In its final tune-up prior to the North Coast Athletic
Conference Championships, The College of Wooster swimming and
diving teams lost both parts of a highly-competitive dual meet with
Grove City College as the visiting Wolverines prevailed 156-114
(men) and 153-141 (women) in Timken Natatorium Saturday.
Noteworthy, the Wooster women, which cap the dual season with an
8-2 record, would have won had it not been for the difference in
diving, as three Grove City competitors collected 32 points on the
one- and three-meter boards while the Scots do not have any divers
this year.
In the pool, the Fighting Scots won the 200 medley relay (1:54.08)
as well as seven individual events. Melissa Haug led the way with a
pair of close victories. She outreached teammate Kristine Mann at
the wall in the 200 butterfly, as Haug recorded a time of 2:17.18
to Mann’s 2:17.77. The 100 fly was even closer, with
Haug’s winning time of 1:00.82 being just six-hundredths of a
second better than the Wolverines’ runner-up (1:00.88).
Haug’s twin sisters, Priscilla Haug and Rebecca Haug, also
picked up wins, with the former finishing first in the 200
backstroke (2:17.28) and the latter taking top honors in the 400 IM
(4:54.58).
Wooster’s other winners on the women’s side were Sarah
Rudawsky in the 1000 freestyle (11:08.11), Molly Bittner in the 200
free (2:00.86), and Meggie Edwards in the 100 backstroke
(1:01.53).
The men’s meet saw three Scots swimmers – Eric Babbitt,
Logan LaBerge, and Andrew Olsen – win multiple events, but it
was not enough. Babbitt swept the butterfly events, registering
times of 53.03 in the 100 and 1:59.11 in the 200. LaBerge was the
top backstroker at the meet with first-place marks of 53.61 in the
100 and 1:58.07 in the 200. Olsen paced the field in the
breaststroke competition, posting 1:00.64 in the 100 and 2:15.33 in
the 200.
Wooster, which finishes at an even 5-5 in duals, also received a
first-place effort from diver Luke Knezevic via a 260.20 score on
the one-meter.
The NCAC Championships, which the Scots are taking their turn in
hosting this season, will be Feb. 12-14 in Canton, Ohio.
