#24 Women's Swimming, Men's Swimming earn historic wins over #7/8 Wingate, UNC Pembroke
Salisbury, N.C. – Catawba Swimming opened 2024 with a major statement at Johnson Pool on Friday, as the men's team secured victory over the No. 8 ranked Wingate Bulldogs for the first time in program history by a score of 136.00 – 123.00. Not to be outdone, the No. 24 Catawba women's team also knocked off the Bulldogs, ranked No. 7 in the nation, for the first time since 1999 by a score of 189.00 – 72.00 while also taking down the UNC Pembroke Braves 172.00 – 89.00
HOW IT HAPPENED
200 Yard Medley Relay
- Catawba swept both the women's and men's races to open the meet, setting the tone for the rest of afternoon. On the women's side, it was the team of Taylor Wilson, Hannah Koopmans, Marit Reckmann, and Alix Henras-Marouf that paced the field with a time of 1:47.14, while another team comprised of Diamond Mosley, Gabi Moll, Rebecca Possenti, and Bridgette Pearson took third at 1:50.62
- For the men, the winning time of 1:32.46 was posted by a team of Balazs Meszaros, Rowan Viles, Maks Minichowski, and Ryan Case
1000 Yard Freestyle
- Fiona Byrne notched the win for Catawba on the women's side with a time of 10:25.25, while Jolina Franke took fourth at 10:52.54 and Lillie Martin took seventh at 11:08.37
- On the men's side, Elias Hysing placed third with a time of 9:52.49, with the top five rounded out by Leion Heiermann (4th, 10:07.10) and Lewis Mikesell (5th, 10:14.02)
200 Yard Freestyle
- Catawba's women took three of the top five spots, led by Ella Gutenwik in third with a time of 1:55.42 and Koopmans (4th, 1:56.64) and Possenti (5th, 1:57.69) right behind her
- Alejandro Alvarez was the runner-up in the men's heat, being just edged out 1:44.03 to 1:44.32 by Wingate's Anton Witzell. Joao Oliveira took fifth after a 1:46.50 effort
100 Yard Backstroke
- Ash Fortin secured the win for Catawba's women with a 57.16 effort, while Wilson notched third at 59.81. Mosley finished sixth with a time of 1:02.60
- Rodrigo Yus Fernandez nearly earned Catawba the sweep in the 100 Yard Backstroke, but was just outpaced 51.38 to 51.76 by Wingate's Ney Chagas Filho in a tight finish on the men's side
100 Yard Breaststroke
- Koopmans paced the Catawba women, taking third with a time of 1:06.67. Moll rounded out the top five in fifth thanks to a 1:08.42 mark, while Alana Derringer took sixth at 1:09.21
- It was a dominant performance by Catawba in the men's heat, as Meszaros (56.92), Case (57.46), and Viles (58.48) swept the top three finishes
200 Yard Butterfly
- Possenti rolled to a big four-second victory in the women's heat with a time of 2:07.90, with Franke taking fourth with a 2:12.09 effort
- Alvarez ensured that Catawba took both races in the event, pacing the men with a time of 1:54.92. Oliveira made it two Catawba swimmers in the top three with a time of 1:56.07, while Enrique Rodriguez would place sixth at 2:03.15
50 Yard Freestyle
- Catawba's women showed out in the 50 Yard Freestyle, with Reckmann (23.98) winning an absolute photo-finish by .01 of a second against Henras-Marouf (23.99) while Brinkley Watson ensured a sweep in the top three with a 24.59 effort
- Isaac Haut secured second on the men's side with a time of 21.54, as Marshall Wells notched fifth at 22.53
100 Yard Freestyle
- It was a similarly dominant performance by Catawba's women in the next event, as they took three of the top four spots. Reckmann again emerged victorious, this time with a 52.09 effort, while Watson placed as the runner-up with a time of 53.03. Henras-Marouf rounded out the bunch in fourth, at 54.13
- Minichowski made it a Catawba sweep in the event, claiming the men's heat by nearly two seconds with a time of 44.71. Haut would finish in fourth at 48.07
200 Yard Backstroke
- Fortin notched another individual win, just beating out Wilson by 2:06.14 to 2:06.54 as Catawba earned the top-two finishes on the women's side. Berta Vidal Carnero took sixth with a 2:10.55 effort
- For the men, Nolan Lacjak placed third with a time of 1:57.95, barely beating out Yus Fernandez at 1:57.96 in fourth
200 Yard Breaststroke
- Moll paced Catawba's women with a third-place time of 2:23.84, followed by Koopmans at 2:24.95 and Derringer at 2:29.96 to round out the top-five
- Meszaros claimed another individual win and paced yet another all-Catawba top-three in an event with a time of 2:06.47, over two seconds faster than Case's second place mark of 2:08.07. Viles rounded out the top-three with a 2:09.26 effort
500 Yard Freestyle
- Byrne became the next Catawba swimmer to take first in multiple events on the afternoon, winning the women's heat by over two seconds with a final mark of 5:08.74. Gutenwik earned third with a 5:11.08 effort, with Lillie Martin taking eighth at 5:32.99
- Hysing paced Catawba's men, finishing third with a time of 4:42.96. Alvarez and Heiermann rounded out the top-five with times of 4:49.44 and 4:54.03, respectively
100 Yard Butterfly
- It was another stellar performance by Catawba's women, with Watson claiming the victory with a 58.13 effort and Possenti finishing as the runner-up at 59.02. Franke made it three Catawba swimmers in the top-four with a time of 59.90
- Minichowski earned Catawba's men the victory as well, pacing the field with a time of 49.55. Lacjak took third with a 54.12 effort, as Mikesell finished sixth at 55.67
200 Yard IM
- In the women's heat, Catawba swimmers took three of the top-five finishes, led by Reckmann in second with a time of 2:11.13, Fortin behind her in third at 2:11.98, and Moll rounding out the top-five at 2:12.86
- The men's team put together an even stronger performance, with Meszaros rolling to another event win with a time of 1:54.26. Oliveira finished as the runner-up at 1:56.80, with Yus Fernandez coming in fourth thanks to a 2:00.02 effort
200 Yard Freestyle Relay
- Catawba's women ended the meet in the same way they kicked it off, taking the win in another Relay event as Henras-Marouf, Watson, Wilson, and Pearson combined for a victorious time of 1:37.83. Another team of Peurifoy, Gutenwik, Emily Heim, and Mosley finished fourth with an effort of 1:42.39
- For the men, it would be a team comprised of Haut, Case, Alvarez, and Wells capping off a big afternoon with a second-place finish and time of 1:25.79
UP NEXT
- Catawba Swimming returns to action on Saturday, January 6th, heading to Mars Hill for a meet against the Lions and the Converse University Valkryies set for 1 p.m.