The WKU swimming team used a literal team effort on Saturday to notch a pair of wins at the FIU Relays to open 2015’s competition slate at the Biscayne Bay Aquatic Center.
Competing in nothing but relay events, the WKU women’s team recorded 634 points to take the top spot over host FIU (628), York College of Pennsylvania (474), Colgate (422) and Cazenovia College (162). The Hilltoppers also grinded out a win with 706 point on the board, topping York College of Pennsylvania (688), Colgate (340) and Cazenovia College (82).
The men’s squad won each of their 10 relay events while the women took eight out of 10. Each of WKU’s teams won their respective 3x100 specialty stroke events and the 3x500 free relays. Both also hit the wall first in the 500 free relay with a format of 50-100-150-200.
The Hilltoppers went 1-2 in all four of the traditional relays. In the 800 free relay, Russ Bryant, Aymeric Le Corno, Loui Little and Jess Musser finished in 6:59.16 for the 40 points. Following that crew was MacMillan Slattery, Harry Griffin, Daniel McGee and Tommy VerBrugge at 7:11.41. WKU repeated the act in the 400 medley relay with Chris Goodman, Tj Bland, J. Musser and Le Corno stopping the clock in 3:05.41 as David Owens, Connor Dwyer, Alex Sajewski and Andrew Dobbs came in at 3:34.72.
For the 200 free relay, the squad of Brennan Elsas, John Myhre, John Smith and Le Corno hit first in 1:25.43 while Ryan Burcham, Fabian Schwingenschlogl, Davis Ranburger and Newell Hicks followed close behind in 1:27.99. In the final event, Bryant, Cody Reul, Lucas De Brito and Smith took first in the 400 free relay with a time of 3:08.50. Dobbs, Burcham, VerBrugge and Griffin finished second in 3:18.45.
For the women, the 400 medley relay of Nadine Laemmler, Claire Conlon, Hannah Musser and Allie Duff finished first in 3:45.55. The crew of Andrea VanderMey, Whitney Spain, Haley Black and Taylor Counter took the third-place time of 4:01.42. The lone WKU relay team in the 200 free took care of business with a time of 1:34.55 by Logan Graumann, Michelle Craddock, Celia Ouellette and Paige Drazga.
The team returns to Bowling Green for a meet against University of the Cumberlands and Olivet Nazarene on Jan. 23 followed by Cincinnati on Jan. 24. Both meets take place at Bill Powell Natatorium and will be the last ones on The Hill for the year.
