Both the women’s and men’s swim teams competed in a meet against McDaniel College on February 7. The men’s team fell to 4-5 overall and 1-4 in the Centennial Conference with a 52-43 loss to McDaniel College.
"While we didn’t get the win we were looking for,” said senior Alex Kuhn. “I thought the meet proved we are headed in the right direction towards our ultimate goal of swimming our fastest at conference champs."
Senior John Paul Evans and freshman Colin Soper each won one individual event for the Shoremen. Evans set a pool record of 2:13.51 in the 200 breaststroke, while Soper became the Shoremen’s tenth fastest swimmer ever in the 500 freestyle with a time of 5:04.84.
Washington also won both relays. Soper, freshman Chris Tinsman, junior Ken Jensen, and Kuhn won the 400 freestyle relay in the Shoremen’s season best time of 3:26.10. Sophomore Shane Walsh, freshman Michael Manen, sophomore Dean Campbell, and senior Tyler Lowry finished first in the 400 medley relay in 4:32.15.
Washington swimmers took second place in five individual events. Kuhn was second in both the 200 individual medley and the 100 freestyle. Evans swam a WC season best time of 2:06.94 to finish second in the 200 backstroke.
The women also swam against McDaniel, where they picked up their sixth consecutive win improving to 8-2 overall and 4-2 in the conference. The Shorewomen won over McDaniel 53-42.
“We had a great meet,” said sophomore Chrissy Romano. “The girls team knew it would be a tough match up with McDaniel. On paper, the meet was going to be very close, if not very hard to win. We all stepped up and did great times and took places that were unexpected.”
Freshman Ally Simons and senior Margaret Klag each broke a pool record. Simons broke the pool record in the 200 individual medley by finishing first in 2:13.61. Klag set a new pool standard in the 200 breaststroke, winning in 2:29.32. Simons also won the 100 freestyle in 55.95 to become WC's fifth fastest swimmer ever in that event.
Junior Emily Rawson won two events for the Shorewomen. She scored a key victory in the 200 freestyle, winning the race by .24 seconds and finishing in 2:04.43. She added a first-place finish in the 200 butterfly in 2:17.50.
Freshman Liz Shoemaker captured first place in the 200 backstroke, winning in a WC season best time of 2:18.07. She also led off the first-place 400 medley relay team, joining junior Samantha Shaffer, junior Ana Prado, and Klag to win the race in 4:13.71.Washington swimmers took second place in a pair of individual events. Prado was second in the 200 butterfly in 2:24.35, while Romano took second in the 200 backstroke in 2:18.35.
Freshman Sidra Carman, sophomore Becky Binns, Prado, and Simons swam a WC season best time of 3:52.08 in the 400 freestyle relay to finish second.
The Centennial Conference Championships begin February 20.