JACKSONVILLE, Ill. – The Beloit College swimming and diving teams traveled to Illinois College today for the IC Winter Double Dual, facing off against the hosts and North Central College. While the Buccaneers faced stiff competition in the team standings, the squad delivered several standout individual performances, highlighted by four event victories and a sweep of the top two spots in the Women's 100 Yard IM.
Jeremy Mueller (Loves Park, Ill.) led the charge for the Beloit men, securing two individual gold medals on the day. Mueller put together a commanding performance in the Men's 100 Yard Backstroke, touching the wall first with a time of 53.92, nearly three seconds ahead of the runner-up from Illinois College.
Later in the meet, Mueller returned to the pool to claim victory in the Men's 100 Yard IM. He clocked in at 54.05, edging out the field by over two seconds to complete his individual double.
Other notable finishes for the men included Jordan Hodges (College Station, TX) who took 2nd place in the Men's 50 Yard Butterfly (27.16) and Liam Murphy (Minneapolis, Minn.) who swam his way to third in the Men's 50 Yard Backstroke with a time of 30.80.
The Beloit women's team found success in the sprint freestyle and individual medley events. Senior Amelia Pullen (New Orleans, La.) showcased her speed in the Women's 50 Yard Freestyle, sprinting to a first-place finish with a time of 27.05. Pullen also added a strong runner-up finish in the 200 Yard Freestyle (2:11.87) and took fourth in the 50 Yard Butterfly.
The Buccaneers dominated the Women's 100 Yard IM, taking the top two spots on the podium. Lylah Murrah (North Pole, AK) touched first to win the event in 1:06.63, followed closely by teammate Kelsey Gerstler, who finished second with a time of 1:10.96.
Murrah also had a strong showing in the 100 Yard Butterfly (2nd, 1:07.30) and the 100 Yard Backstroke (2nd, 1:10.70).
Gerstler proved to be a versatile asset for the Buccaneers throughout the meet. In addition to her runner-up finish in the IM, she took silver in the grueling Women's 1000 Yard Freestyle (12:19.85) and the Women's 100 Yard Freestyle (1:01.37), scoring critical points in three different disciplines.
Lucy Monnig (Beaverton, Ore.) took 2nd place in the Women's 500 Yard Freestyle (6:12.85).
In relay action, the Men's 200 Yard Medley team of Murphy, Mueller, Hodges, and Jacob Fuller (Beloit, Wis.) placed 3rd with a time of 1:58.75. The same quartet combined later in the day to take 3rd in the Men's 200 Yard Freestyle Relay (1:45.02).
On the women's side, the team of Murrah, Maya Delgadillo (Sioux City, IA), Pullen, and Gerstler opened the meet with a 3rd place finish in the 200 Yard Medley Relay (2:10.59).
The Buccaneers don't return to the pool until the new year, when they host Monmouth College on January 16th. Action is set to start at 4 pm.
