The Case Western Reserve University men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams traveled to Hillsdale, Michigan on Saturday, Jan. 27,  where both squads were victorious. The men’s team beat in-state rival Ohio Northern University (ONU) on Saturday, while the women’s squad defeated ONU and NCAA Division II program member Hillsdale College.

Head Coach Doug Milliken was very pleased with his team’s efforts again this weekend as the wins raised the men’s record to 7-2 on the season, while the women moved to 8-2 in dual meet action this season.

“Overall it was a good meet,” said Milliken. “Some of our performances might not have been where we would have liked, but the effort was there and we came away with a win.”

The team was able to quickly rebound after both the men’s and women’s teams fell to State University of New York at Geneseo the week before.

“Each week brings a new set of challenges,” said Milliken. “We competed pretty well against Geneseo, [but] just got beat by a good team. I wasn’t worried about how we would respond; I was confident in their ability to continue to move forward.”

When asked which individuals on his team stood out to him this past weekend, Milliken raved about the effort the entire dive squad put in. The divers were led by fourth-year student Brooke Hortness on the women’s side, who took first place. The men were led by first-year student Cassiel Yuzik and third-year student Jared Shanks, who finished second and third, respectively.  

Moving forward, the team will be focusing on getting ready for championship season and fast swims.

“It’s all about the end of the season meets now,” said Milliken, “Fine-tuning things, but more importantly [it’s] the mental side. Everyone must relax, trust the process and enjoy the last few weeks of the season.”

Before championship season, however,  the Spartans have one more dual meet on Saturday, Feb. 3 at the Veale Natatorium, at which Milliken wants to thank the graduating students for all of their hard work and commitment to the CWRU swim and dive program.

“This meet is all about the seniors, sending them out with a bang,” said Milliken. “They have put so much time and dedication into the program, they deserve to be celebrated this weekend.”