Indianapolis was the site where the Eastern men’s and women’s swim teams established six new school records this weekend.

These records fell as Eastern competed in the Summit League Championship from Thursday through Saturday.

The Panthers’ men’s team finished third out of seven teams (571 points) while the women placed fifth (365 points).

The men were only five points shy of overtaking rival Centenary for second place; however, head coach Matt Bos said the men’s 400-yard medley relay team was disqualified Thursday night.

“We had our butterflier (junior) Cody Showers just went out a little too hard at the beginning of the race and kind of struggled getting into the finish,” Bos said. “More times then not on the relays with disqualifications, it is the person coming into the wall that isn’t finishing well more than the guy get out.”

Showers struggled the last two to three strokes to touch the wall when freshman John Wilson jumped too soon. Bos linked the mistake with inexperience.

“(Wilson) went off before he usually would have and didn’t realize he was dying out a bit,” Bos said. “It just didn’t work out.”

Freshman Colin McGill said it was tough to overcome the disqualification, but it said volumes of the team for almost overtaking Centenary for second.

The Panthers lost their lead in the final relay.

“It just shows how everybody fought for it and we really wanted points badly, so we came out in prelims and tried to put guys in scoring position,” Bos said.

The men also had a bout with the flu, with junior Ian Hoppie getting sick before the meet and Showers on the final day.

“It really could have been the difference in the meet,” Bos said.

“It really knocked (Hoppie) out of the meet all together, so he didn’t get a chance to swim any events. It hurt Cody’s last day event, the 100-yard free.”

Junior Nathan Moritz broke the 200-yard fly school record with a time of 1:53.80. The record was established in 1981 and was the longest standing for Eastern men’s swimming, Bos said.

Sophomore Rich Waszak broke a seven-year old school record time in the 200-yard backstroke, with his new best finish of 1:51.09

Freshman Ken Tiltges picked up Newcomer of the Meet for the men, winning the 100-yard free with a time of 46.03.

For the women, the team did not obtain the third place finish it was aiming for, but was happy with its individual performances.

“All the girls swam really well and hit our best times,” freshman Hailey Foss said. “That’s what matters more.”

Bos said he was proud of the women.

“We finished where we belong with the women,” Bos said. “The other teams have a little more depth than us. We swam really well for us and broke school records on the women’s side. We just don’t have the numbers on the women’s team to compete in a three-day meet like that.”

Junior Megan Eshleman broke the school record for the 1000-yard free within the mile free with a time of 10:37.31. She also tied the mile record at 17:29.84.

“I honestly just blacked out,” Eshleman said. “It’s such a long race that anything can happen and you just have to block everything out, get into a groove and go.

“I still don’t believe that I went as fast as I did. I didn’t know exactly what the record was but I was kind of confused until someone pointed it out.”

Senior Lauren Zillmer beat the 100-yard free mark in the preliminary round at 52.71, six hundredths of a second faster.

Senior Laura Nilsen bested her own school record in the 200-back at 2:05.04, almost shaving two seconds off of her previous time.

Foss said the women are trying to go faster next year and place higher in the Summit League Championship.

Bob Bajek can be reached at 581-7942 or rtbajek@eiu.edu.

Senior freestyle Brian Strole competes during the sweep against Saint Louis and the last home meet of his Panther Swimming career. During the Summit Meet over the weekend he competed in the 200 and 400 yard medley relays, as well as the 200 yard freestyle

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