonels.

Wittenberg claimed first-place finishes in 13 men's events to run away with the competition. Freshman Jon Drewsen (Fond du Lac, Wisc./Fond du Lac) led the way with two individual wins (100-yard freestyle, 50-yard freestyle) and two relay victories (200 medley relay and 200 freestyle relay). Not to be oudone, junior Teddy Hutchinson (Sudbury, Mass./Lincoln-Sudbury Regional) was a winner in the 100 and 200 backstroke events, and he also was a member of the winning 200 medley relay quartet.

Also on the men's side, sophomore Michael Garza (Dayton, Ohio/Hampton) won both breaststroke events, senior Chris Culkin (Novi, Mich./Northville) was a winner in the two distance freestyle events competed, sophomore JB Easley (Cincinnati, Ohio/Seven Hills) won the 200 free and was a member of the winning 200 free relay team, and junior Gus Appenbrink (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley) claimed both diving events.

Wittenberg won seven events on the women's side, including a pair of firsts in the diving events from senior Megan Shubitowski (Columbus, Ohio/Watterson). Freshman Molly Gustafson (West Hartford, Conn./Conard) contributed victories in both breaststroke events and junior Keaton Hannon (Peachtree City, Ga./McIntosh) chipped in both butterfly events. They were two of the four swimmers on the first-place 200 medley relay quartet.

Hutchinson and Culkin are two of eight seniors on the men's team who were celebrated. They were joined in mid-meet festivities by Phil Bambach (Dublin, Ohio/Jerome), Parker Browning (Cincinnati, Ohio/Turpin), Conor O'Rourke (Mendham, NJ/Canterbury School), Danny Nicholas (Indianapolis, Ind./North Central), Zach Stewart (Vincennes, Ind./Lincoln) and Adam Schick (Bloomington, Ind./North).

Shubitowski and Katie Sbrocco (Highland Heights, Ohio/Mayfield) are the lone seniors on the women's team.

For the Colonels, freshman Cole Pleasants (Lexington, Ky.) continues to perform well in butterfly, as he took first place in the 200 yard event with a time of 2:00.81. Pleasants also won the 100 butterfly, after recording a time of 54.34. He won the 200 IM, as well, following a time of 2:03.58.

Junior Shawn Malony (Owensboro, Ky.) had a second place finish in the 200 breaststroke, after posting a time of 2:21.03.

The Colonels also picked up a second place finish from Brent Bowman (Allison Park, Pa.) in the 500 freestyle, following a time of 5:02.62.

Senior Ryan Rougeux (Louisville, Ky.) was second in the one meter diving with a score of 214.40 and the three meter diving with a 240.00. Freshman Travis Adams (Shelbyville, Ky.) was third overall in both events with a 194.95 in the one meter and a 192.70 in the three meter.

During the women's meet Centre sophomore Sandra Gregor (Itasca, Ill.) won the 1000 yard freestyle with a time of 11:06.10.

Freshman Clark Weber (Louisville, Ky.) would pick up nine points for the Colonels in the 200 freestyle, after she recorded a time of 2:00.27. She also placed first in the 500 freestyle with a time of 5:16.66.

Junior Colleen Maggard (Paris, Ky.) took first place in the 100 backstroke, following a time of 1:02.57. She also won the 50 freestyle with a time of 25.73. Maggard recorded her third win of the meet in the 200 backstroke, following a time of 2:14.37.

In the 100 freestyle, senior Lauren Gates (Lexington, Ky.) would win the event, as she swam the race in a time of 56.53. Later in the meet she would take first in the 200 IM, after posting a time of 2:16.66.

The Centre women closed out the meet by taking first place in the 200 freestyle relay. Sophomore Shannon Wofford (Fort Thomas, Ky.), sophomore Evyn White (Berry, Ky.), Gates, and Weber were the members of the winning relay team, as they recorded a time of 1:43.66 in the race.