Swimming takes step forward in PSAC Championships
The SU Men’s swimming team ended the PSAC Championships with a clutch performance on Sunday that sealed a sixth place overall finish.
SU entered the final race of the event, trailing Edinboro by one point. The team of freshman Nick Francis, sophomore Shaun Smith and seniors R.J. Phiambolis and Tyler Robertson finished the 400-yard freestyle in a time of 3:10.05 to place fifth in the race, but it was a disqualification that allowed the Red Raiders to gain the necessary point edge to secure sixth in the standings.
The finish reflects a spot that the team moves up after finishing seventh in each of the previous three seasons. It reflects the work that the team has put in, especially the senior class, who were able to move up in the standings during their final season.
“Most teams would be upset that they got 6th place, but for us, we’ve been last for the past 3 years of my career. Being 6th might not be the best, but any improvement from last is a step in the right direction”, senior Jeff Mikitka said.
Overall, the team had 15 individual scoring performances, improving from just 10 last season. Every class had a point scorer during the competition, giving the team a reason to look forward to next season.
Freshman Ethan Jacobsen, Kristian Voulopos, and Nick Francis combined for 9 of the team’s 15 individual scoring performances, setting the bar for what they and the team can accomplish in the future.
Women
The PSAC Championship competition ended with the Red Raiders finishing sixth overall, improving one spot in the league standings from last season.
SU was led by Junior Rikki Sargent, who had an All-PSAC finish by placing third in the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:21.16 against the league’s top competition. The team had 17 individual scoring performances, including nine top 10 finishes.
Senior Tara Yohe finished her career by putting up a personal best time in the mile, improving by eight seconds with a time of 17:32.96 to finish eighth overall. Yohe is now third all-time in the mile, while also ranking in the top 6 in school history for each of the distance events.
Three other swimmers put up personal records throughout the PSAC competition, helping SU improve their finish over last season. While a deep senior class is leaving the team, the strong performances from the underclassmen give the Red Raiders hope for improving again next season.
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