Junior
Garrett Hoppman (Midland, Texas/Midland) and senior
Courtney Ledbetter (Wentzville, Mo./Timberland [Notre Dame College]) had record-setting swims as the Valpo men's and women's swimming teams competed on the last of three days of competition at the Magnus Cup in Cleveland on Saturday.
Â
How It Happened – Men
- Hoppman actually lowered his own program record in the 50 fly twice on Saturday. His prelim time of 23.10 knocked .18 off his previous best mark, and the junior proceeded to slice another six-hundredths off in the evening final with a time of 23.04.
- Incredibly, three Valpo swimmers swam under the previous school record in the 50 fly on Saturday. Junior Tim Mai (St. Johns, Fla./Creekside) was nipping at Hoppman's heels with his prelim time of 23.11 to move into second in program history, and he lowered his PR to 23.08 in the evening final. Junior Luke Snider (Germantown, Tenn./Memphis University School) also bested the previous program best with his prelim swim of 23.24 and now ranks third in program history in the event.
- The 100 IM was full of new top-10 times in program history as well. While he didn't lower his PR, junior Jackson Oostman (Aurora, Ill./Marmion Academy) paced the Beacon contingent with a seventh-place finish Saturday evening after posting a time of 51.79 in the prelims.
- Three Valpo swimmers moved into the top-10 in the event in the morning prelims. Senior Brendan Stangeland (West Fargo, N.D./Sheyenne) sits sixth in program history with his time of 53.27, senior Andrew Berzai (South Bend, Ind./Mishawaka Marian) moved into eighth with a prelim swim of 54.61 and junior Eli Liebmann (Belleville, Ill./Belleville West) cracked the top-10 with a time of 55.26.
- In the 100 IM finals, Berzai improved on his PR as he touched the wall in 54.57, while sophomore Ian Muffett (Zillah, Wash./Zillah) bested his PR to improve on his ninth-fastest time in program history with a mark of 54.97.
- Junior Matthew Mantz (Spokane, Wash./Mead) moved into a tie for third place in program history in the 200 fly with his prelim time of 1:52.49, and placed ninth in the event final.
- Stangeland bested his PR, which ranks sixth in program history, in the 200 breast with a prelim time of 2:08.67, while freshman Carson Parker (Silver Lake, Ind./Tippecanoe Valley) moved into ninth all-time at Valpo in the same event with his prelim time of 2:10.34.
- Freshman Will Schenk (Tulsa, Okla./Holland Hall) now ranks ninth in Valpo history in the 100 free following his prelim time of 47.15.
- Oostman, Snider, Schenk and junior Anthony Martin (Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett) combined to cover the meet-closing 400 free relay in 3:10.16, tenth-best in program history.
- The men tallied 228 points over the three-day meet, finishing in ninth place in the team standings.
Â
How It Happened – Women
- Ledbetter posted her first program record at Valpo in the prelims of the 50 fly, touching the wall in 26.24. The senior later moved into ninth in program history in the 100 free as well with a time of 53.66.
- A pair of Beacons posted new top-10 times in the 200 back prelims. Sophomore Sophie Schoch (Medina, Ohio/Medina) moved up to third on Valpo's all-time best in the event with a time of 2:07.56, while sophomore Olivia Tressler (Las Vegas, Nev./Desert Oasis) ranks ninth with a time of 2:11.16.
- The prelims also saw sophomore Roxanne Adams (Aguadilla, Puerto Rico) move into tenth in program history in the 100 IM with a time of 1:04.69 and freshman Sam Smith (Manhattan, Ill./Rosary) post a time of 28.49 in the 50 back, also tenth-best in program history.
- Freshman Ally Unruh (Peoria, Ill./Dunlap) continued her strong rookie season in the distance events as she came home in 18:04.85 in her first effort at the collegiate level in the 1650 free, ninth-fastest all time at Valpo.
- The Beacon women finished in 13th place.
