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Augustana Observer

Swim Teams place 4th and 3rd at CCIW Championships

The Augustana men’s swim team finished 3rd at CCIW championships while the women followed close behind finishing 4th out of seven teams at Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin.

The Vikings started off the three-day contest with sophomore Aidan McConkey finishing seventh in the 500 freestyle.

Following McConkey was first-year Matthew Felber who came in ninth with the time of 4:53.84. First-year Isaiah Valentine swam a personal best in the 200 meter butterfly.

“Everyone calls me crazy for liking this event, but my favorite to swim is the 200 butterfly. I placed 4th in two of my individual events, and 12th in my third,” Valentine said. “I was only slightly disappointed in my performance of the third, but it was understandable due to the consecutive swims which came immediately prior. Swimming is a sport which in and of itself requires a copious amount of mental fortitude, and that’s exactly what I feel we exhibited.”

Continuing on with the competition, McConkey took second in the 100 meter backstroke.

Senior Greg Roskowic came in third with a time of :52.83. Junior Charles Young placed seventh followed by senior Connor Bullard placing ninth.

Young and first-year Isaiah Valentine came in fourth place ending the CCIW championships on Saturday.

Earlier in the day Valentine swam a 1:55.74 placing fourth in the 200 butterfly. The first-year also took third place in the 400 freestyle relay.

The women’s swim team got fourth place overall in Wisconsin with sophomore Madelynn Marunde setting a new school record in the 200 meter breaststroke and won a CCIW title in the 1650.

Sophomores Aviana Zahara, Madelynn Marunde, Isabelle Serena along with senior Gabrielle Ainsworth swam a school-record 3:54.45 to place second in the 400 medley relay.

“This was the best meet of my life,” Ainsworth said. “I dropped time in every event I swam this past weekend and I broke my own school record from the previous year in the 100 butterfly. I love the race because it is a sprint, but also because I love the feeling of the stroke. It is such a fluid motion that combines a lot of core strength with upper body strength.”

Ainsworth set a CCIW-champion and school-record by swimming the 200 medley relay. The senior also broke her own time in the 100 meter butterfly.

The Vikings closed out their season with the CCIW meet. The mens team turned in a record of 6-2 overall, while the womens finished up at 7-1.

The Vikings will start again next season looking to break more school records.

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Swim Teams place 4th and 3rd at CCIW Championships