Although the University of Nebraska – Omaha won 11 of 16 swimming events on the women’s side, the University of Northern Iowa Panthers rolled to a team win at the Mutual of Omaha invite, beating the home team in a show of depth.
On the men’s side, the University of Colorado overcame a sweep of the relays by Iowa Lakes Community College to steal a narrow 15-point victory.
UNI got two wins from senior backstroker Natalie Johnson, who won both the 100 (58.20) and 200 backs (2:07.93) for the Panthers.
Nebraska-Omaha got most of its points from three swimmers who combined for 6 individual wins and 4 relay victories. Freshman Morgan Stepp swept the IMs, going in 4:30.11 in the 400 IM and following that with a 2:06.99 in the 200 IM the next day. Senior Maddie Hutt took the 100 and 200 breaststrokes in 1:04.49 and 2:19.32 and sophomore Natalie Renshaw was the dominant sprinter of the meet, winning the 50 free (23.53) and 100 free (50.61, a new school record). Jenna Foiles also chipped in a 100 fly victory in 57.55.
Northern Iowa picked up three more wins on the weekend, with freshman Stephanie Jackson winning the 500 free in a 1-2-3-4 Panthers sweep and Taylor Ostrowski winning the 200 fly in another 1-2-3 UNI sweep that included Jackson taking second. Results also list junior Elise Drewsen as the 200 free winner over Omaha’s stud sprinter Renshaw, but there appears to be a timing error as to her final time.
For the men, Colorado freshman Eric Ung picked up four wins over the course of the 2-day meet to lead the Buffaloes to the team title. Colorado (which is technically a club team at the University, which doesn’t offer intercollegiate swimming) broke 3 team records at the meet, all from Ung.
Ung went 58.92 in the 100 breast and 2:12.13 in the 200 breast, both team records. He also broke a team record in the 200 IM, going 1:56.75, and won the 200 free in 1:46.65, although that was not a team record.
The Buffaloes also got wins from junior Alex Rejvani in the 200 back (2:03.97) and senior Eric Finger in the 200 fly (2:03.34).
The rest of the wins went to Iowa Lakes, including the 200 and 400 medley and 200 and 400 free relays. William Clark won three events, the 50 free on Friday in 21.78 and the 100 back and 100 free in a short double on Saturday, going 54.71 in the back and returning just two events later to go 47.59 in the free.
Dima Suhushin won twice on Friday, in the 400 IM (4:27.87) and 100 fly (52.86). Reese Bishop took the 500 free in 4:57.17 for Iowa Lakes.
Women’s Team Scores
1 University of Northern Iowa 1633.5
2 University of Nebraska Omaha 1300
3 Univ of Nebraska at Kearney 417.5
4 Iowa Lakes Community College 393
5 University of Colorado 310
6 College of Saint Mary 245
7 Morningside College 180
Men’s Team Scores
1. University of Colorado 616
2. Iowa Lakes Community College 601
3. Morningside College 479