In the final tune up before the Atlantic 10 championship, the swimming and diving team performed well. The men’s team defeated Eastern Illinois, 158-57, and Evansville, 151-67. The women’s team defeated Eastern Illinois, 169-49, but was barely edged by Evansville, 113-110.
This was the last home meet of the Billikens as they prepare to travel to Buffalo, N.Y. on Feb. 22 -25th for the A-10 Conference Championship.
The men’s swimming team was led by two freshmen, Justin Pasquesi and Zach Billingsley. Both won three events each.
Pasquesi won the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 4:45.77, the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:44.68, and was a part of the 200-yard freestyle relay with a collective team time of 1:26.18.
Billingsley won the 50 yard-free style with a time of 21.15, the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 47.03, and was also a part of the winning 200-yard freestyle relay.
On the men’s diving side, senior Chad Carmichael won the one-meter board with a score of 337.50.
The score put into his fourth zone regional. According to slubillikens.com,
He joins fellow senior Billy Hrabovsky as the only male divers in SLU history to make four zone regionals.
On the women’s swimming side, junior Taylor Streid and sophomore Lizzy Osterman continue to lead the women’s side with strong performances.
Streid won the 200-yard IM and the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 59.63 in the backstroke. Streid’s 200-yard IM victory gives her fourth consecutive victory in that event.
Osterman won the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 53.73 and she was a part of the winning 200-yard freestyle relay team that clocked in with a time 1:39.52.
Another significant contributor to the women’s swimming team was freshman Jalynn Gieseke.
Gieseke was a part of the winning 200-yard freestyle relay team. Gieseke also won the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 24.71.
On the women’s diving side, Christiana Eltiste also qualified for zones with her score of 273.90.
With this being the last home meet of the year, special mention was given to swimmer Molly Culver, the lone swimmer on the Women’s team.
The men’s team on the other hand graduates seven swimmers and divers: Jimmy Brabbins, Brian Brasser, Kyle Embrey, Mike Kelly, Blake Kocian, and the aforementioned Carmichael and Hrabovsky.
The swimming and diving team will travel to Buffalo where they will face some tough competition from the other members of the Atlantic 10 Conference.
Currently, Osterman holds the fastest time in the 50-meter fly with a time of 26.53. Fellow sophomore Sarah Sikora is right behind her with a fourth best time of 28.52.
Christiana Eltiste recorded the highest scores this year in both the 1-meter and 3-meter dives and hopes to win her second consecutive A-10 diving title.
Billingsley has the opportunity to win multiple conference titles, being in the top 3 in both the 50 and 100-meter freestyle. To win the 100-meter freestyle he will have to outperform fellow Billiken freshman Patrick May.
Brian Brasser has the second best time in the 100-meter breast stroke and Carmichael has the top scores in all dives other than the 3-meter.
