NMU sweeps three of first four events
MARQUETTE, Mich. – The women’s swim and dive team had another impressive showing to round out opening weekend at the PEIF Pool, winning every event.
The Wildcats had another dominant team showing today, claiming all eight first-place finishes and sweeping the podium on four separate occasions while securing 20 of a possible 24 podium spots.
The Wildcats finished first with 501 points, followed by the Huskies (393), Panthers (245), and Lakers (17).
Athletes who claimed multiple first-place finishes include Anika Wright (1000 free, 400 free relay), Vicky Burda (100 free, 400 free relay), and Kalina Ceglinski (3-meter, 1-meter).
How It Happened
The day opened with the 1000 free, and the Wildcats picked up right where they left off yesterday, and a trio of ‘Cats swept the podium. Wright touched the wall first with her time of 10:33.92, followed by her teammates Geyer (10:41.34) and Santi (10:43.71). Caitlin Aarseth also competed, finishing in sixth place.
The ‘Cats got two more podium finishes in the 200 back, starting with Casas winning the first heat and posting a time of 2:11.07, to eventually claim third. Pierce won the second heat and took home first with her time of 2:09.78. Kenzie Stute finished fifth, Julia Plevak 11th, and Nicole Malinova 12th.
Not only did the Wildcats sweep the podium in the 100 free, but the ‘Cats laid claim to the top five spots. Burda (54.46), Stockinger (54.61), and Keen (54.86) finished on the podium, while Arbic (54.87) and Schneider (55.81) finished fourth and fifth, respectively. Also swimming in this event were Millward (11th), Karubas (12th), and Rose (13th).
NMU swept the podium for the third time in four races, claiming the top three spots in the 200 breast. DeCarlo (2:25.51), Zimpel (2:27.51), and Araujo (2:27.53) all claimed the top three spots, and Bonini and Blackmore finished seventh and ninth, respectively.
The Wildcats decisively claimed the top two spots in the 200 fly, as it was Geyer (2:10.21) and Moore (2:12.25) claiming the top two spots, with Moore beating third place by nearly four seconds. Plevak finished eighth, and Devine 14th to round out the Wildcat competitors.
The ‘Cats turned in another dominant performance to end the weekend’s pool events, with the Green and Gold taking the top three spots once again, this time in the 400 free relay. The NMU ‘A’ team of Keen (55.10), Wright (53.43), Arabic (54.43), and Burda (54.32) posted a time of 3:37.28, edging out the NMU ‘B’ team of Stockinger (54.63), Santi (54.00), Moore (54.89), and Schneider (54.60) with its time of 3:38.12. The NMU ‘C’ team of DeCarlo (54.50), Stute (56.33), Araujo (54.93), and Blackmore (56.39) rounded out the podium with 3:42.15. NMU D (Casas, Aarseth, Pierce, Millward) and NMU E (Plevak, Devine, Karubas, Rose) took eighth and ninth, respectively.
After a first and second-place finish in the 3-meter diving from Ceglinski (265.65) and Daly (245.15), the duo went one and two in the 1-meter to end the day, with scores of 294.90 and 261.10, respectively. Lillian Marx (3-meter 8th, 1-meter 7th), Josie Bossen (3-meter 10th, 1-meter 6th) also competed.
Podium Tracker
1000 Free
1st – Wright
2nd – Geyer
3rd – Santi
200 Back
1st – Pierce
3rd – Casas
100 Free
1st – Burda
2nd – Stockinger
3rd – Keen
200 Breast
1st – DeCarlo
2nd – Zimpel
3rd – Araujo
200 Fly
1st – Geyer
2nd – Moore
400 Free Relay
1st – NMU A (Keen, Wright, Arbic, Burda)
2nd – NMU B (Stockinger, Santi, Moore, Schneider)
3rd – NMU C (DeCarlo, Stute, Araujo, Blackmore)
3-Meter Diving
1st – Ceglinski
2nd – Daly
1-Meter Diving
1st- Ceglinski
2nd – Daly
