On Saturday, Oct. 26, the Case Western Reserve University men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams prevailed over Ohio Wesleyan University during their first home meet of the season, which took place at Veale Natatorium. Both teams soundly dominated their respective events, with the men’s team winning 241-35 and the women’s team winning 249-46. All 32 events contested at the meet saw the Spartans emerge victorious, giving the men’s and women’s teams their second consecutive win of the season.
On the women’s team, CWRU started the meet strong with a win in the 200-yard medley relay (1:49.05) courtesy of third-year swimmer Claire Kozma and fourth-years Simone Vale, Kate Menzer, and Gabriella Chambers. Chambers and Kozma went on to tie in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 24.11 before each achieved an individual win of their own; Chambers won the 500-yard freestyle (5:20.39), while Kozma prevailed in the 100-yard freestyle (53.49). Meanwhile, Menzer achieved a victory of her own in the 400-yard individual medley (4:48.82).
Many other swimmers on the team recorded individual wins of their own as well. Fourth-year Selah Dean achieved a pair of wins of her own, placing first in the 200-yard butterfly (2:13.38) and 200-yard backstroke (2:12.94). Fourth-years Angeli Paull and Adriana Kamor recorded wins in freestyle events, with Paull winning the 1000-yard freestyle (11:08.87) and Kamor the 200-yard freestyle (1:59.00).
Meanwhile, fourth-years Madison McDaniels and Erica Rice swept the breaststroke events; McDaniels won the 100-yard race (1:09.68), while Rice bagged the 200-yard contest (2:36.84). Additionally, fourth-year Amelia Myhrvold and third-year Kailyn Smith secured victories in the 100-yard backstroke (59.17) and 100-yard butterfly (1:00.45), respectively.
As for women’s diving events, both of them were swept by fourth-year diver Abigail Wilkov; she won the 1-meter dive with a score of 275.60 and 3-meter dive with a score of 269.45. And to conclude the women’s events for the meet, the 200-yard freestyle relay team of Kozma, Chambers, third-year Eliza Dixon and fourth-year Kelly Vann came out on top with a time of 1:38.94.
Like the women’s team, the men’s team posted very strong results across the board. The men’s events opened with the 200-yard medley relay, which was won by the group of fourth-year Ben Zuo and third-years William Froass, Julian Kim, and Mason Bencurik (1:34.48). Bencurik went on to win the 100-yard freestyle (47.03) and 200-yard freestyle (1:44.11), while Froass achieved a victory in the 100-yard butterfly (51.33).
The Spartan domination continued through the rest of the men’s events. In freestyle events, fourth-year Stephen Hogeman bagged the 50-yard freestyle (22.18), fourth-year Griffin Gushman the 500-yard freestyle (4:52.29) and first-year Owen Miao the 1000-yard freestyle (9:56.53). In backstroke events, fourth-years Anthony Colangelo and Zach Toothman nabbed victories in the 100-yard contest (54.20) and 200-yard race (1:59.89), respectively. Both breaststroke events were claimed by CWRU courtesy of fourth-year Jiro Batt in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:01.03) and third-year Spencer Ahten in the 200-yard breaststroke (2:12.31).
More individual wins were recorded by fourth-year Peter Meng in the 200-yard butterfly (1:54.26) and third-year Joshua Hernandez in the 400-yard individual medley (4:13.89). As for diving events, both saw fourth-year Alex Waltman emerge victorious; he won the 1-meter dive with a score of 275.05 and the 3-meter dive unopposed. Finally, the meet concluded with the men’s 200-yard freestyle relay, with the group of Froass, Zuo, Bencurik and third-year Zach Halsey securing a win with a time of 1:25.23.
The Spartans will look to keep their momentum going this Saturday, Nov. 2, as they head to Pittsburgh to face the No. 7-ranked men’s team and No. 15-ranked women’s team of Carnegie Mellon University.