Ashland University's men's and women's swimming and diving teams beat Ohio Wesleyan on Friday (Nov. 1) to open the season.
The Eagle men won, 175-44, while the women were victorious, 161-78.
On the men's side, there were several event winners. In the men's 200-yard medley relay, freshmen Aaron Fix, Will Stuart, Amar Sapcanin, and Vince Stevens took the top spot with a 1:38.64 finish.
Franci Aleksi, a sophomore, won the 1,000-yard freestyle with a time of 9:45.76, 15 seconds ahead of second place. Sophomore Panos Nikakis won the 200-yard free in 1:47.72. Stevens won the 50-yard free in 21.71 just ahead of his teammate, sophomore Jacob Keilholz (22.81). Sapcanin won the 100-yard medley in 54.37.
Stuart won the men's 200 butterfly by .61, finishing in 2:01.01, ahead of Aleksi. Nikakis swam to victory in the 100-yard free, finishing in 49.18. Sophmore Matt Filsinger won the 200-yard backstroke (2:00.47). Aleksi continued to compile wins in the 500-yard free, finishing in 4:53.44. Sapacin also continued his winning ways in the 200-yard breaststroke (2:06.57). The men's 200-yard relay also was won by the Eagles, the team consisting of Stuart, Stevens, Keilholz, and freshman Joe Cummins winning in 1:29.62.
Freshman Isaac Osterfeld won on the men's side in diving, finishing with a score of 231.45 in the one-meter, and 222.10 in the three-meter.
On the women's side, the Eagles also dominated the events. Ashland started the meet by winning the 200-yard medley relay. Sophomore Michaela Godfrey, freshman Makayla Tarkenton, junior Maura Delaney, and junior Jessica Zaper won in 1:54.18. Sophomore Sydney Kermath won the 1,000-yard free (11:14.90). Abigail Ellsworth, a sophomore, had the fastest time in the 200-yard free in 1:58.93.
Zaper won the 50-yard free two seconds ahead of second place (24.76). Ellsworth won the 100-yard free with a 55.88. Godfrey won another event, taking first in the 200-yard backstroke in 2:11.15. Junior Tara Stevens won the 500-yard free in 5:17.27. Freshman Makayla Tarkenton was the fastest swimmer in the 200-yard breastroke (2:32.99). To cap off the meet, Ashland's women won the 200-yard free relay with Zaper, Ellsworth, junior Marissa Kassinger, and junior Maura Delaney, in 1:42.87.
In diving action, freshman Madison Jarrett won the three-meter with a score of 209.15.
The Eagles will compete next at home on Saturday (Nov. 2) against Case Western Reserve at 1 p.m.
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SWIM/SVS