The Eastern Illinois University men’s & women’s swimming teams had a strong finish in the final day at the House of Champions as they posted top 10 finishes in five different events. The men’s swimming team earned a seventh place finish at the House of Champions with 477.00 points overall, while the women ended in 10th place as they scored 387.00 points.
The men’s 400-yard freestyle relay team of Stephen Truchon, Jennings Soccorso, Shane Witzki, and Steve Fishman ended with the ninth best time at 3:10.89. Nick Harkins, Matt Jacobs, Leo Garofalo, and Bryan McPherson teamed up in the same event, as they earned 16th best honors with their time of 3:17.42.
Fishman earned the top finish for the Panther men individually with his ninth place finish in the 200-yard backstroke as he posted a time of 1:52.23. Brogan O’Doherty and Harkins also swam in the 200-yard backstroke, as O’Doherty finished in 15th (1:58.65) and Harkins in 21st place (2:02.67). Truchon earned himself the 10th best mark in the 100-yard freestyle as he swam the event in 46.90 seconds. Soccorso posted a 16th place finish in the same event at 48.17 seconds. Jacobs and Brandon Robbins both swam in the 200-yard breaststroke, as Jacobs finished in 14th place (2:08.70) and Robbins in 18th place (2:12.33). Three Panthers –Alex Laleian, Patrick Wood, and Gerald Stingle – all posted times in the finals in the 200-yard butterfly. Laleian finished the event at 2:01.16 (19th place), Wood at 2:09.09 (22nd place), and Stingle at 2:09.74 (23rd place). Jake Roberts and Kyle Ruckert rounded out the list of times in the finals for the Panther men with their postings in the 1650-yard freestyle. Roberts finished the event with the 12th best time (16:49.88) and Ruckert with the 15th best time (17:07.11).
The EIU women’s swimming team had two relay squads in the 400-yard freestyle. Lauren Oostman, Caitlin Danforth, Kaylee Morris, and Kelsey Ferguson completed the event with a time of 3:41.74, which gave them 14th place honors. Joann Wakefield, Martee Grainger, Fallyn Schwake, and Danielle DiMatteo finished not far behind the other group of Panthers, as they finished the event in 3:45.23, giving them a 16th place finish.
Morris earned the top finish for the women’s squad, as her time of 52.88 in the 100-yard freestyle was the seventh fastest time. Oostman finished in the top 10 in the 200-yard backstroke, as her time of 2:05.95 gave her ninth place honors. Four Panthers – Ferguson, Wakefield, Carolyn Belford, and Caro Lamarque – all swam in the finals in the 200-yard breaststroke. Ferguson finished in 11th place at 2:29.09, Wakefield in 14th place at 2:29.97, Belford in 20th place with a time of 2:36.63, and Lamarque in 24th place at 2:42.66. EIU also had three Panthers – Paige Eavenson, Beth Houghton, and Jessie Freudenthaler – earn a spot in the finals in the 200-yard butterfly. Eavenson ended the event in 11th place at 2:13.59, Houghton in 20th at 2:22.02, and Freudenthaler in 21st place at 2:29.81. Schwake was the final individual Panther who earned a spot in the finals as she ended in 15th place with a time of 18:49.41 in the 1650-yard freestyle.
The Eastern Illinois men’s & women’s swimming squads will dive back in the pool on December 4, as they host Saint Louis in Padovan Pool.
