The Hillsdale College women's swimming and diving team kicked off the 2023-24 season on Saturday with an impressive performance at a quad invite hosted by Bethel University.
Hillsdale beat all three opponents, host Bethel, Ohio Northern, and Aquinas, in duals to go 3-0 on the day, taking first place in nine of the contested events.
Returning All-American Megan Clifford led the way for the Chargers with four first place finishes. Clifford swept the butterfly events, winning the 100 fly in 58.39, ahead of Hillsdale freshman Callie Lucero in second place in 1:01.01, and taking the 200 fly title as well, winning in 2:06.99, ahead of Charger freshman and teammate Inez McNichols in 2:17.80. Clifford also won the 100 freestyle title in 53.74, with teammate Lucia Ruchti finishing third behind her in 55.17, and swam on the victorious 200 freestyle relay with teammates Caroline Holmes, Lucero and Alyson Early, winning in 1:41.11.
Hillsdale's other returning All-American, junior Elise Mason, also had a strong day for Hillsdale, winning the 1,650 freestyle in 17:49.82 ahead of teammate and freshman Isabel Ondracek, who placed second in 18:32.05. The pair also went 1-2 in the 500 freestyle, with Ondracek winning in 5:14.85 and Mason taking second in 5:17.88.
The Chargers had another multi-event winner in junior Joanna Burnham, as she won the 100 breaststroke in 1:08.44 ahead of teammate Emmalyse Dickhudt, who placed second in 1:08.98, and also won the 200 individual medley in 2:14.77, ahead of McNichols in third place in 2:17.99. Burnham also placed second in the 200 breaststroke in 2:30.33, and the Chargers' Lauren Kamp placed third in the same event in 2:32.34.
Holmes also won the 200 backstroke for the Chargers, in 2:11.13, ahead of teammate Irene del Castro in second in 2:12.29, and the pair also took second and third in the 100 backstroke, with Holmes taking second in 1:00.26, and del Castro placing third in 1:02.59.
Hillsdale also got strong swims in the sprint freestyle races. Early took second (1:59.25) and Ruchti third (1:59.70) in the 200 freestyle, and Ruchti also took second (25.47) and Lucero third (25.63) in the 50 freestyle.
The Chargers placed second in the 200 medley relay, as the team of Holmes, Burnham, Lucero and Ruchti finished in 1:51.60.
Hillsdale next swims on Oct. 28 for its only currently scheduled home contest of the season, taking on visiting Albion in a meet that starts at 3 p.m.
Photo Courtesy of Malone Athletics