Swim teams hosting final home meet

Tyler McCluskey, Swim Reporter

Sophomore Lauren Oostman broke the 200-yard backstroke Padovan Pool record during the Panthers’ meet against Valparaiso Oct. 29.
Sean Hastings
Sophomore Lauren Oostman broke the 200-yard backstroke Padovan Pool record during the Panthers’ meet against Valparaiso Oct. 29.

The swim teams will host their final home meet of the season this weekend and will honor the seniors for Senior Night.

The Panthers had a good showing with dropped times at the House of Champions. Coach Jacqueline Michalksi said the House of Champions is a great setup for the Summit League Championship.

“It’s a great setup for what’s to come at the end of the season,” Michalski said. “It’s a very similar setup, so it gives us a great idea of what we’re able to accomplish when we’re not fully rested for it.”

Michalski said breaking school records and getting people in the top-10 all-time on the record list was important.

Sophomore Lauren Oostman took three top-10 records.

Oostman got the record for the 100-Individual medley with a time of 1:01.55, the fifth best in the 200-individual medley with a 2:10.38 time, and third place on the list with a 57.53 in the 100 back.

Junior Matt Jacobs moved into the top spot in the 100 breaststroke, posting a time of 56.65.

Junior Dani DiMatteo climbed her way to the second spot in the 100 fly with the time of 57.78.

In this meet against Saint Louis, Wabash College and Maryville, it is a little different from what the past meets have been.

This meet will be a relay meet, which Michalski said is more about racing than anything else, and it is also team oriented.

“It’s not really about looking to win or to post times,” Michalski said. “That’s what relays encourage. Mentally you’re racing the people around you more than an individual event. So that’s why we set up to do a relay event this time of the year.”

Junior Renae Johnson said this meet will be a good meet to have before break.

“It’s a relay meet so it’s not like you’re going to be worried about your times really,” Johnson said. “You’re still going to be racing the person next to you so it’ll be good mentally like a little break but still getting fast swimming in.”

Michalski said the team is working harder going into this event more than the team has in previous meets.

“Right now, it’s kind of a big grind time,” Michalski said. “Getting a lot of yardage in, getting a lot of the fast work in. For us, right now, it’s all about racing when you’re tired, when you’re hurting.”

Seniors that will be honored are Fallyn Schwake, Sydney Jarrard, Paige Eavenson, Jessie Freudenthaler, Brogan O’Doherty, Carolyn Belford and Austin Parrish.

The Panther men hold a 24-22 lead in the series against Saint Louis, while the Billikens hold a record of 25-21 on the women’s side.

The Panthers have not seen the likes of the Saints or the Little Giants of Wabash.

This weekend’s meet will be at the Padovan Pool Saturday at 1 p.m.

Tyler McCluskey can be reached at 581-2812 or

at [email protected].