The Westminster College men's and women's swimming and diving teams split in Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) dual action at home against Grove City on Thursday. The Titan men won 156-141, while the Titan women lost 155-133.
The Titan men improved to 8-2 overall and 4-0 in the PAC, while the Titan women went to 8-3 overall and 4-1 in the conference. The Wolverine men dropped to 4-8 overall and 2-1 in the PAC, while the Wolverine women improved to 7-5 overall and 3-0 in PAC competition.
The Titan men won nine events, while the Titan women won six.
The Westminster men set one pool record and tied another. The 200 medley relay team broke its own pool record that they set earlier in the year with a first-place time of 1:35.92. The quartet consisted of juniors Steven Brooks (Boardman, OH / Boardman) and Jake Pletz (Venetia, PA / Peters Township) and sophomores Matthew Baurle (Jeannette, PA / Penn Trafford) and Max Hague (Canton, OH / Glenoak). Brooks also tied the 100 backstroke pool record, which was set in 2006, as he touched first at 51.28 and won the 50 freestyle (21.88).
Brooks, Hague, Pletz, and sophomore Austin Karper (Carlisle, PA / Carlisle) won the 400 freestyle relay with a time of 3:15.30.
Baurle and Pletz also picked up a pair of individual wins each. Baurle won the 100 breaststroke (58.44) and the 200 breaststroke (2:12.96), while Pletz touched first in the 200 freestyle (1:46.49) and in the 100 freestyle (48.81). Rounding out the first-place finishers for the Titan men was freshman Dan Pletz (Venetia, PA / Peters Township) who won the 200 backstroke (2:00.60).
For the women, the 200 medley relay team, consisting of sophomore Kelsey Reott (Butler, PA / Slippery Rock), freshman Samantha Tower (Export, PA / Franklin Regional), and seniors Amanda Marlow (Twinsburg, OH / Twinsburg) and Carrie Whisel (Boiling Springs, PA / Boiling Springs), won with a time of 1:52.74. Each member also earned an individual win as Whisel won the 50 freestyle (25.42), Reott won the 200 backstroke (2:11.87), Marlow won the 100 butterfly (1:00.59), and Tower won the 100 breaststroke (1:10.49). Also picking up a win was freshman Anne Tillie (Fallston, MD / Fallston) who touched first in the 200 freestyle (1:59.41).
Westminster will compete at Mount Union on Saturday at 1 p.m.
