Swim Teams Both Finish in Sixth; Dacus Named Coach of the Year

by Nathan Baliva

MONMOUTH, Ill. (02/24/2025) — The Monmouth College women's swim team both finished in sixth place in the Midwest Conference Championships and coach Jake Dacus was named Women's Coach of the Year. The women finished with .245 points, one behind Lawrence and the men finished with 186 points.

MEN

In the 200 backstroke Luke Foster (Galesburg, Illinois) finished 11th and earned six points in a PR of 2:00.30 the fifth-best time in school history, Jordan Bridgford (Kapolei, Hawai'i) picked up two points in 15th place in 2:07.11. Foster qualified with a time of 2:02.24 while Bridgford qualified in 2:05.77.

In the 100 freestyle Tariq McLarty (South Holland, Illinois) finished 15th and earned two points with a time of 47.96. A PR for McLarty, the time is fifth-best in the event in MC history. McLarty qualified for the finals in a season-best time of 48.65. Bucket Youvan (Rochester, Indiana) swam a PR 50.22 in the prelims while Calvin Wellman (San Antonio, Texas) swam a PR 53.84.

In the 200 breaststroke Kody Coyne (Bluffton, Indiana) finished 11th in a PR of 2:16.15, the eighth-best in MC history. Ethan Main (Oneida, Illinois) finished 13th in a season-best 2:25.63. Coyne qualified in 2:16.20 and Main qualified in 2:26.15.

In the 200 butterfly Eli Wills (Blue Springs, MissourI) finished 13th in a PR time of 2:15.46. And Jaydon Wilbon (Crown Point, Indiana) was 15th in a PR of 2:31.33. Wills qualified in 2:16.96 and Wilbon qualified in 2:35.74.

In the 1650 freestyle Jaeden Peters (Greenfield, Indiana) earned six points with an 11th place finish in a season-best 19:48.08,

The 400 freestyle relay team of McLarty, Foster, Wills and Youvan finished sixth in 3:16.32, the 10th-best time in school history.

WOMEN
In the 200 backstroke Cally Tate (Monmouth, Illinois) finished third in 2:07.77, earning 16 points. That time is just 0.6 seconds off her school record in the event at last year's championships. Aiden Bach (Stetsonville, Wisconsin) swam a season-best 2:22.23 in the prelims.

In the 200 breaststroke Allie Warren (Galesburg, Illinois) finished fifth with a PR of 2:28.72 while Lea Schmitt (Rockford, Illinois) was sixth in 2:31.26 and Addie Smith (Monmouth, Illinois) was 12th in 2:34.16. Warren's time is second in MC history on the event while Schmitt is now third and Smith is fifth. Warren qualified fifth in 2:31.41, just ahead of Schmitt in 2:31.62. Smith qualified for the finals in 2:36.38 while Emily Davis (Beloit, Wisconsin) swam 3:01.09.

In the 1650 freestyle, Caitlyn Stewart (Monmouth, Illinois) finished 12th to earn five points with a PR of 19:07.04. That time is the third-best in MC history while Nicole Fitch (Marengo, Illinois) swam 19:36.54.

In the 100 freestyle Isabel Lynch (Rock Island, Illinois) swam a PR of 1:02.54 in the prelims while Abbie Ames (Rhinelander, Wisconsin) swam 1:03.35.

In the 400 freestyle relay, Tate, Stewart, Warren and Fitch swam 3:48.07, the fourth-best time in school history. They finished seventh to earn 24 points.,