Republished from Tech News - On Saturday the Scarlet Hawks swimming and diving team hosted their first meet against another NAIA team, Lindenwood University. Also present for competition on the women's side was Robert Morris College. Although both teams lost to Lindenwood, the Lady Hawks kept up with the Lions (or would it be Lionesses), finishing the meet only ten points behind them. Last year at Nationals, Lindenwood beat the women's team, placing eight to our tenth, so the close races in this meet are a good indicator of the strength of the women's team this year compared to last.

On the men's side, the 400 medley relay team of freshman Matthew Rosenfeld, senior Jay Park, sophomore Keiji Halloway, and freshman Eric Grunden placed 3rd, and qualified for nationals with a time of 3:46.76. Junior Joe Muchna qualified in the mile with a time of 17:41.03, taking 2^nd overall in the race. Senior Greg Herbert took 3^rd, dropping a few seconds from his time last weekend, swimming the event in 19:07.40. This twenty minute event was the most exciting twenty minutes of Sports Information Director, and head Baseball Coach, Steve Born's life!

Sophomores Melanie Koto and Andrea Zuniga took 1^st and 2^nd in the 200 freestyle, and freshman Eric Grunden took 2^nd on the men's side, qualifying for Nationals in the event with a time of 1:50.96. In the 50 freestyle, sophomore Max Ramminger inched a little closer to the team record that he has his eye on, swimming the event in a 21.35 and taking 1^st. Senior Joe Taylor took 3^rd in the event with a National qualifying time of 22.08, followed closely by junior Neto Miller, taking 4^th and also qualifying with a time of 22.45.

In the 400 Individual Medley, freshman Michael Keane and Halloway took 1^st and 2^nd for the Hawks, both with National qualifying times of 4:33.80 and 4:35.44 respectively. Freshman Victoria Masney took 1^st in the 200 butterfly, out touching Lindenwood's Sarah Billamosa by half a second, and qualifying for Nationals with a time of 2:20.18. Junior Joe Muchna and senior Jay Park took 2^nd and 3^rd for the men in the event, with times of 2:07.95 and 2:09.90.

For the diving team, senior Jennifer Iversen took 2^nd in the 1 meter diving on the women's side, with a score of 175.10. On the men's side, the Hawks swept the board (there were no Lindenwood divers), with freshman Ian McNair as the leading score of 217.85, followed by junior Jeff Reilly and senior Aaron Komoroski. On the 3 meter board, Iverson took 2^nd again, with a score of 164.50. McNair took first with a National qualifying score of 230.80, and senior Aaron Komoroski took 2^nd with a score of 167.90.

In the 100 freestyle, Koto took first, out touching Lindenwood's Ashton Friedley for the spot, qualifying for Nationals with a time of 56.32. Max Ramminger took 1^st with a time of 46.80, only 0.80 seconds from the team record. Senior Joe Taylor took 3^rd, qualifying for Nationals with a time of 49.29.

Zuniga took first in the 200 backstroke with a National qualifying time of 2:18.87. Sophomore Morgan Curran took 1^st in the 500 freestyle with a time of 5:40.40, and sophomore Julia Duarte took 3^rd in the 200 breaststroke with a time of 2:39.29. On the men's side, Park took 2^nd with a 2:19.31 and Keane took 3^rd with a 2:24.56.

The last event of the day, the 400 freestyle relay, saw the Lady Hawks team of Curran, freshman Nicole Valio, sophomore Lauren Fast, and Duarte taking 3^rd with a time of 4:17.01. The men's team of Ramminger, Miller, Grunden and Taylor took 2^nd by a hand, with a time of 3:12.55, which qualified them for Nationals.

Next weekend, the team will swim in the three day, six session Phoenix invite at the University of Chicago. The meet will be a big one, and the team will be slightly rested for the event, in an attempt to achieve faster times and more National cuts.