
LEXINGTON, Ky.—The Transylvania University men's and women's swimming and diving team topped Campbellsville University in Saturday's dual meet on Senior Day at the William T. Young Center. The women won with a score of 187-62, while the men won 172-35.
It was a great way to send off seniors Lydia Lissanu and E.J. Quijano in their final home meet, as the Pioneers started the meet with back-to-back wins in the 200-yard medley relay. The women's team of Julia Johnson, Morgan Cyrus, Kiali Jelinek and Meghan Taylor logged a time of 1:54.45 to earn the first points of the day. The momentum carried into men's 200-yard medley relay, as Sam Mullen, E.J. Quijano, Fernando Zarate and Edward Freeman raced to a time of 1:41.95 for another first-place finish.
Anna Balassa took second-place in the 1000-yard freestyle with a time of 11:35.57 before Cyrus tallied another first-place finish in the 200-yard freestyle for the Pioneers.
Kristen Cornish's 1:08.03 led the way in the 100-yard backstroke, as Katelyn Meng and Melanie Peterson also earned points in the event. Jelinek and Johnson added first-place points in the 100-yard breaststroke and the 200-yard butterfly adding to Transylvania's point total.
Taylor posted her first of two first-place finished on the day with a 24.80 in the 50-yard freestyle. Cyrus and Elizabeth Davis took first and third-place, respectively in the 100-yard freestyle. Johnson, Taylor, Cornish swept the points in the 200-yard backstroke. Johnson's 2:15. 33 took first-place, as Taylor finished a mere .13 seconds off the lead.
Cyrus added another first-place time in the 200-yard breaststroke with a 2:32. 47 and Sarah Hernandez paced the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 6:31.00. Taylor, Johnson and Davis dominated the 100-yard butterfly, before Jelinek and Balassa added first and second-place finishes in the 200-yard individual medley to solidify the win the women.
Grace Kobitter and Callie Anderson finished first and second in the 1 meter dive and Anderson finished first in the three meter dive.
The men's team posted a strong effort on their way to a 172-35 win. After taking the first event, the Pioneers took first-place in the next four events. Mullen and Zarate finished one-two in the 100-yard backstroke, as did Quijano and Cameron Brewer in the 100-yard breaststroke and the Pioneers never slowed down.
Taylor Petersen, Ty Alderman and Ian Wathen finished in order sweeping the points in the 200-yard freestyle. Freeman, Alderman and Petersen also finished in order sweeping the 50-yard freestyle. Zarate and Taylor took first and second in the 200-yard butterfly to extend the men's lead with only seven events remaining.
The trio of Brewer, Alderman and Wathen also swept the 100-yard freestyle, before Zarate's first-place finish in the 200-yard backstroke. Quijano earned first-place points in the 200-yard breaststroke, Mullen nabbed a second-place finish.
Quijano, Taylor and Brewer took all the points in the 100-yard butterfly as Quijano led the way with a time of 55.06. Mullen, Taylor and Freeman did the same in the 200-yard individual medley led by Mullen's 2:07.31. Brewer, Wathen, Alderman and Petersen did not let up in the final event of the meet taking first-place with a 1:36.40 in the 200-yard freestyle.
The Pioneers racked up 27 first-place finishes in the final home meet of the season. Transylvania will travel to Akron, Ohio for the Ohio Athletic Conference Championship Feb. 19.