We couldn’t have asked for a better way to end the season. The Panthers swam to 34 lifetime bests, 10 season bests, and 17 top-16 finishes. The men placed 8th over all and the women took 12th in the two-day Liberal Arts Championship meet in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.With so many lifetime best swims, it would be impossible not to give recognition to all for their success. So, please bear with me!On the women’s side, sophomore Stephanie Morgan was the Panthers' top place finisher. Morgan went into the 100 butterfly seeded third at finals and in the last 12 yards of the race pulled ahead to take second. Her 2-second time drop moved her up to fourth place on Principia’s Top Ten list and moved her ahead of head coach Mary Ann Sprague’s time by one one-hundredth of a second. Morgan also placed sixth in the 200 IM with a lifetime best and took 13th in the 100 breaststroke.Freshman Brittany Pratt had the surprise finish of the meet. With her graceful and precise diving thus far in the season, we expected her eighth place finish in 1-meter diving. However, as her first time competing on 3-meter, we didn’t know what to expect. Pratt blew us all away as she entered finals in third place and held on. She has shown extraordinary strength in her decision to compete as our only diver and her eighth and third place finishes were well deserved. Congratulations, Brittany!Senior captain Joy Deal dropped 20 seconds from her season best 400 IM time and swam a new lifetime best. Deal also split a lifetime 100 fly in the 400 medley relay and ended the meet looking more like a sprinter than ever as she leadoff the 400 free relay in a lifetime 100 freestyle time.Junior Molly Flavin and freshman Leslie Worley made incredible strides this season in the 200 yard freestyle. Dropping over eight seconds from the beginning of the season, Flavin and Worley learned how to attack a race. It was truly inspiring to watch them swim to their lifetimes yesterday.Freshman Ashley Bay rebounded admirably from a disappointment early Friday and went on to swim lifetimes in the 100 free, the 50 free, and the 200 breaststroke. Bay was also an instrumental piece to many of our women’s relays this weekend.After weeks of attention to detail and incredible determination, sophomore Lindsey Farrell learned to sprint, and sprint she did. All of Farrell’s swims were lifetime bests, and watching her in the last relay of the meet, we were so proud of the progress she’s made this year.Freshman Randi Frazier and junior Rachel Fronzak transformed themselves into backstrokers this year. Frazier swam to a lifetime best in the 200 back – dropping three seconds from her previous season best – and has the best underwater dolphin kick on the women’s team. Fronzak’s backstroke improved so much yesterday that many of the team didn’t even know it was her swimming! Her success in the distance events this year, as well, has been admirable. She dropped time in the 500 freestyle every time she swam it this year. The only woman on the team who swims the mile, Fronzak has not only been willing to swim it, but she looks forward to it. She’s made tremendous improvements this season and with her much appreciated easy-going nature, she’ll make even more progress next year. On the men’s side, sophomore Chris Amber was the top place finisher. Like Bay, Amber had some disappointments Friday, but was able to come back Saturday with some really fast swims! It turned out that his least favorite race was actually his best this weekend. Swimming very courageously, Amber led the pack for the first half of the men’s 200 freestyle in finals and managed to hang on for the last 100 yards for his fifth place finish. (As Chris says, he’d be really good at the 150 yard freestyle!) Amber also finished 14th in the 50 free and swam a lifetime-best 100 yard freestyle as the leadoff swimmer in the men’s 400 yard freestyle relay. Junior Charlie Cariati excelled in all of his events this meet, finishing sixth in the 200 backstroke, seventh in the 100 backstroke, and ninth in the 400 IM. Cariati dropped two seconds off his lifetime in the 200 back and moved up to number three on the Top Ten! Expected to place well in the backstroke events, Cariati’s 400 IM success was a nice surprise. Going into consuls seeded ninth, Cariati held on to his spot, but dropped 4 seconds from his season best swim of the morning. That swim also put him on the Top Ten in the 400 IM. Senior captain Ryan Loechner always seemed to have a trick up his sleeve. Swimming season bests or lifetime bests at every meet of the season, Liberal Arts was no exception. Loechner finished 10th in the 200 IM and dropped 4 seconds from his previous lifetime, making him 9th on the Top Ten. He also put his name on the Top Ten in the 100 backstroke as he dropped a second from his prelims time and finished in 12th place. Loechner’s 200 freestyle was fun to watch as he shaved off four seconds from his season best and swam his way to a new lifetime best and eighth place. Loechner’s individual swims were impressive, but his true strength comes out in the relays. He split a 48.92 as the anchor of the 400 medley relay and always manages to push himself to the limit. It will be hard to find a relay anchor for next year who will swim with quite as much heart as Ryan does. Thanks for your work this season, Ryan.Senior Jeff Thompson had an amazing 200 backstroke – dropping six seconds from his season best and finishing 14th. He gave the 100 fly his all and swam to a season best and seventh place. Thompson has been irreplaceable as our flyer in the medley relays and his quiet leadership will be surely missed next year.Senior Jamie Ranson’s success this weekend also paralleled the work he’s put into this season. He took out his 500 freestyle more courageously than ever and ended with a new season best. Ranson managed to drop over 40 seconds from his previous season best in the mile, and scored 14th place for the Panthers. Although not his lifetime, it was the strongest looking mile he’s ever swam.
Sophomore Trey Dutton was the only other man to make it into the top 16. Dropping three seconds from his lifetime in the 100 breaststroke, Dutton made it to 15th place. Determined not to get 16th place in the 200 breaststroke, Dutton went out faster than ever in his first 50 yards and came back even stronger. His swimming this meet was unbelievable and was truly reflective of the effort and ownership he’s put into this season.Freshman Jeff Ball swam season bests in his 200 IM, 100 backstroke, and 200 freestyle. Dropping a second in both 200s, Ball’s time-drops of the season continued this weekend. In addition to personal success, Ball also contributed greatly to all of the men’s relays this weekend and this season. He ended on an inspiring note with a 50.90 100 free split in the last relay.And last but not least, sophomore Ben Rosensweig. Rosensweig swam a lifetime in his 100 freestyle and a season best in the 500 freestyle. Working all season to learn how to take out a distance event, Ben’s first half of the 500 was really fast. Although perhaps a bit too fast – since he split his season best 200 free in the first half of the 500 – it was exciting to watch Ben come to the realization of his potential as a distance swimmer. His ability as a sprinter cannot be questioned and was verified again in the last relay of the meet where he split a 51.6 100 free. It has been an amazing season and all of us coaches have loved being a part of it. Thank you all for your support this season and great work swimmers!
In what was perhaps the last home meet ever to be held in the Hayfield House pool, Lindenwood swimmers broke several pool records, and the Panthers swam to 14 season bests, 4 lifetime bests, and 1 unshaved best.After a thoughtful week of practice and much attention to detail, freshman Randi Frazier had an amazing 200 backstroke. She dropped 15 seconds and figured out how to really dig in with each stroke. Sophomore Stephanie Morgan continued her streak of lifetime best swims tonight in the 200 breaststroke. After completing a 400 IM, Morgan jumped in and knocked almost a second off of her previous lifetime and moved up a place on the Top Ten.Sophomore Chris Amber also had an inspired meet. Although out-touched in the 200 free, Amber swam to a season best time along with lane-mate Jeff Ball. Then in the 100 free, Amber learned how to finish strong and got one of Principia’s four first-place finishes.The seniors all seemed to excel tonight. Joy Deal did a lifetime best in the 100 free. Jeff Thompson swam to an unshaved in the 100 free and took first in the 100 fly. Jamie Ranson dropped 13 seconds from his previous season best in the mile. And Ryan Loechner swam a lifetime best 50 free and 200 IM. The Panthers are well on their way to many more lifetime best swims in two weeks at Liberal Arts. See you in Cedar Rapids! Senior NightOn behalf of the Principia College swim team, we’d like to welcome you to our senior night. Looking back over the past four years, or in some cases, five years, we are honored to have had the opportunity to witness all of the growth and improvement that has come from these individuals standing in front of you today. These four athletes have not only excelled in the water, but also in the community – as they have been members of the honor roll, served as house president, worked for the Principia Pilot, served at Org functions, and been participants in Principia abroads. They have grown into excellent leadership positions and have been instrumental to the success we’ve found as a team this season.Our first senior to recognize this evening is Jeff Thompson. Jeff came into the program as a freshman with an extensive swimming background. Swimming since age-groups, Jeff had already established his love for butterfly. As we have watched him swim these past years, it’s become evident just how beautiful that stroke was meant to be and how inspiring it can be to watch someone race it. By Jeff’s sophomore year, he learned that not only was his butterfly beautiful, but it was FAST! At Liberal Arts that year, Jeff won the 100 butterfly and placed himself on Principia’s Top Ten list in the number four position with a time of :53.12. His 200 fly met with similar success and he ended that season as number four on the Top Ten list as well. Back this year after a two-year break, Jeff has been a pillar of strength this season. His ability to lead by example and his receptivity have been amazing. He is one of the most relaxed people you will ever meet, yet he’s still very driven to succeed. When we heard Jeff was coming back on board this season, we couldn’t have been more pleased about the life-example and perspective that he would offer the underclassmen. It has been so exciting for us to cheer him on from the sidelines and to watch him continue to improve who he is in the water and out. Jeff graduates this year on the Top Ten for the 100 fly, the 200 fly, as a part of the 400 medley relay, and is a member of the school record holding 200 medley relay.Jamie Ranson is the second senior we will honor tonight. Jamie has been a member of the team all four of his years here at Prin and even turned down an opportunity to go abroad so that he could stay here and swim. Looking at the swimmer he’s become, it’s hard to believe that freshman year, he struggled to complete all the yards of a practice. Today, Jamie is one of the most diligent team members. He’s never late for practice, he never gives less than his all, and most importantly, he never fails to support every member of the team. If we had told Jamie when he walked in the door his first day of practice freshman year that he would be swimming the mile, he might not have believed us. But Jamie has found his niche on the team with his contribution in the distance freestyle events. There aren’t very many people in the world who get excited about swimming for that long, let alone finding the motivation to try to swim those long events even faster than the time before. He’s dropped 20 seconds in the 200 free over the past four years, 20 seconds in the 500 free, a minute and a half in the 1000 free, and three minutes in the mile. This season, Jamie has expanded his horizons and has found ways to contribute to the team in the 100 fly and the 200 IM. Before this year, he never knew he was an IM-er! Jamie has been a tremendous metaphysical contributor to the team his four years here and often his positive life-outlook has helped to encourage others on in areas where they previously wanted to give up. Jamie’s love for the sport and love of the team have made him a tremendous addition to the team throughout the past four years.Women’s captain Joy Deal has learned the true meaning of courage during her four years on this team. As the only woman who came out for the team her freshman year, Joy immediately proved her dedication to both swimming and the team. She went from being terrified of certain races to one of the most versatile swimmers on the women’s team.Her freshman year, she developed several special relationships with people whom she aspired to be. They helped her to find the courage and inspiration to continue on and to become better. This year, she has become that senior for the underclassmen. She has become her role models and if they were here tonight, they would be very proud. Joy has constantly gotten faster, and this year swam lifetimes in just about every event she does. Over four years, she’s experienced 22 second time drops in the 200 free and the 500 free, a 9 second drop in the 100 fly, and a 20-second drop in the 200 fly. A bit of Jeff’s nonchalant attitude has rubbed off on her and she has been more relaxed and more excited about her races this season than any other year. Joy has truly learned to live in the moment and that is a legacy that she leaves behind as she walks across the stage this spring.Our final senior for this evening is Ryan Loechner. Ever since the first day Ryan arrived on campus, he’s been all-about swimming. Not necessarily because he loves the sport – which he does – but because Ryan loves a challenge. What other reason would someone purposefully take on the 1650, the 400 IM, and even an Iron Man? To all who know him, Ryan is a loyal friend, a motivated individual, and most importantly, he always brings a sense of comic relief. Although he’s usually the life of the party, Ryan has a serious side, too. There’s no one on the team who will race as well as Ryan does. He is truly amazing. Although, his motivation isn’t purely to capture first place, but instead to push himself past limits and to find out exactly what he’s capable of. His decision to return back to the team after a two year break may have surprised many, but it didn’t surprise me. As his distance lane-mate for several years, I saw the determination in Ryan to finish what he starts and I’m so grateful I was here to see him swim faster than ever in this, his last year of competition.Ryan leaves Prin as number two on the Top Ten for the 400 IM, number five in the 500 freestyle, six in the 1000 free, six in the mile, number three for the 800 free relay, and is a member of the school record-holding 400 free relay.Seniors, thanks for all you have given us and we wish you well!
Coming off of a win yesterday, the Panthers went into this meet with high expectations for personal excellence. Experiencing the depth of Millikin’s team from the very beginning -as the Big Blue took first, second, and third in the women’s 200 medley relay - the Panthers were out-scored. However, they still turned out ten season bests, two unshaved bests, and three lifetimes. Senior captain Joy Deal swam to her lifetime best in the 200 freestyle with a 2:26.26. After several experiences of anchoring relays, Deal finally started to realize her full potential for speed and dropped 3 seconds from her previous lifetime best. Freshman Jeff Ball also dug-in to the race as he dropped almost a second off of his season best time in the men’s 200 freestyle.Last year’s MVPs, Charlie Cariati and Stephanie Morgan, took on the 400 IM for the first time today. Morgan swam a 5:07, missing the Top Ten by only two seconds. Cariati also swam a season best and came in under his goal time with a 4:50.17. There was a battle for first place in the men’s 100 yard freestyle as sophomore Chris Amber, senior captain Ryan Loechner, and a Millikin swimmer stayed within inches of each other the whole race. Although out-touched, both Amber and Loechner swam to season bests to take second and third.In the men’s 200 backstroke, close competition brought junior Charlie Cariati to a second place finish and a new unshaved best. Taking second place in the 200 breaststroke, Morgan produced a new lifetime best of 2:43.53.The only Panther victory of the evening went to Loechner in the 200 breaststroke. As the weakest of Loechner’s strokes, his success shows his versatility and how valuable his racing skills have been to the team this year. Motivated to stay with Loechner, sophomore Trey Dutton had a banner swim. Coming within two seconds of his lifetime, Dutton went out faster than ever this season and achieved a new unshaved best. The Panthers concluded the weekend with a bright outlook toward their final two meets of the season: next week’s home meet against Lindenwood and the Liberal Arts Championship in Cedar Rapids.
Tonight’s meet was filled with swims that will be remembered for years to come. Knowing that this meet would literally come down to the touch, the Panthers found their fast switches and achieved 5 lifetime best swims, 3 unshaved bests, and 17 season best times. The women started the meet out strong with a win from the 200 medley relay team of Randi Frazier, Ashley Bay, Stephanie Morgan, and Molly Flavin. Rachel Fronzak went on to take second in her first-ever 1000 yd. freestyle. The 200 freestyle proved to be an exciting race as teammates Flavin and Leslie Worley swam almost stroke for stroke. Finishing 1-2, both Worley and Flavin achieved season bests. Bay and Frazier shaved off some time with their newly found speed in the 50 freestyle and two season best times. Joy Deal and Lindsey Farrell captured second and third respectively in the 200 IM – Farrell with a season best. Morgan and Deal then went 1-2 in the 100 fly, both looking faster and more effortless than ever. The most exciting event on the women’s side was Morgan’s 100 breaststroke, in which she not only swam stroke for stroke with a Webster woman, but also dropped over 2 seconds. Her new time of 1:12.95 puts her as number eight on the Top Ten and within a second of the school record. Greeted by hugs from teammates, Morgan is sure to remember tonight as the night she stopped being a 1:15-breaststroker.With significant help from skilled diver Brittany Pratt, the women finished ahead of MacMurray 76-14 and just barely ahead of Webster 51-42.On the men’s side, the competition was just as close as it could be. Coming down to the last relay, the men were ahead and then behind at several given times throughout the meet.With determination to win, the men pushed themselves to swim faster than ever before. Jeff Thompson’s leg of the 200 medley relay served as inspiration to the team. Trailing by two body lengths as he dove in and exiting the pool two body-lengths ahead, Thompson proved just how much ground can be made up in only 50 yards. He now sprints a faster 50 fly than 50 free!Jamie Ranson produced a season best in the 1000 freestyle and managed to keep himself on-pace even without competitors nearby. Ryan Loechner also gave the fans an exciting cheering opportunity as he took on Webster’s sprinter in the 200 freestyle. Although he finishing second, Loechner dropped 3 seconds from his previous lifetime best and has never looked more determined.Chris Amber stepped up to the plate to win the 50 freestyle, achieving a season best and leaving others in his wake. Thompson also made his way to a lifetime best 50 free swim, taking third for the Panthers.Charlie Cariati and Jeff Ball went 2-3 in the 200 IM and found that racing each other helped them both to swim season bests. Thompson and Ranson went 1-2 in the 100 butterfly, producing two more season bests.Motivated by some quick swim sets in practice, Amber set out to shatter his 100 freestyle time – and he did. Dropping over two seconds, he finished second with a 50.12. Just behind, teammate Trey Dutton found his fast switch when he hit the third turn of the 100 free and saw that he was even with a Webster swimmer. Beating him for third, Dutton also swam his new lifetime best of 57.40.The combo of Cariati and Ball struck again in the 100 backstroke where they finished 1-2. Cariati produced an unshaved best swim of 57.75 and Ball made his way to a new season best as well.With the victorious men’s 400 free relay, the Panthers brought the meet to an end and defeated the Gorlocks 98 to 90.
In this 40-event invitational, the Panthers had quite a few opportunities to demonstrate the explosive turns and finishes we worked on in practice all week. With that focus, the women and men ended in 8th and 9th place respectively and achieved 15 season bests, 10 unshaved, and 3 lifetime bests. While all of the swimmers showed enthusiasm and dedication in the pool, a few races in particular really stood out. Junior Molly Flavin’s 200 freestyle was the Panther’s most inspiring swim of the weekend. Flavin started the race out strong and learned how to hold on as she battled not only for second place in her heat, but also her own mental limitations. Watching her soar to a new lifetime best (2:39.16 – a time drop of 5 seconds) and seeing her smile at the end of the race brought several of us to tears of joy.The 200 free proved to be a fabulous event for the Panthers as all four swimmers entered experienced best times. Following Flavin’s race, sophomore Stephanie Morgan combined grace and efficient turns to make her way to a ninth place finish and a lifetime best swim. Ben Rosensweig and Jamie Ranson each swam strong season bests and exited the pool with a new appreciation and love for the 200 free.Time drops continued as junior Rachel Fronzak and freshman Leslie Worley each bettered their 500 freestyles by 2 seconds. Fronzak broke the 7-minute mark and set a new lifetime best (6:58.85). Thompson made his way to a 10th place finish and an unshaved best in the 100 butterfly. Sophomore Lindsey Farrell’s positive attitude and attention to detail translated into a 5-second drop in her 200 IM, a second-and-a-half drop in her 50 free, and a strong second leg of the 400 freestyle relay. Loechner had a 9 second time drop in his 500 freestyle and finished at an unshaved best time of 5:10.16. His 400 IM swim brought the entire team to the ends of the pool cheering him toward his new season-best time and tenth place finish. The Panther’s top finishers this weekend were junior Charlie Cariati (eighth in the 200 backstroke) and Morgan (eighth in the 100 breaststroke). The team looks forward to competing in front of their home crowd this next weekend on both Friday and Saturday.
Both the Men’s and Women’s teams finished solidly in sixth place at the University of Chicago Invitational this weekend. The two-day meet was full of opportunities for the Panthers to show exactly what they’re made of. Team members expressed immediate resilience after some personal disappointments Friday; they constantly lined the side of the pool to cheer and support; and they split some of their best times in the relays. Judging from this weekend’s performance, it’s clear this is a team whose members would do anything for each other. The Panther’s top finisher this weekend was freshman Brittany Pratt, who took third in the women’s 1-Meter diving with a score of 280. After a nervous beginning, Pratt found her peace and emerged as a mature, confident competitor. Not diving in a meet since November, Pratt was able to out-perform divers with more complicated dives than hers! Another highlight of the weekend came Saturday evening when sophomore Stephanie Morgan swam her way to sixth place and a lifetime best in the 200 breaststroke. Her new time of 2:44.95 makes her the new number 10 on Principia’s Top Ten list, bumping off Ellen Sprague – sorry Ellen! Freshman Ashley Bay and sophomore Lindsey Farrell also pushed themselves to new season bests in the 200 breaststroke and finished 9th and 10th respectively – making the 200 breast the only event where the Panther women all finished in the top 10.The 200 backstroke was also an exciting race to watch with lane-mates Charlie Cariati, Ryan Loechner and Jeff Thompson battling it out. All three achieved season bests and provided each other with a bit of healthy competition. Junior Rachel Fronzak and freshman Leslie Worley made amazing strides in their 500 freestyles dropping 13 and 14 seconds respectively. Next time, they’re both going under 7 minutes!The sprinters had great weekends, as well! Bay had a 1-second time drop in her 50 free making her new season-best time a :29.05. Thompson and Trey Dutton also felt the speed as they both produced season bests in the 50 free. And Chris Amber, Ben Rosensweig, Randi Frazier, and Molly Flavin all swam season bests in the 100 free. Freshman Jeff Ball, for the third consecutive meet, dropped a second in his 200 free and continued to refine his starts and flip-turns to turn out some great relay races as well.For some, this weekend was all about trying new things. Senior Jamie Ranson swam his first 100 fly, Chris Amber his first 100 breast of the season, and Ball his first 200 IM. Although these new races may not stick, their willingness to accept new challenges has been phenomenal.The 400 free relay was the perfect ending to the weekend. Morgan led-off the women’s relay with a season best 100 free, followed by Flavin and Farrell. Senior captain Joy Deal finished it off with the best 100 free swim she’s ever had, knowing she couldn’t let her teammates down. The men had an equally inspiring swim! Loechner sprinted pretty fast for a “distance” guy – producing a new season best 100 free time (51.86). Following suit, Thompson and Amber held on to their legs of the race. Ball really brought it home in a split of (51.94), showing what excitement and determination can do.All in all, the Panthers had 32 season bests and 3 lifetime bests in Chicago.
The Principia swimming men returned home tonight victorious (97 to 83) - winning seven of the 11 events in the meet against Illinois Wesleyan. The women performed admirably, but just barely lost to the Titans with a score of 59-60. Stepping up to the block, the men’s relay team of Jeff Ball, Trey Dutton, Jeff Thompson, and Ryan Loechner took first with a time of 1:48.79. And the men didn’t look back. Charlie Cariati went on to win the second event of the meet - the 1000 - for the Panthers. Taking his second victory of the evening in the 200 backstroke, Cariati was closely followed by teammates Loechner and Thompson for a 1-2-3-sweep.The only woman to make her way to a first place finish, Stephanie Morgan won not only the 200 IM, but also the 200 breaststroke – swimming within one second of her lifetime-best. Inspired by Morgan’s strength and determination in the 200 IM, Loechner managed to stick with and then pull ahead of a Titan swimmer to win the men’s 200 IM in 2:11.47.On a break from the distance events, Rosensweig won the 50 free in a lifetime-best (24.33). Chris Amber followed suit and won the 100 free in a 52.57. On the women's side, Rachel Fronzak had an amazing swim and a time drop of 23 seconds in the 500, producing a new lifetime-best. Ashley Bay and Joy Deal swam to season bests in the 200 breaststroke, and Leslie Worley and Randi Frazier found a new love in the 200 backstroke.Amber, Rosensweig, Jamie Ranson, and Cariati ended the meet with a victorious 200 freestyle relay. As the first long course meet of the season – where the breaststroke, backstroke, and butterfly events were a 200 yard distance instead of 100 – the Panthers had 14 season bests and three lifetime-best swims, giving themselves new goals to shoot for. They will compete next weekend at the University of Chicago.
With classes underway and swim camp under their belts, the Panthers started the winter season off with a splash! Hosting the Coe College Kohawks, the Principia swimmers produced 6 lifetime-bests and 13 season best swims. Although the women and the men lost to Coe with 69-110 and 94-102 respectively, it was a very exciting meet! Coming down to the touch, the 200 medley relay team of Randi Frazier, Lindsey Farrell, Stephanie Morgan, and Ashley Bay got the Panthers off to a strong start and captured the first victory for Principia. The men's relay team felt inspired to follow suit as Jeff Ball, Trey Dutton, Jeff Thompson, and Chris Amber combined power and grace to win.Junior Charlie Cariati turned out a season best swim in the 200 free and captured Prin's first individual victory. Swimming almost stroke for stroke with Cariati, freshman Jeff Ball swam his way to a lifetime best and second place. Senior Jeff Thompson proved to all how effortless butterfly can look as he took first in the 100. Captain Ryan Loechner also made the 500 free look easy as he swam his way to first place.Morgan managed to go a season best 100 breaststroke - even without goggles. Perhaps her success had something to do with her enthusiasm as she begged to swim the race again once it was over! Bay has found herself a new breaststroke and with it, a new time. She's not the only one. Dutton's breaststroke is also looking better than ever and surely played a huge part in the relay victory and his individual victory in the 100 breast.Senior captain Joy Deal had an amazing 200 IM swim, shaving off 7 seconds and arriving at a new season best time. If it hadn't been for :55.32 backstroker Micheal Rogers of Coe, Caraiti and Ball may have gone one, two again. As it was, both swims were season bests and Rogers set a new pool record.To finish the meet off, the women's 200 free relay team of Leslie Worley, Molly Flavin, Rachel Fronzak and Deal came in first with a time of 2:07.77. The men's team made Principia's grand finale as Loechner, Jamie Ranson, Ben Rosensweig, and Cariati claimed the last victory of the evening. The Panthers head to Bloomington tomorrow to face Illinois Wesleyan in a dual meet.
The Panthers took on the Lynx of Lincoln at home today in their second meet of the season. Although the Lynx came out ahead, the Panthers put up a fight – swimming to 13 season bests and 4 lifetime bests. Opening the meet, sophomore Stephanie Morgan and freshmen: Ashley Bay, Randi Frazier, and Lindsey Farrell captured Principia’s first victory of the day in the 200 Medley Relay. Of the Panthers’s six other victories, Morgan was the only two-time winner, swimming lifetime bests in the 200 Individual Medley and the 100 Breaststroke. Pulling out in front of two Lincoln swimmers for the breaststroke victory, Morgan also swam her way to the number 7 spot on Principia’s Top Ten list. Other notable swims were senior Jamie Ranson’s 1000 Freestyle and 500 Freestyle where he dropped 48 seconds and 20 seconds respectively. Sophomore Trey Dutton came away with a lifetime best swim in the 100 free and Senior Captain Ryan Loechner also managed a lifetime best in the 100 Butterfly. Another first place finisher, junior Christina Thorsen took the first round of diving and finished off her season with a second place finish in the second round as she gets ready for the San Francisco Field Program in the winter. Freshman Brittany Pratt took third in both rounds of her first meet of the season.Also swimming in their first meets of the season, senior Kyle Gillum and sophomore Ben Rosensweig teamed up with freshman Chris Amber and junior Charlie Cariati for an exciting victory in the 200 Freestyle Relay. All in all it was a meet to be proud of and will give the Panthers much to be excited about as they head into swim camp.
The Panthers opened up there 2005 – 2006 season today at home against the Colonels of Centre College. This is the earliest the Panthers have ever opened their season, but they were up to the task. The Colonels were coming off a tough loss to DePauw University and were looking to get their season on the winning track. The Colonels took the opening two relays and never looked back as they continued to build on their lead throughout the meet. It was not a win that came easy for them as the Panthers battled throughout. The Panthers were able to claw there way to three victories on the day. Senior Captain Ryan Loechner swam to an impressive win in the 200 Individual Medley with a time of 2:09.85. Junior Christina Thorsen captured the Panthers other two victories taking both rounds of the 1 meter diving.The Panthers will regroup and take what they learned from today’s meet into their practices as they prepare to take on Lincoln College at home in two weeks.
