Northwestern Dominates Miami-Ohio in Season Opener
Northwestern’s women and men welcomed Miami-Ohio for a dual meet Saturday and came out on top in both competitions by identical 203-97 scores, winning almost every event on the program. The meet also included a few irregular-distance events, the 400 and 600 freestyle along with the 300 IM.
The team of Justin Murdock, Sophie Martin, Nikki Venema and Lindsay Ervin began the meet by winning the 200 medley relay in 1:39.04, and Luiza Comini Lima won the first individual event of the day, the 600 free, in 5:56.74. Sydney Smith claimed first in the 200 free, touching out teammates Zoe Nordman and Bri Deierlein in an extraordinary finish. Smith won in 1:48.62, mere hundredths ahead of Nordman (1:48.64) and Deierlein (1:48.67).
Martin was victorious in the 100 breaststroke (1:00.54), followed by Lilly Mehok winning the 200 butterfly (2:02.49). Venema won the 50 free before Martin claimed her second win in the 100 free (49.36). Margaret Papanicholas won the 200 breast (2:16.15) before Nordman got on top in the 400 free (3:49.32) and Venema won again in the 100 fly (54.32).
The 300 IM went to Hana Shimizu-Bowers in 3:10.99, and Northwestern’s Caroline Li claimed first in 3-meter diving (277.00). Venema, Martin, Amy Pan and Lindsay Ervin won the 400 free relay in 3:18.45.
Miami’s Mia Meinhardt topped 1-meter diving (264.95), and Madeline Padavic won the 100 backstroke (53.03). Ella Ziegert finished almost two-and-a-half seconds clear of the field in the 200 back (1:58.00).
Northwestern’s men opened up with David Gerchik, Tyler Lu, Stuart Seymour and Caden Duncan topping the 200 medley relay (1:26.72). Alexander Rousseau finished first in the 600 free in 5:29.15, followed by Diego Nosack taking first in the 200 free (1:37.35) and Seymour winning the 100 back (46.88). Lu finished almost a half-second ahead of the field in the 100 breast (54.41).
Seymour won again in the 100 free (44.67), with Gerchik taking the 200 back (1:44.30) and Lu winning again in the 200 breast (2:00.43). Josh Staples finished first in the 300 free (3:33.41), and Duncan won the 100 fly (47.74). Nosack’s second win of the day concluded the individual racing with a time of 2:52.63 in the 300 IM (2:52.63).
In diving, Adam Cohen won 3-meter (354.04) and 1-meter (317.05), and the team of Duncan, Nosack, Malachi Cohen and Gerchik won the 400 free relay in 2:56.97.
Miami’s first win came from Allen Cotten in the 200 fly (1:47.81), and Tegan Barrier followed up with a 50 free triumph (20.41), but Northwestern would sweep all events after that.