The Saint Louis University swimmers and divers kept up their stellar record recently with team victories at the multi-dual meets held at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkansas.
The men closely beat out the host university 58-55, helped by a school-record performance by freshman John Stoneburner in the 200-meter breaststroke. A second-place finish by freshman Steve Webb in the same event cemented the Billiken victory.
The men defeated Centenary University more decisively with a score of 100-11.
On the women’s side, the Billikens swiftly defeated Centenary 111-2 and University of Arkansas-Little Rock 99-13. The matches against OBU and University of North Texas were more hotly contested, where the Billiken victory didn’t come until the final events.
Domination of the 3-meter diving board by senior Kristi Cottrall, junior Lilia Nedev and senior Jenny Hurst helped the Billikens rally from a 19-point deficit in the closing events. Victory, however, was secured in the 200-meter freestyle relay by the freshmen team of Marisa Mackos, Ashley Brinkman, Cathy Misterka and Maggie Norton. The final score of the match was 61-52.
The match between OBU went back and forth most of the day. The SLU women took an early 28-24 lead after a 1-2-3 victory on the one-meter diving by Hurst, Cottrall and junior Tessa Truesdell.
The Tigers retook the lead after 1-2 wins in the 200-meter fly and 100-meter freestyle. This lead was cut to a single point after freshman Kelly Tesser, junior Carol Hermes and sophomore Kristen Lowe controlled the 200-meter backstroke, collecting all of the possible nine points.
Another 1-2-3 finish for the women, this time in the 3-meter diving, secured the lead for the Billikens for the final time.
A 1-2 victory in the 200 breaststroke gave the team a final score of 60-53.
Coach Jim Halliburton said he was ecstatic about the combined team’s performance at the meet.
“I thought the women would win two out of the four, and the men one out of the two, but we won them all,” Halliburton said. “It really made the trip worthwhile.”
Halliburton said he was especially pleased with the women’s win in the 200 free relay, as well as the performance of junior Rich Sheridan and junior Joe Valentino in the 200 freestyle.
“Rich was working to be second or third in the beginning of the season, and in this last meet he beat everyone,” Halliburton said.
The swim team is traveling this week to a tournament at the University of Notre Dame, where they will face some of the best teams in the nation.
“Since this tournament doesn’t count for our record, we’re really going for better times,” Halliburton said.
After facing Notre Dame, the teams will face University of Missouri-Rolla and Western Illinois in January after the winter break.
