Hillsdale sits at second place after first day of competition

The Chargers sit ahead of Ashland University and behind the University of Findlay on the first day of competition. Courtesy | Anthony Lupi

Charger swim started this year’s conference championship meet with standout individual and team swims to earn points for what could be the team’s fourth consecutive championship win.

“We are very upbeat and optimistic but also understand that Findlay has reloaded with three fourths of their scoring nucleus being freshmen we haven’t seen at a championship before,” head coach Kurt Kirner said. “We are focused however on our performances and not on what anyone else is doing or capable of.”

The team traveled to Canton, Ohio, earlier this week for the G-MAC/MEC meet which began Feb. 7 and will close this Friday, Feb. 10. After preliminaries in the morning, the team finished second in the first timed final of the championship, the 200 yard medley relay. Senior Leah Tunney, sophomore Joanna Burnham, senior Anika Fassett, and freshman Julianna Weir finished the race in 1:46.26 to beat their own record time.

Sophomore Elise Mason remains the reigning G-MAC champion in the 1000 yard freestyle which she won with a time of 10:19.37. This swim was a personal best time – last year at the championship meet she swam it in 10:28.08 – as well as a NCAA B cut time. She was also 17 seconds ahead of the second place finisher who swam a 10:36.21.

Four Chargers stood on the podium for the 200 yard individual medley. Burnham placed third with a time of 2:07.47. Junior Caroline Holmes finished fourth (2:09.76), Tunney sixth (2:11.10), and sophomore Emma Dickhudt tied an Ashland University athlete for seventh with a time of 2:14.67.

Senior Marie Taylor tied a Findlay University freshman for first in the 50 yard freestyle, which she won last year as well. Both swimmers finished in 23.93 and earned NCAA B cut times. Weir came sixth in the sprint race with a time of 24.32.

To close the first day, the Chargers finished second in the 200 yard freestyle relay with a time of 1:37.32. Weir, sophomore Lily Golladay, Tunney, and Taylor participated in the event.

These performances put Hillsdale in a strong second place at the end of the first day, just 46.5 points behind rival Findlay but 151 points ahead of third-place Ashland.

“We couldn’t have asked for a better attitude to start the meet with,” senior Sydney Slepian said. “The energy on the deck was absolutely electric. Everyone is doing so well and we are so excited for what the future holds for us in the next two days.”