The University of Chicago’s Independent Student Newspaper since 1892

Chicago Maroon

The University of Chicago’s Independent Student Newspaper since 1892

Chicago Maroon

The University of Chicago’s Independent Student Newspaper since 1892

Chicago Maroon

Swimming continues to ride early wave of success

Three weeks into the season is a bit early to be making statements about the shape of the 2007–2008 swim teams, but so far Chicago has lived up to the standard of a breakout year.

This weekend’s Maroon Invite brought the South Siders back to Myers-McLoraine Pool for the first time this season and saw both squads continue their strong starts. The women took first out of a field of nine and continued to reform the program by tearing down old school records and posting new ones. On the men’s side, the Maroons were pitted against Wash U all the way up until the final event but ended up falling 10 points shy of claiming the title.

For the women, a pair of rookies paced the Maroons, with Ellie Elgamal and Katherine Leonard setting new standards in their individual events and contributing to two new relay records.

First-years have been critical to Chicago’s quick rise so far this season and none more so than Elgamal. A master at the butterfly, the San Diego native has won the event each time she has pushed off the boards for it. This weekend she clocked a swift 58.06 seconds in the 100-yard butterfly, besting her NCAA provisional-qualifying time and previous program benchmark of 58.34 from the IIT dual meet November 2.

Doing her part on the young squad, Leonard pulled out a first-place finish in the 100-yard backstroke with a showing of 1:02.13, which also established a new time to beat for the event. Leonard also pitched in along with Elgamal with legs in the record-setting 200-yard medley and the 400-yard freestyle relays.

The all-rookie squad of Charlotte Richman, Sarah Wynn, Elgamal, and Leonard in the 400 was beat out by Wash U by mere hundredths of a second, with the Bears sneaking into first at 3:45.34 and the Maroons next with a time of 3:45.94. Wash U gave Chicago its best competition on the weekend with the home team edging the Bears by a slim 10-point margin in the final tally of 834–824.

While the women were able to stay in front of Wash U through the end of Saturday, their counterparts weren’t as lucky in caging Chicago’s archrival. With third-place Kalamazoo bringing in just 674 points, the battle for top honors between the South Siders and Wash U started unfolding early.

Tied at 853 points apiece going into the last swimming event of the invite, something had to give in the 400-yard freestyle. The Bears’ combination of a gold and a bronze finish by their A and B squads squeezed the Maroons out of first place on the scoreboard. Chicago’s A team game finished in second at 3:12.20 and its B team followed with fifth at 3:19.92 to end up 10 points behind Wash U 925–915.

While their counterparts leaned on the newcomers to lift them to their high standing, the men got a boost from their veterans. A trio of upperclassmen finished ahead of the competition for the team’s three best finishers. Fourth-year Zach Ergish’s 2:00.68 in the 200-yard medley, third-year Shane Carlson’s 4:49.52 in the 500-yard freestyle, and third-year Alex Stabell’s 52.67 in the 100-yard butterfly were all good for gold.

From here, the Maroons will play host Grinnell and Lake Forest Saturday as part of a five-meet home stretch in front of the squad. Saturday’s contest wraps up the fall for Chicago, which will head into winter training before returning to action January 12 against Kalamazoo.

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