Eagles Prepare For First Swimming Invitational Of The Year

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s and Women’s Swimming & Diving teams will travel to Louisville, Kentucky this weekend as they compete in the Bellarmine Invitational hosted by Bellarmine University on October 28-29 at the Mary T. Meagher Aquatic Center. Friday’s events begin at 5pm while Saturdays begin at 10am.
 
The Screaming Eagles will take on the Knights as well as Gardner-Webb University and Florida Gulf Coast University.
 
USI Men
USI Men’s Swimming & Diving fell in their most recent meet against Quincy University last Saturday, 135-125. The Eagles took five events against the Hawks. Freshman Caleb Davis (Spring, Texas) led USI on the day, taking two events. Davis took first place in the 100 and 200-yard Breaststroke. Freshman Creed Loy (Knoxville, Tennessee) took the other swimming event for the Eagles, taking first in the 1000-yard Freestyle. Davis and Loy both recorded their best times of the season in their respective events.
 
The Eagles finished just behind the Hawks in nine of the 16 men’s events on the day. USI had an opportunity to take the lead over Quincy going into the final 200-yard Freestyle Relay. The relay team of sophomore Payton Buse (Lynnville, Indiana), Colton Tang (Newburgh, Indiana), Davis, and Gabriel Groves (New Carlisle, Indiana) finished just .59 seconds behind the Quincy relay team.
 
Freshman Lane Pollock (Boonville, Indiana) took both the 1-meter and 3-meter dives for USI. Pollock scored a 215.85 in the 1-meter and a 240.15 in the 3-meter.
 
USI Women
USI Women’s Swimming & Diving earned their second straight dual meet victory of the year after they took down Quincy, 201-56. The Eagles took first in 12 events on the day and had five swimmers win multiple events on the day. Freshman Kate Hilgarth (Indianapolis, Indiana) led the way for USI as she took first in two individual events and was a part of both first-place relay teams. Hilgarth took first in the 100 and 200-yard Backstroke as well as the 400-yard Medley Relay and the 200-yard Freestyle Relay.
 
Freshman Mattilynn Smith (Morgantown, Kentucky) was the other Eagle swimmer to win multiple individual events. Smith took home the 1000 and 500-yard Freestyle events. Freshman Sarah-Catherine Dawson (Prospect, Kentucky) and freshman Hannah Gardner (Bowling Green, Kentucky) each took one individual event. Dawson took first in the 200-yard Butterfly while Gardner took first in the 400-yard IM. Freshman Paige Neal (Owensboro, Kentucky) was a part of both the 400-yard Medley and 200-yard Freestyle Relay teams with Hilgarth. Dawson and Gardner also accompanied Neal and Hilgarth on the 400-yard Medley Relay team.
 
Freshman Erica Williamson (Knoxville, Tennessee) and freshman Elizabeth Busby (Madison, Alabama) were each victorious in one individual event. Williamson took the 100-yard Breaststroke while Busby took the 100-yard Butterfly. Along with Neal and Hilgarth, freshman Emma Ettensohn (Tell City, Indiana) and freshman Emily McIntosh (Huntertown, Indiana) joined them on the 200-yard Freestyle Relay squad.
 
Freshman Autumn Turley (Hobart, Indiana) took both the 1-meter and 3-meter dives for the Eagles. Turley scored a 173.40 in the 1-meter and a 144.67 in the 3-meter.