The Valpo women's swimming team had a pair of relays crack the top-six in program history Wednesday evening as the Beacons kicked off the 2025 MVC Championships in Waukee, Iowa.
How It Happened
- The 200 medley relay quartet of Sophie Schoch (Medina, Ohio/Medina), Sara Strauss (Spring Lake, Mich./Spring Lake), Courtney Ledbetter (Wentzville, Mo./Timberland [Notre Dame College]) and Faith Bargwell (Grand Rapids, Mich./Rockford) opened the championship meet with a time of 1:46.95, moving into third place in program history — less than four-tenths of a second off the school record.
- Swimming as part of an exhibition relay in the same event, Sam Smith (Manhattan, Ill./Rosary) led off with a 50 back leg of 28.46, besting her PR at that distance which ranks 10th in program history.
- Ledbetter, Ally Unruh (Peoria, Ill./Dunlap), Caroline Gorski (Melrose Park, Ill./Leyden) and Strauss covered the 800 free relay in 7:52.32, good for sixth in program history and the program's fastest 800 free relay since 2015.
- The Beacons finished the opening day of the meet in eighth place in the team standings.
Next Up
Valpo continues competition at the conference championship meet on Thursday. Prelims begin Thursday morning at 10:30 a.m., with finals commencing at 6 p.m. Thursday evening.
