Pool Records, NCAA Qualifying Performances Highlight Wooster Swim Team's Effort This Weekend

Jessica Ritchie set Timken Natatorium pool records in the 100 and 200 backstroke.

Wooster's women posted two wins, defeating Mount Union in Alliance, Ohio, on Friday 134-102 and Wittenberg at home on Saturday 152.5-84.5. The men were victorious over Mount Union 131-100, but fell to the Tigers 127-105.

Headlining strong individual performances on the women's side was junior Jessica Ritchie, who set two Timken Natatorium pool records against Wittenberg by winning both the 100 (59.89) and 200 backstroke (2:09.58). Her effort in the 200 backstroke established a school record and qualified her for the Division III National Swimming Championships. She also surpassed an NCAA qualifying standard in the 50 freestyle (24.38) on Friday.

Also recording a national-qualifying time was junior Beth Starling, who captured the 200 breaststroke (2:28.10), and sophomore Jenny Bayuk, who finished just behind Starling in the same event (2:28.68) against Wittenberg. In addition, Bayuk, along with Ritchie, sophomore Erin Popelka and freshman Kayle Heising set a Mount Union pool record and qualified for nationals by winning the 200 medley relay (1:51.06) on Friday.

The final Wooster pool record was set by the 400 medley relay team (4:04.97) of Ritchie, Starling, Popelka and Heising on Saturday.

"The women's team had a fabulous weekend," said Wooster coach Keith Beckett. "There were multiple outstanding swims, and many in-season best times. To have this many swimmers qualify for nationals is exceptional."

On the men's side, the Scots' victory over Mount Union was Beckett's 100^th career victory as the head coach of the men's team. Highlighting the Scots effort against the Purple Raiders was senior Wes Bennett's pool record time of 21.31 in the 50 freestyle.

On Saturday, Bennett qualified for nationals with a pool record time of 20.67 in the 50 freestyle.

"The win at Mount Union was a very important one," said Beckett about the men's team. "We fought back from a 50-plus point deficit to accomplish the victory.