BOWLING GREEN, Ky.-The Western Kentucky University swimming and diving swept the Hilltopper Invite over the weekend, as the women's team took first with 878.5 points and the men's team earned the top score of 1021.
On the women's side, Vanderbilt finished the three-day event with 783.5, University of the Cumberlands with 321 and Sewanee with 132. University of the Cumberlands finished in second on the men's side with 493 points while Sewanee posted 313 points.
In the final day, three Bill Powell Natatorium records fell, as the team totaled eight new records throughout the course of the competition. Ashley Forsyth opened the finals by breaking her own record in the 1650 free of 16:57.42 with a new time of 16:55.18. Allie Duff also lowered her own record in the 200 back of 1:58.11 to set the new record at 1:57.88.
The women's 400 free relay of Duff, Hilary Mishler, Hannah Runyon-Hass and Michelle Craddock edged by the record set in 2009 of 3:27.33 to earn a spot on the records board with a time of 3:27.24.
Along with Forsyth and Duff, four other WKU swimmers earned wins in their individual events. Adam Dajka took first in the 1650 free at 16:01.73. Dajka was followed by three other Hilltoppers in David Rayner, Billy Kunkel and Elliott Lorson, as WKU earned the top four spots in the event.
Chris Goodman bettered his prelim time in the finals by close to three seconds, as he posted the top time in the 200 back at 1:49.91. Heitor Rodrigues clocked in at 46.22 in the 100 free to take the best time. In the 200 fly, Runyon-Hass hit the wall at 2:00.59 to come in first.
The men's 400 free relay team of Neal Rushing, Tyler Groneck, Jordan Vorst and Tom Gasnick made it to the wall in 3:07.49 to slide by the team of Brennan Elsas, Russ Bryant, Richard Russell and David Owens who came in at 3:07.94, as the teams went 1-2 in the final event of the invite.
WKU will take a break from competition over the Thanksgiving holiday, but return to the pool for its last meet of the semester on November 29 to take on teams at the Miami of Ohio Invite.
