WOOSTER - The College of Wooster swimming and diving teams kicked off the 2022-23 season with a dual meet against the University of Mount Union. The women won their 14th straight dual meet with a score of 181-161 while the men fell to the Purple Raiders 197-145.
Wooster dominated the individual medleys as junior Josh Pearson and sophomore Ollie Bream made it a clean sweep for the Scots on both sides. Bream got it all started by winning the 400 individual medley in 4:47.38, a full 10 seconds ahead of the runner-up. Then she nearly matched her top 100 time from last season, winning in 1:04.30 and finished off her afternoon with a win in the 200 in 2:20.04. Meanwhile, Pearson posted a career-best time of 55.37 seconds to win the 100 and also posted the top times in the 200 (2:01.75) and 400 (4:17.63).
On the women's side, juniors Emma Connors and Maddie Becker collected three wins each for the Scots. Connors touched the wall first in the 1,000 freestyle (11:19.97), 200 freestyle (2:05.77) and 500 freestyle (5:36.36). Becker beat out the field in the 200 breaststroke in 2:33.66, the 50 breaststroke in 32.05 seconds and the 100 breaststroke in 1:10.50.
The Scots also added victories from senior Kay Wetmore in the 200 butterfly (2:20.70) and sophomore Hallie Findlan in the 50 freestyle (25.27), barely edging out Mount Union's Abby Calaway by a margin of .03 seconds.
For the men, senior Doak Schultz and sophomore Tucke Andrewjeski joined Pearson as the only Scots who recorded multiple victories. Andrewjeski turned in a career-best time of 1:03.61 to win the 100 breaststroke while also touching first in the 200 breaststroke in 2:15.60.
Schultz won both the 50 butterfly in 24.57 seconds and the 100 butterfly in 54.59 seconds. First-year Boston Sullivan had the other Wooster individual event win with an impressive collegiate debut in the 50 breaststroke in 28.59 seconds. Wooster collected 10 additional top-three finishes throughout the meet.
Wooster returns to action on Saturday, Oct. 29, against Division II Malone University at 1 p.m. at the CT Branin Natatorium on the campus of the University of Akron.