It was a successful trip downstate for the Valpo men's and women's swimming teams Saturday, as the Beacons earned a dual meet sweep on the road at MVC foe Evansville, with the women prevailing 157-105 and the men winning 145-117 — the men's first dual win over the Purple Aces since the 1980-81 season. Along the way, Valpo had 12 times crack the program's all-time top-10, including a school-record swim in the 1000 free from
Griffin Schilz (Suamico, Wis./Bay Port).
How It Happened
- After moving into fourth place in program history in the 1000 free in his first collegiate meet, Schilz easily bested that on Saturday, taking first place in the 1000 with a time of 9:32.68 — breaking Brian Wasicak's 2014 program record by nearly 10 seconds.
- Schilz also touched the wall first in the 500 free, moving into third in program history in that event with a time of 4:37.29.
- On the women's side, Ashlynn Taylor (Skiatook, Okla./Bartlesville) moved into the Beacons' all-time top-10 in three different individual events Saturday. Taylor swept the breast events, moving into third in Valpo history in the 200 breast (2:23.87) and fifth in the 100 breast (1:05.95), and finished second in the 200 IM with a time of 2:12.26, seventh-best in program history.
- All eight of Valpo's individual times which cracked the program's top-10 charts came from freshmen. In addition to Schilz's and Taylor's efforts, Mia Ceballos (Joliet, Ill./Plainfield North) won the women's 100 back with a time of 57.89, good for third in program history, Brian Bosse (Bowling Green, Ky./South Warren) moved into a tie for seventh in program history in the men's 100 free with his winning time of 46.33 and Kingston Vickers (Houston, Texas/Memorial) recorded a 100 back leadoff leg of 52.45 in the 400 medley relay to move into 10th in program history in that event.
- All four of Valpo's relays on Saturday made their way onto their respective top-10 charts as well. On the women's side, the 200 free relay of Una Dizdarevic (Bloomingdale, Ill./Lake Park), Faith Bargwell (Grand Rapids, Mich./Rockford), Bri Keese (Brighton, Colo./Brighton) and Audrey Morgan (Villa Park, Ill./Woodstock) took top honors in the race with a time of 1:36.87, third-fastest in program history, while Morgan, Taylor, Kailyn Benoit (Sussex, Wis./Hamilton) and Dizdarevic posted the sixth-fastest 400 medley relay in program history, coming home in 3:58.32.
- On the men's side, Bosse and Vickers combined with Carmine Fallara (Riverside, Ill./Saint Ignatius) and Isaac Dinari (Houston, Texas/Memorial) for a 200 free relay time of 1:24.16, eighth-best in program history. The 400 medley relay team of Caleb Smesko (Green, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit), Carson Parker (Silver Lake, Ind./Tippecanoe Valley), Bosse and Evan Curran (Golden, Colo./Golden) also moved into eighth in program history, as the quartet completed that race in 3:23.88.
- The Beacon women and men each earned eight individual event wins. In addition to the aforementioned wins on the women's side, Ally Unruh (Peoria, Ill./Dunlap) swept the distance events with times of 10:41.04 in the 1000 free and 5:14.88 in the 500 free. Dizdarevic took the free sprints with times of 24.40 in the 50 free and 52.63 in the 100 free, and Benoit claimed top honors in the 200 fly with a time of 2:09.34.
- Schilz was joined as a two-time winner Saturday on the men's side by Smesko. The sophomore narrowly missed out on besting his own school record in the 100 back with a time of 49.74 and then took the 200 back with a time of 1:50.73.
- Curran captured the 200 free with a time of 1:41.59, Ben Mettler (Sussex, Wis./Hamilton) claimed first place in the 100 breast with a time of 57.40 and Gabe Vasquez (Houston, Texas/Memorial) won the 200 IM with a time of 1:56.08.
- The Valpo women earned a 157-105 win on Saturday, while the men prevailed by a 145-117 count — a 31-point swing from last season's dual meet result against the Purple Aces and its first win over Evansville in over 45 years.
Next Up
Valpo continues fall semester action next Friday, Oct. 23 with a dual meet at Franklin College. The meet is scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m. CT.
