Wheaton, Ill. -- After the cancelation of last weekend's Illinois-Michigan quad meet and a 1.5-month break from competitive action, the Wheaton swimming and diving teams returned to Lederhouse Natatorium on Saturday for their first event of 2024. The Thunder welcomed the Millikin Big Blue to town for the squads' final home meet of the season this afternoon, and the ten senior swimmers on Wheaton's rosters were celebrated in today's Senior Day festivities. The Thunder men's team earned a dominant 145-22 victory over their Big Blue counterparts, while the Wheaton women cruised past Millikin at a tally of 155-47 to ensure a perfect day for the home teams.
The women's competition began with a three-team 200 yard medley relay, and the Wheaton squad of
Emma Murphree,
Louise Adams,
Carolyn Bubar, and
Sophie Pelling placed first with a total time of 1:54.40, four seconds faster than the lone Millikin quartet.
Scottie McKeaney won the first individual event of the afternoon by placing first in the 1000 yard freestyle via a time of 11:15.43, just .47 seconds faster than fellow sophomore
Olivia Wiebe.
Tess Boyer then claimed the first of her two solo wins on Saturday in the 200 yard freestyle as the only participant to touch the wall before the two-minute mark at a comfortable 1:56.68 pace.
Katie Yonan topped the field in her 50 yard freestyle event with a 25.01 finals time, surging in front of the second-placed Pelling by only .56 seconds. Boyer then made it two victories by winning the Wheaton-exclusive 100 yard butterfly swim at a 58.57 mark. Wiebe earned her own solo victory in the 100 yard backstroke via a 1:03.66 time stamp. Adams placed first in the 100 yard breaststroke by a solid five-second margin, registering a time of 1:16.78.
The Thunder women then ended the day's proceedings as they began the competition - by claiming victory in the 200 yard freestyle relay. Boyer combined with
Anna Lee, Yonan, and Bubar to best the other four competing quartets by way of a 1:42.60 total mark.
In a field of just three relay teams, the senior quartet of Anthony Fitzgerald, Andrew Rogers, AJ Staiti, and Michael O'Connor began the afternoon by clinching victory in the men's 200 yard medley, posting a combined time of 1:35.50, a comfortable ten seconds ahead of the challenging Millikin team.
Isaac Eilmes earned the first solo event win on Saturday for the Wheaton men in his 200 yard freestyle swim, edging out the second-placed Big Blue swimmer by less than a second at 1:48.54. Another Wheaton senior, Connor Davis, helped himself to a third-place finish in the same field, touching the wall just .30 second after the Millikin runner-up. Ben Coley topped the field in the 50 yard freestyle via a 22.04 time mark, nudging in front of fellow underclassman Josh Elsen in second place.
O'Connor claimed his second victory and first of two solo wins on Saturday in the 200 yard IM at a pace of 2:04.49, tapping the tape roughly two seconds before relay teammate Rogers in the silver position. Their medley squad member Staiti got to celebrate an individual win, as well, as the veteran used a 52.90 time in his 100 yard butterfly to surpass the lone Millikin competitor in the field. O'Connor then made it three wins from three when he placed first in the 100 free courtesy of a 48.48 mark. Senior Elijah Chen claimed second in the event with a 49.79 time.
Anthony Fitzgerald was not looking to close out his senior season in Lederhouse Natatorium without an individual event victory, and the decorated All-American achieved exactly that in his 100 yard backstroke race at a 52.47 pace. Fitzgerald then doubled up by topping the field in the 100 yard breaststroke as the only swimmer to complete the event in under one minute at 57.54 seconds.
After having next weekend off, the Thunder squads will conclude the regular season on Saturday, February 3rd when they head to Rock Island for a dual meet against the Augustana Vikings.
