The College of Wooster’s women’s swimmers and divers closed their fall season in exciting fashion, winning the 11-team Wooster Invitational, held at Ellen Shapiro Natatorium and Wooster High School from Nov. 29 to Dec. 1. The Scots totaled 1,608 points, 465 more than their nearest competition in Allegheny College (1,143) and over 600 more than Case Western Reserve University (1,002.50) and the rest of the field.

Highlighting Wooster’s results were three relay wins (200 freestyle, 200 medley, 400 freestyle) and Meggie Edwards’ two individual victories in the 100 backstroke and 100 freestyle, along with Tamari Farquharson’s victory in the 50 freestyle. Edwards nearly posted an NCAA Div. III Championships-qualifying time in the 100 backstroke, as her mark of 1:00.30 was just thirty-two-hundredths shy of getting on the list for nationals.

In the 100 freestyle finals, the Scots took home the top-four spots, with Edwards showing the way in 54.14, the seventh-fastest time in school history. Farquharson finished second in 54.35, good for eighth-fastest in Wooster history, while Molly Bittner was third and Alice Case touched the wall in fourth in 54.72 and 54.92, respectively. Case also touched the wall in second-place in the 100 butterfly with a time of 1:00.07.

The second-year Scot was also a part of all three winning relays, combining with Elizabeth Zucco, Allie Kibler-Campbell, and Sam Spencer in the 200 freestyle relay (1:40.72), with Edwards, Farquharson, and Spencer in the 200 medley (1:51.93), and with Farquharson, Edwards, and Bittner in the 400 freestyle relay (3:39.83).

Complementing their showing in the 100 free, the Scots also showcased their depth in the 50 free. Four Wooster individuals advanced to the championship heat, with Farquharson sprinting to the wall first (25.11), Edwards in fourth-place (25.34), and Bittner and May Tobar coming in sixth (25.44) and eighth (25.52), respectively.                                   

The Scots’ distance specialist, Amanda Bailey, had a strong meet, producing three top-four swims. She was the runner-up in the both the 500 freestyle (5:25.56) and the 400 individual medley (4:51.82) and fourth in the 1650 free (18:45.57). Syd Kelly backed her up in the 400 IM with a third-place performance (4:53.32), while Ashley Meyer added an eighth-place showing in the 1650 freestyle (19:37.73).

Additional noteworthy swims for Wooster included the relay quartet of Edwards, Kelly, Bittner and Farquharson stopping the clock in second in the 400 medley relay (4:09.14), Kelly finishing as the runner-up in the 200 breaststroke (2:31.86), and Rachel Bennett placing seventh in the 200 backstroke (2:16.94).

Also scoring valuable points over the weekend was diver Caitlin McNulty. McNulty won the three-meter with a 341.55 total, while coming in fourth in the one-meter (275.30).

Wooster is off from competition until Jan. 11 when it travels to North Coast Athletic Conference foe Hiram College in a dual meet at 6 p.m.