The UChicago swimming and diving teams go back to the pool this Friday as they host the annual Phoenix Fall Classic, featuring a multitude of schools competing at UChicago’s very own Myers-McLoraine Pool. The meet spans three days, ensuring that there will be plenty of competition on display throughout. The meet will be the Maroons’ last official competitive action until the season begins to pick up in earnest in January. Last year, both the men and women came away from the meet with victories, an accomplishment both teams will be looking to repeat again.
The UChicago women are looking to continue their winning ways, having been victorious against Wash U, while the men are still searching for their first victory of the season. Nevertheless, both squads will be looking to continue building of their encouraging performances from their last meet. The highlight of that meet was provided by second-year diver Agnes Lo, who won the one-meter and three-meter dives by an average margin of victory of 31.6 points, while also shattering the UChicago one-meter dive record in the process.
A trio of first-years on the women’s team, Gillian Gagnard, Margaret Wolfson, and Nadia Redza, have been excellent so far, having each grabbed two victories at the previous meet. Nicole Lin was another standout performer at Wash U, participating in the two winning relay squads while also taking first place in the 50-yard freestyle event.
Looking forward to this weekend’s competition, Redza said, “I think the Phoenix meet this weekend will be a very exciting one. Everyone is looking good in the water, training really well, and we are all aiming for NCAA cuts. Swimming in our own home pool for the last meet of the quarter makes it especially exciting and everyone is looking forward to it.”
Meanwhile, although the men’s side has yet to record a victory, there have been some promising individual performances, with second-year Reona Yamaguchi (200-yard breaststroke), third-year Alexander Farrell (50-yard freestyle), and second-year Taye Baldinazzo (200-yard freestyle) all grabbing victories at the Wash U meet. Fourth-year Dean Boures was victorious in the one-meter and three-meter dives as well. With plenty of talent on the squad, the men’s team will surely be in the running to grab their first win of the season.
The Phoenix Fall Classic will begin Friday, November 17 at 6 p.m. at the Myers-McLoraine Pool (located inside Ratner Athletics Center), followed up by two Saturday sessions at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., and finish with an additional two Sunday sessions at 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.
