The Lynx Swim Program capped off this season's winter training by competing this past Friday and Saturday against multiple NCAA division I and II schools, including 29th ranked Missouri State University. Despite being broken down and fatigued from the rigorous winter training program, which required the swimmers to stay on campus until December 22 and return shortly after the first of the year, many swimmers turned in seasonal, if not personal, best times in events.
Highlights from Friday evening's session include sophomore Drew Wagstaff turning in a personal best in the 200 IM with a time of 2:02.89 which was good for an 8th place overall finish. Sophomore Hannah Emery and Junior Jackie Ward swam seasonal best times in the 500 Freestyle with times of 5:27.36 and 5:28.53, respectively. The Lynx also managed to take their first victory on Friday when Senior Sallye Hartman managed to win the 100 Yard Breaststroke with an NCAA Division III National Qualifying Time of 1:07.47.
Saturday morning's competition was kicked off with by the men's 400 Yard Medley Relay of Drew Wagstaff, Pieter Smith, Erik Campbell, and Jarrett Tate. The relay managed to finish in 5th place with a time 3:47.23—most notable swim on this relay came from Drew Wagstaff who led off the relay swimming the 100 Yard Backstroke in a time of 55.72, a seasonal best, and the fastest time that any swimmer in the SCAC has swam in that event this season. The Lynx also managed to win their second event of the meet (first on the men's side) when sophomore Jarrett Tate won the 50 Yard Freestyle in a seasonal best time of 21.60. Other notable swims from Saturday include Junior Pieter Smith's 200 Breaststroke time of 2:25.26, Sallye Hartman's time of 1:00.77 in the 100 Butterfly, Erik Campbell's time of 55.38 in the 100 Butterfly, and Joel Berger's 57.70 in the 100 Butterfly. The Lynx finished in 4th place overall and will return to the competition pool this Friday and Saturday as they travel to St. Louis to compete in the Washington University Invitational.
