Swimming & diving teams compete at Carthage Winter Classic

KENOSHA, Wis. – Numerous season- and personal-times were achieved for the Olivet College men's and women's swimming & diving teams at the two-day Carthage College Winter Classic in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The men's team placed fifth of seven schools with 265 points, while the women's team was seventh with 190 points. Carthage captured both the men's and women's team titles.

For the men, freshman Ethan Drouillard posted personal-best times in the 100 backstroke (:59.64), 50 freestyle (:24.76) and 100 freestyle (:54.55). Freshman Kody Garcia swam to season-best times of 24.27 seconds in the 50 freestyle and 53.50 seconds in the 100 freestyle.

Junior Zak Gray turned in season-best times in both breaststroke events, 1:07.63 in the 100 and 2:31.16 in the 200, and a personal-best time of 25.87 seconds in the 50 freestyle. Senior Taylor Howard also had season-best times in the 100 (1:01.44) and 200 (2:12.62) breaststroke.

Freshman Derek Melinsky recorded personal-best times in each of his four individual events – 1:01.72 in the 100 individual medley, 5:13.95 in the 500 freestyle, 58.76 in the 100 backstroke and 2:07.05 in the 200 backstroke. Freshman Bryan Plesner turned in a personal-best performance in the 100 individual medley (1:02.94) and 500 freestyle (5:10.16), and season-best performance in the 200 freestyle (1:58.04).

All four relays touched the wall in season-best times. The quartet of Howard, Gray, Drouillard and Garcia swam the 200 free relay in 1:36.23 and the 400 free relay in 3:35.26. In a slightly different order -- Drouillard, Gray, Howard and Garcia – clocked-in at 1:47.30 in the 200 medley relay. Drouillard led off the relay with a personal-best split in the 50 backstroke. The 400 medley relay team of Melinsky, Gray, Howard and Garcia went 3:54.19. Howard had a personal-best butterfly split in the relay.

Junior Bryce Prudden placed seventh in the one-meter diving. He scored 340 points over the 11-dive event.

For the women, freshman Sabrina Butler achieved personal-best times in the sprint freestyle events – 26.71 seconds in the 50 and 1:09.87 in the 100. Twin sister Samantha Butler completed the 100 individual medley (1:16.54) and 100 backstroke (1:11.44) in personal-best times.

Sophomore Emma Cole raced to season-best times in the 200 (2:06.97), 500 (5:31.76) and 1,650 (18:56.22) freestyle. Senior Megan Dossey had season-best times of 2:02.45 in the 200 freestyle and 5:28.17 in the 500 freestyle, as well as a personal-best time of 2:25.46 in the 200 individual medley.

Freshman Maddie Gee completed her three races – 50 freestyle (:28.23), 100 freestyle (1:01.42) and 100 butterfly (1:06.62) – in season-best times. Freshman Delaney Graham went a season-best time of 26.66 seconds in the 50 freestyle.  Sophomore Nicole Zerfas posted a personal-best time of 1:09.78 in the 100 individual medley and season-best time of 1:17.93 in the 100 breaststroke.

The Comets' three relays finished in season-best times. The 200 medley quartet of Graham, Zerfas, Gee and Samantha Butler touched the wall in 2:02.97, while the 400 medley team of Graham, Zerfas, Gee and Sabrina Butler stopped the clock at 4:38.38. The 200 freestyle quartet of Dossey, Gee, Graham and Sabrina Butler had a time of 1:47.52. Butler's split in the anchor leg of the relay was a personal-best.

Olivet leaves next Wednesday for a week of training in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. While down there, the Comets are scheduled to compete against Savannah College of Art & Design (Ga.) on Monday. Dec. 14. Olivet's next competition in Michigan is a home conference dual meet against Kalamazoo College Friday, Jan. 8. The meet inside the Upton Center Pool in Olivet is scheduled to get under way at 6 p.m.