Scots Swimmers Compete in First Day of MWC Championships

by Nathan Baliva

MONMOUTH, Ill. (02/17/2024) — The Monmouth College men's and women's swim teams started the 3-day Midwest Conference Championships at Grinnell College on Friday. After the first day of action the women are in sixth place with 68 points while the men are in eighth place with 57 points.

WOMEN
Cally Tate (Monmouth, Illinois), qualified ninth in the 50 free, just missing the A final. Her prelim time of 25.53 put her in the B final where she swam 25.17 to earn nine points. Her ninth place finish in the 50 free was the best individual result of the day.

Nicole Fitch (Marengo, Illinois) qualified 14th for the B final in the 500 free with a time of 5:39.71. In the final she finished 13th in a time of 5:38.14 to earn four points.

Aiden Bach (Stetsonville, Wisconsin) qualified for the B final in the 200 IM with a time of 2:22.70, a new PR and the 9th fastest time in Monmouth history. In the final she bettered that time with a 2:21.37 and earned a point with a 16th place finish.

The women's 200 yard freestyle team of Tate, Claire LaBadie (Griffith, Indiana), Mady Gaus (Herscher, Illinois) and Fitch finished seventh in 1:45.35.. The 400 yard medley relay team of Tate, Bach, Gaus and Fitch finished fourth in a time of 4:16.05, earning 30 points.

MEN
Luke Foster (Galesburg, Illinois) qualified for the B final with a prelim time of 2:04.46, a new personal best. In the final he finished 16th in a time of 2:06.02 to earn one point.

In the 500 free, Jaeden Peters (Greenfield, Indiana) qualified for the B final with a prelim time of 5:14.03. In the evening finals he finished 15th in a time of 5:15.03 to earn two points.

The men's 200 yard freestyle team of Tariq McLarty (South Holland, Illinois), Foster, Eli Wills (Blue Springs, Missouri) and Tristan Kennon (Flossmoor, Illinois) finished fifth in 1:28.93. The 400 yard medley relay team of Foster, Kody Coyne (Bluffton, Indiana), Wills and McLarty finished sixth in 3:40.68.

The Midwest Conference Championships continue on Saturday in Grinnell. The prelims start at 10 a.m. with the finals at 5 p.m.