The Valparaiso University men’s and women’s swimming teams took part in day one of the Horizon League Championships at UIC on Wednesday. Young relay squads posted some of the top times in program history as both teams participated in two events each.

How It Happened

• In the men’s 800-yard freestyle relay, the freshmen duo of Dylan Ogle (Simpsonville, S.C./Mauldin) and Peyton Stambeck (Bartlesville, Okla./Bartlesville), along with sophomores Dylan Kirar (Arvada, Colo./Ralston Valley) and Bob Bretl (Wauwatosa, Wis./Marquette University H.S.), swam the program’s second-fastest time in history with a mark of 6:56.73. The quartet bested last year’s top time of 6:58.32, while only coming up short of the 2009 team’s record-setting time of 6:52.57.
• Adding another top-ten time to the record book, the 200-medley relay team of junior Max Penn (Columbus, Ohio/St. Charles Prep.), freshman Harrison Jenny (New Albany, Ohio/Sycamore), Ogle and Stambeck landed in sixth in Crusader history with a time of 1:34.79.
• The women made history of their own in the water, moving into third place in Valpo program history in the 200-yard medley relay. Freshmen Tara Lawson (Mundelein, Ill./Mundelein), Erica Martins (Hartland, Wis./Lake County Lutheran) and Paige Wright (Surprise, Ariz./Paradise Honor) and lone senior Emily Trimpe (New Palestine, Ind./New Palestine) swam a 1:47.10 in the event to climb up the charts, just missing out on second place on the all-time chart by a mere tenth of a second.
• The Crusader men totaled 48 points on the first day of competition to end the day in seventh place, while the women tallied 22 points.

Next Up

The Crusaders continue action in the Horizon League Championships tomorrow, Thursday, Feb. 23 at UIC, held at the Flames Natatorium. Prelims begin at 10 a.m. CT and the finals will start at 5:30 p.m. CT.