DUBUQUE, Iowa – The Beloit College Buccaneers Swimming and Diving teams showcased their depth and individual talent this afternoon in a hard-fought dual meet against Loras College. While Loras took the overall team victories, the Beloit women pushed the Duhawks to the brink, falling just five points short in a 97-92 thriller. The men's side also saw standout individual performances that highlighted the Buccaneers' rising strength in the pool.
The story of the day was the Beloit women's team, which remained neck-and-neck with Loras throughout the afternoon. The Buccaneers were fueled by several first-place finishes and a dominant performance in the distance and specialty events.
Kelsey Gerstler set the tone early in the meet with a commanding victory in the 1000-yard freestyle. Gerstler touched the wall in 12:29.40. She later added a strong second-place finish in the 500-yard freestyle (6:00.48).
In the individual medley, Lylah Murrah (North Pole, AK) proved to be a force, taking first place in the 200-yard IM with a time of 2:28.84. Murrah also secured a second-place finish in the 100-yard backstroke (1:10.93), proving her versatility across multiple strokes.
Lydia Nordgren (South Beloit, Ill.) delivered another highlight for Beloit by winning the 100-yard butterfly. Her time of 1:03.86 was nearly 23 seconds faster than the runner-up, showcasing her explosive speed in the sprint fly.
On the men's side, Jeremy Mueller (Loves Park, Ill.) was the undisputed star of the sprints. Mueller captured gold in both the 50-yard freestyle (22.22) and the 100-yard freestyle (47.60). His 100-free performance was particularly impressive, winning by a significant margin and providing the Buccaneers with a major points boost.
Elsa Gregory took first in the women's 1-meter diving events, posting a top score of 145.70. On the men's side, Jacob Fuller (Beloit, Wis.) took first place in the 1-meter diving with a score of 143.15, ensuring the Buccaneers dominated the diving well.
The Buccaneers also saw vital podium finishes from Amelia Pullen (New Orleans, La.), Lucy Monnig (Beaverton, Ore.), Maya Delgadillo (Sioux City, IA) and Torin Schott (Fairfield, CT). Pullen secured second place in both the 50-yard freestyle (27.67) and the 100-yard freestyle (1:00.43). Monning earned second in the 200-yard freestyle (2:18.93) and third in the 100-yard freestyle. Delgadillo claimed second in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:20.66) and third in the 500-yard freestyle. Schott finished third in the 100-yard breaststroke and fourth in the 50-yard freestyle.
The Buccaneers are back in action at the end of the month at the Private College Championships. This year's championships are hosted by Carthage College. Action is set to take place on January 30th and 31st. The 30th will be diving only with action starting at 5 pm. Competition will resume on the 31st at 11 am.
