The Hillsdale College women's swimming and diving team had an action-packed weekend, with two meets in as many days, and stayed undefeated with three dual meet wins over that span.
The Chargers opened the weekend with a 129-89 victory at Indiana Wesleyan, the seventh-ranked women's swim team in the NAIA, in a big win for Hillsdale.
Strong freestyle races carried Hillsdale in the meet on Friday. Junior Lucia Ruchti took first place in both the 50 freestyle (25.55) and the 100 freestyle (55.10) for the Chargers, while junior Megan Clifford won the 500 free (5:17.45) and 100 butterfly (57.12) as well. The Chargers also had a 1-2-3 finish in the 200 free, led by senior Caroline Holmes in 1:59.38 and junior Elise Mason in second in 2:02.16, and 1-2-3-4 finish in the 1,650 free, with Mason winning in 17:51.97 and Isabel Ondracek taking second in 18:41.45.
The Chargers also got a 1-2-3 finish against the Wildcats in the 200 Individual Medley, with junior Joanna Burnham taking first in 2:14.29 and freshman Alyson Early taking second in 2:14.62, and a victory in the 100 breaststroke, with Emmalyse Dickhudt winning in 1:08.14. Holmes also took second in the 100 backstroke for the Chargers in 1:00.60.
On Saturday, Hillsdale traveled to Malone to take on the host Pioneers and Davis & Elkins, and dominated the competition, beating Malone 218-34 and Davis & Elkins 195-60 while winning 12 of the 16 contested events.
Hillsdale took first in both relays, with Hillsdale's team of Holmes, Dickhudt and seniors Phoebe Johnston and Sarah Pataniczek winning the 200 medley relay in 1:54.81, and the Chargers team of freshman Callie Lucero, Dickhudt, junior Nickaylah Sampson and Ondracek winning the 200 freestyle relay in 1:45.09.
The tri-meet was focused mainly on shorter events and Hillsdale did extremely well. Clifford won the 200 freestyle in 1:57.62 ahead of Lucero, who took second in 2:04.06, and the junior also headed up a 1-2-3 finish in the 50 freestyle, winning in 24.70 ahead of Holmes, who took second in 25.73.
In the one long event of the meet, the 500 freestyle, Hillsdale took the top four spots, led by Ondracek in 5:19.54 and a runner-up finish from Early in 5:30.25. Burnham also led a 1-2-3 finish for the Chargers in the 100 individual medley, winning in 1:02.20 ahead of Ruchti in second (1:03.70), and Mason led a 1-2-3 finish in the 100 backstroke with a time of 1:02.24, with Burnham taking second in 1:04.73.
Holmes won the 200 IM for Hillsdale in 2:15.74, with Mason taking second in 2:19.28, and Ruchti won the 50 backstroke in 29.14, finishing ahead of Pataniczek in second (29.89).
Hillsdale also took first and second in the 50 breaststroke, where Dickhudt (31.66) edged out freshman Lauren Kamp (32.65), and in the 100 freestyle, where Inez McNichols took first (56.50), beating out Dickuhdt in second (58.17).
Kamp won the 100 breaststroke for Hillsdale (1:10.63), Johnston took second in the 100 butterfly (1:04.78) and Lucero took second in the 50 butterfly (27.95).
Hillsdale next travels to Lewis on Saturday for a showdown with the Flyers and their G-MAC rival Findlay. Combined, the Chargers and Oilers have won all of the last six G-MAC/MEC titles, and this will be the first meeting between the two teams this season.
Photo by Scott Galvan