The Chargers will compete at the G-MAC/MEC championship in Canton, Ohio from February 14-17. Courtesy | Hillsdale College Athletic Department
The swim team wrapped up the regular season by splitting a pair of dual meets last weekend, defeating Aquinas College 196-72 but falling to Davenport University 181-105.
“Overall, it was a successful meet,” head coach Kurt Kirner said. “I think we had an opportunity to swim some events that we normally don’t get a chance to.”
Kirner said the standout events of the meet were from juniors Megan Clifford, Elise Mason, and Emma Dickhudt who all won at least one individual event. Hillsdale opened the meet with a close second finish in the 200 yard medley relay, finishing in 1:50.38 to Davenport’s 1:49.22. Seniors Caroline Holmes and Sarah Pataniczek teamed with Clifford and Dickhudt for the race.
Freshman Alyson Early took second place in the 1000 yard freestyle with a time of 11:20.28. Early, who usually races short sprint events, said it was the first time she had raced the 1000 since she was 14 years old.
“It was definitely difficult to switch up from that race to sprinting the 50 free, but I’m grateful coach gave us the opportunity to branch out a little and swim some non-typical events,” she said.
Freshman Isabel Ondracek and Mason finished second and third in the 200, just hundredths of seconds apart from one another and the first place Davenport athlete. The first place finisher swam a 1:59.43, Ondracek finished in 1:59. 45, and Mason finished in 1:59.92.
Dickhudt had the first top finish of the meet in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:08.50. Clifford got the next win with a first place finish in the 200 yard butterfly (2:06.59). Freshmen Callie Lucero and Inez McNichols followed her in second and third, going 2:12.81 and 2:17.59 respectively.
Holmes and Ondracek took second (55.79) and third (56.25) in the 100 yard freestyle and Pataniczek took third in the 200 yard backstroke (2:15.35).
In the 500 yard freestyle, Mason earned the third top finish of the meet with a time of 5:15.13. Ondracek followed her in third (5:19.28).
Clifford got the fourth and final first place finish of the meet in the 100 yard butterfly with a time of 57.94. Holmes swam the last individual event, the 400 individual medley, and finished second in 2:14.29. The Chargers closed the meet with a second place 200 yard freestyle relay (1:41.15).
The next time the Chargers compete will be at the G-MAC/MEC championship meet in Canton, Ohio from February 14 through 17.
“We will begin our meet preparation for GMACs or ‘taper’ next week,” Clifford said. “This is basically when we tone down the amount we swim to start focusing on the little things and recover. We are all excited to finish the season on a high note and as always make our seniors and each other proud.”
Last year, Hillsdale’s rival Findlay University won the meet after Hillsdale had won it for three consecutive years. Since Hillsdale and Findlay both joined the G-MAC in the 2017-18 season, the two teams have won the championship title three times each. Findlay won in 2018, 2019, and 2023 and Hillsdale won for three straight years in 2020, 2021, and 2022.
But Charger swimmers say they feel ready.
“We look very strong,” Clifford said. “We have been doing a lot of hard, aerobic training since the beginning of our training trip. Although it has been difficult, I think that it is preparing us very well for the long meet that G-MACs is.”
Early agreed.
“Obviously we have some tough competition from Findlay, but I think we have an electric team culture and many fast races up our sleeves, so I think we are going to give them great competition back,” she said. “I think it’s going to be tons of fun and one more opportunity to grow more as a team for this season.”
The G-MAC/MEC meet is the next obstacle, but Kirner is looking ahead too.
“We are looking to collect a number of national championship cuts as we go in to our conference championship,” he said. “We probably have three or four individuals who have a chance of qualifying, and our returning All-Americans from last season have already got cuts that should be able to get them invited to the NCAA division two championships in March.”
