The Case Western Reserve University swimming and diving teams concluded their regular season with a strong showing at the two-day Midwest Invitational on the campus of the University of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois, recording three NCAA "B" cut times and breaking a school record.
Sophomore swimmer Ethan Chuang set a new school record in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 54.74 seconds, which is also NCAA "B" cut time. Chuang previously set the record last week at the University Athletic Association Championships with a time of 55.07 seconds. He was also a member of the first-place 200-yard medley relay, along with junior swimmer Anatole Borisov, first-year swimmer Zach Toothman, and senior swimmer Will Backer, that finished in 1:36.21.
Junior swimmer Abby Halsdorfer recorded the other individual NCAA "B" cut time for CWRU with a time of 17:14.97 in the 1650-yard freestyle. She finished first in the event. Halsdorfer also recorded the best time by a Spartan this season in the 200-yard butterfly with a time of 2:07.14 in a time trial.
The men's 400-yard freestyle relay, consisting of first-year swimmers Jackson Pollard and Peter Meng and junior swimmers Campbell Patterson and Andrew Smith, recorded an NCAA "B" cut time with a mark of 3:02.91.
Overall, the 20th-ranked Spartan men's team finished first at the invitational with 675 points, besting the host Maroons who had 662.5 points. The 19th-ranked women's team placed second with 643 points, trailing only Chicago with 699 points.
The Case Western Reserve men's team took first place in both the 200-yard freestyle and 400-yard medley relays. In the freestyle relay, first-year swimmers Paul Racanelli, Austin Sung, Adam Knorz, and Andrew Cedar finished in 1:27.32, while in the medley relay, Toothman, Sung, first-year swimmer Jiro Batt, and sophomore swimmer Tim Rupnarain finished in 3:53.69.
Sophomore swimmer Hunter Forsythe had a first-place and second-place finish, winning the 400-yard individual medley in 4:11.83 and taking second in the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:09.33.
Backer added an individual third-place finish in the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:10.85 and a first-place finish in the 800-yard freestyle relay. Backer competed with Borisov, first-year swimmer Griffin Gushman, and first-year swimmer Jadon Wyant in the relay, finishing in 7:10.97. Gushman also placed third in the 400-yard IM with a time of 4:18.32.
On the women's side, sophomore swimmer Emma Guarnieri earned a first-place, second-place, and third-place finish. She won the 400-yard IM with a time of 4:43.81, finished as the runner-up in the 200-yard IM with a time of 2:13.63, and placed third in the 200-yard breaststroke in 2:25.85. Her breaststroke time is the fastest by a Spartan swimmer this season. Guarnieri, along with sophomore swimmer Sydney Maxwell¸ junior swimmer Erica Yang, and first-year swimmer Kelly Vann was also a member of the 400-yard freestyle relay that took first in 3:42.61.
The 400-yard medley relay of Maxwell, first-year swimmer Lauren Meyer, sophomore swimmer Zoe Michos, and junior swimmer Elizabeth McDyer finished first in 4:14.63. Meyer added a third-place finish in the 200-yard IM, finishing in 2:16.36.
Junior swimmer Julie Mason had an individual first-place finish for CWRU, winning the 500-yard freestyle in 5:31.45. Junior swimmer Johanna Pearson finished second in the 1650-yard freestyle in 17:48.64, while Vann took a third-place finish in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:59.97.
The Midwest Invitational concludes the regular season for the Spartan swimming and diving teams. Selections for NCAA Division III Swimming Championships will be posted on Wednesday, February 23. A group of Spartan divers will be traveling to Grand Rapids, Michigan for the NCAA Regional Diving Meet hosted by Calvin University on Friday, February 25 and Saturday, February 26. Diving will begin at 2:00 p.m. on Friday and 12:00 p.m. on Saturday.
