By: Multiple swimmers had some of their fastest times this season on Saturday, including a new school record in the 100 IM for Hannah Marks.
GRINNELL, Iowa – The Illinois College swimming teams ended the Pioneer Classic at Grinnell College with the Lady Blues in seventh place with 272 points and the Blueboys in eighth with 252 points. Both teams had numerous season-best times on a busy Saturday of action.
The day began with the 200 Medley Relay, where the men's team of
Ben Allen,
Oak Wattanasirakul,
Elijah Rhoad and
Mike Weisenfelder combined for a 1:45.24. The Lady Blues earned fifth place in their race as
Hannah Baker,
Hannah Marks,
Marcella Jacquemain and
Lindsay Bruce swam a 2:03.58.
The first individual event of the day was the 400 IM. Allen took 12th in 4:39.90 and Rhoad finished 17th in 4:50.30. Later, in the 100 Butterfly, Jacquemain ended in 17th for the women's team in 1:13.66.
In the 200 Freestyle,
Martin Ambre notched a 14th place showing in 1:56.22. Following that event, Wattanasirakul had one of the better finishes of the day for the Blueboys by ending in seventh place in the 100 Breaststroke in 1:03.49. Allen added a 15th place finish in the race in 1:05.35. For the Lady Blues, Marks took 12th in the 100 Breaststroke with a time of 1:14.53.
Baker excelled in her two backstroke events on Saturday and it began with the 100 Backstroke. The freshman took seventh place in the race in 1:06.70. In the last events of the morning, both teams took seventh place in the 800 Freestyle Relay. The men's team of Allen, Weisenfelder, Rhoad and Ambre swam a 7:57.72 and the women's team of Marks,
Audrey Earle, Baker and Bruce combined for a 9:16.98.
As the afternoon session began, Ambre led off with a 12th place finish in the 1650 Freestyle (18:45.07), while
Nick Amodeo closed the mile out in 19th place (21:33.28).
Maddie Headtke took 15th place in the race for the Lady Blues, touching the wall in 21:48.57.
In the 100 IM, Marks set a new school record while finishing sixth, closing out the race in 1:07.23. Baker followed that with another strong showing in the 200 Backstroke, taking ninth in 2:27.34.
In the last couple individual events, Wattanasirakul took sixth in the 200 Breaststroke (2:19.98) and Allen ended in 11th place (2:24.53). Marks added her second 12th place finish of the day in the event, closing out with a time of 2:44.48. In the 200 Butterfly, Rhoad was 14th for the Blueboys (2:13.83) and Jacquemain was ninth for the Lady Blues (2:44.79).
The final event of the weekend was the 400 Freestyle Relay and both Illinois College teams took eighth place. Allen, Rhoad, Ambre and Weisenfelder totaled a 3:34.14, while Baker, Jacquemain, Marks and Bruce clocked in at 4:13.63.
Illinois College closes out the 2017 portion of its schedule at home next weekend, hosting a quad meet at Coultas Natatorium on Dec. 9 at 1 p.m.
