RESULTS
(CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind., Feb. 6) – The McKendree University swimming and diving program completed day one of the Great Lakes Valley Conference Championships on Wednesday, highlighted by a stellar performance by sophomore
Alexander Skinner (Namibia, Africa/Windhoek Afrikaans Private School).
After the first day, the men are in fourth place with 111 points and the women are in fifth with 54 points.
The first day consisted of the 50 and 1000-yard freestyle, 200-yard IM, and 200-yard medley relay.
In the 1000-yard freestyle, freshman
Hallie Dixon (Jeffersonville, IN/Jeffersonville High School) took 10
th with a time of 10:25.25. Sophomore
Throstur Bjarnason (Reykjanesbær, Iceland/Fjölbrautaskóli Suðurnesja) placed fourth, turning in a time of 9:19.02.
Sophomore
Christina Marshall (Winston Salem, NC/Reagan High School) turned in a time of 2:07.62 in the prelims of the 200-yard IM, ultimately taking first in the B-final, touching the wall in 2:06.32. Juniors
Cole Morgan (George Town, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands/Cayman International School) and
Matthew Meals (McKinney, TX/McKinney Boyd High School) finished the prelims with times of 1:53.33 and 1:53.48 to advance to the B-finals. Meals placed fifth with a 1:51.89 and Morgan finished close behind in sixth place with a time of 1:52.07.
In the 50-yard freestyle, junior
Sydney Rey (Columbia, IL/Columbia High School) turned in a prelim time of 23.90 to move to the B-final where she placed third with a time of 23.77. Skinner turned a prelim time of 19.95, a GLVC Championship record. Junior
Matija Pucarevic (Belgrade, Serbia/Sixth Belgrade Grammar School) and freshman
Gregg Lichinsky (West Des Moines, IA/West Des Moines Valley High School) touched the wall in 20.23 and 20.68 during the prelims. Skinner and Pucarevic both advanced to the A-finals where Skinner broke his own record and the Crawfordsville Aquatics Center pool record taking first place with a time of 19.85. Pucarevic placed third, finishing the race in 20.05. Lichinsky moved to the B-final and took first place with a time of 20.40.
The 200-yard medley relay closed out the first day of the GLVC Championships. The A-final team of S. Rey, Marshall, sophomore
Victoria Sananikone (Cedar Park, TX/Cedar Park High School), and junior
Milica Sostarec (Subotica, Serbia/Medical High School) took sixth place with a time of 1:45.86. The B-final team of sophomore
Iris Hilmarsdottir (Reykjanesbær, Iceland/Fjölbrautaskóli Suðurnesja), sophomore
Kayla Hubbuch (Mt. Juliet, TN/Wilson Central High School), junior
Magdalena Knapp (Bolzano, Italy/Gymnasium Walther von der Vogelweide Bozen), and freshman
Haley Rey (Columbia, IL/Columbia High School) placed fourth, finishing the race in 1:48.95.
For the men, the A-final group of senior
Daniel Buijs (Amersfoot, Netherlands), Meals, junior
Luca Simonetti (Sassari, Italy/Liceo Scientifico Gulielmo Marconi Sassari), and Lichinsky turned in a time of 1:30.27, to take fourth. The B-final squad of sophomore
Brian Baggette (Glen Carbon, IL/Edwardsville High School), freshman
Ken Hauter (Waterloo, IN/Veritas Academy), freshman
Noah Javens (West Lafayette, IN/William Henry Harrison High School), and Morgan also placed fourth with a time of 1:33.05.
"It was a great day in the pool for the Bearcats. Countless best times and the energy of the team was fantastic," said Skinner. "I am super happy about going sub 20 for the first time and breaking the GLVC record and it was probably one of the best experiences of my life. Great day to be a Bearcat."
Thursday's events are the 400-yard IM, 100-yard butterfly, 200-yard freestyle, 200-yard freestyle relay, and 400-yard medley relay.
