As the Trinity swim team heads into the final lap of their long winter season, top swimmers from both the men’s and women’s team look to defend last year’s dual conference title and bring home conference championship.

The SCAC conference meet will be held Feb 10-13 in Lewisville, Texas. Leading into the final weekend of the conference season, Tiger swimmers sophomore Rebecca Andruzzi and senior Andrew Theisse clinched both the SCAC female and male swimmer of the week distinction.

“I’m really excited to defend our title at the conference meet,” Andruzzi said. “I think everyone is swimming the best they have all season, and conference will allow us one more opportunity to end the season with our best performances.”  

Andruzzi and Theisse earned this SCAC distinction as a result of their performances in last week’s meet at the University of Redlands in California.

Andruzzi placed first in two events, the 500-yard freestyle and the 1,650-yard freestyle.

The women’s team fell shy of defeating the home team, Redlands, losing 111-147. Other notable performances on the women’s side included sophomore Lindsey Hagmann’s first place finish in the 50 and 100-

yard freestyle.

Overall the Tigers won first place in a total of six individual events with Ashley Ward claiming the top spot in the 200 backstroke just ahead of first year Paige Johnson who finished second. Johnson went on to win first place in the 100-yard butterfly.

On the men’s side, the Tigers captured 11 total events, paced by Thiesse’s three victories. This would prove to be enough to put the Tigers far ahead of Redlands, winning the meet 173-89.

For Thiesse, it has been the little things that have made his senior season so successful.

“I have been spending time focusing on starts, turns and close finishes because that is what decides a race, and where I have need the most work as we get closer to this conference championship,” Thiesse said. “We have been swimming very well the past month so we are excited to see what we can do in this last meet. The big goal is to go out and win the conference meet. When we swim fast, we have fun and I see every person on this team going out there and giving it 110% in practice. This team has grown up a lot since the start of the season, and I just want us to go out there and be competitive not just in the conference, but on a national scale.”

Thiesse won the 200-yard freestyle, the 200-yard backstroke, and the 400 -yard individual medley.  

Fellow senior Thomas Jones captured the 100 breaststroke and the 100 butterfly to secure the Tigers into the top spot over Redlands.

“When we swim fast, we have fun and I always see every person on this team going out there and giving it 110% in practice,” Theisse said. “This team has grown up a lot since the start of the season, and I want us to go out there and be competitive not just in the conference, but on a national scale.”

Notable on the men’s side was sophomore Nate Borchers’ victory in the 200 fly, first yearAndre Newlands’ top spot in the 50 freestyle and sophomore Gordon Allan’s leading the field in the 100 freestyle race. Sophomore David Doyal also emerged as the winner in the 500 freestyle event.

“The team expectations are to be competitive in every individual event and every relay,” Theisse said.

The Trinity men also won two relay events, starting with the 200 medley. Junior Isaac Johnson, Jones, senior Jonathan Hoffman and Newlands dominated the 200 medley while the quartet of Newlands, Allan, Hoffman and Johnson clinched the first-place spot of the 400 freestyle relay.

This will certainty be important as the Trinity swimmers look to qualify for the national swim championships after the conference meet.

On the diving boards, Sarah Kate Mrkonich earned the SCAC Diver of the week distinction for the third time this season after winning the 3-meter event with a score of 497.30 and a runner-up performance on the low board, scoring at 458.10.

Mrkonich previously qualified for the NCAA Division III Region 2 Diving Championships, which will be held in Grinnell, Iowa on Feb 26 and 27.

Also qualifying for the NCAA Division III Region 2 Diving Championships is first year Duncan MacAskill who placed fifth on the low and high boards in the meet with SUNY-Fredonia at Hixon Natatorium last weekend.

MacAskill placed fifth on the low and high boards in the meet with SUNY-Fredonia at Hixon Natatorium.

He scored 397.55 after 11 dives in the 1-meter event and 369.55 in the 3-meter competion. MacAskill has now won the Diver of the Week honor six times.