Wooster swept aside Hiram in its season-opener on Friday, which was adjusted to a virtual format.

The College of Wooster's swimming and diving season officially got underway on Friday evening with Hiram College subbing in for Notre Dame College (Ohio), and the meet shifting to a virtual format. The Fighting Scots didn't miss a beat and won every event but one en route to a 208-24 victory on the men's side and a 198-29 triumph on the women's side.

First-year Emma Connors emerged as the meet's big winner, as the intended biology major scored wins in the 1,000 freestyle (11:32.44), the 50 freestyle (26.45), and the 100 freestyle (57.50). Connors capped her night as the anchor for the 200 freestyle relay, where junior Molly Likins, senior Lexi Riley-DiPaolo, and sophomore Kay Wetmore helped the Scots to a time of 1:47.96. Likins and Wetmore's efforts in the meeting-capping relay resulted in each earning triple-winner status, respectively. Likins opened the night on Wooster's 200 medley relay, where senior Hannah Langer, senior Heidi Likins, and first-year Maddie Becker hit the wall at 1:56.41. Individually, Molly Likins cruised to the finish in 1:11.32 in the 100 breaststroke. Wetmore covered the 200 butterfly in 2:20.80 and clocked in at 5:36.69 in the 500 freestyle.

Becker and Langer also finished as triple winners on the night. Becker led the field in the 200 breaststroke (2:39.89) and had the top time of 2:22.87 in the 200 individual medley. Langer took charge in her specialty – the backstroke – with times of 1:03.63 and 2:18.30 in the 100- and 200-yard events, respectively.

Riley-DiPaolo won the 200 freestyle at 2:07.34, and her time of 57.63 in the 100 freestyle was just edged out by Connors' winning clip of 57.50. Heidi Likins rounded out the winners on the women's side with a 1:06.79 in the 100 butterfly.

First-year Josh Pearson led the way on the men's side with three individual wins. The Cincinnati, Ohio, product touched first in the 200 freestyle (1:52.50), the 500 freestyle (4:56.36), and the 200 individual medley (2:02.71).

Senior Wyatt Foss, first-year Lyonel Fritsch, senior Craig Klumpp, and junior Sam Muse rounded out Wooster's triple winners on the night. Foss book-ended the season-opening meet with winning times of 1:46.68 and 1:37.06 on the 200 medley and 200 freestyle relays, respectively, and he collected the blue ribbon in the 100 freestyle at 51.50. In fact, Fritsch, Klumpp, and Muse rounded out the Scots on the meet-opening 200 medley relay, while Muse, sophomore Noah Golovan, and sophomore Noah Fox teamed up with Foss for the 200 freestyle relay. Individually, Klumpp, Wooster's breaststroke specialist, had times of 1:06.98 and 2:31.04 in the 100- and 200-yard races, respectively, while Fristch scored victories in the 100 butterfly (58.27) and 1,000 freestyle (11:36.79).

Muse's 1:02.43 in the 100 backstroke edged out Golovan's 1:03.29, but Golovan bounced back to take the 200 backstroke at 2:17.76.

Other winners included Eric Jacques (one-meter diving, 202.15 points) and first-year Garrett Morris (200 butterfly, 2:20.25).

The meet marked the first for the Scots since the non-scoring Kenyon College Invitational on February 22, 2020.

Next, Wooster's slated to compete against Wittenberg University at 1 p.m. on Saturday, February 13 at Timken Natatorium.