While most Eastern students were enjoying a day off from classes for Martin Luther King Jr. Day Monday, the Panther swimmers competed in the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis Jaguar relay meet.

The Panthers were met with some success in Indianapolis, and although no scores were recorded, they had three relay wins, seven runner up finishes and five third place results throughout the meet, which consisted entirely of relay races, including many non traditional events.

The Panther first place finishes included the team of Ken Tiltges, Cody Showers, Mike Lehman and Joe Ciliak finishing the men’s 4×200 free style in 1:28.10, Kelli DiCanio, Janis McGee and Sofia Pappanastos winning the 3×100 breast stroke in 3:39.23 and Hailey Foss, Megan Eshleman and Morgan Roberts finishing the 3×100 free style in 16:30.69.

The Panthers also had seven second place finishes, including Ciliak, Tiltges and Matt O’Hagan teaming up to take runner-up in the 3×100 breast stroke in 3:01.10, Showers, Dan Enge and Nathan Moritz taking second in the 3×100 fly relay in 2:42.83, the 3×100 back stroke relay finished in 2:40.33 with the team of Rich Waszak, Mike Lacine and Colin McGill, as well as the 4×400 free style relay by Showers, McGill, Lehman and Ciliak in 3:16.22.

Also taking second for the men, were Waszak, O’Hagan, Moritz and Lacine in the 4×400 medley with a time of 3:40.04.

The women had a pair of second place finishes with Alyssa Lehman, DiCanio, Kate Paige and Mary Lacine finishing the 4×400 medley relay in 4:11.36 and McGee, Jada Smith, Roberts and Eshleman finishing the 4×500 free style relay in 5:05.82.

Third place finishers for the Panther men included the 4×400 medley relay in 3:43.13 by the team of Tiltges, Waszak, O’Hagan and Mike Lacine, and the 4×500 free relay in 4:24.06 by the team of McGill, Enge, Clark and Mike Lacine.

The women added a trio of third place finishes, with Foss, McGee, Tammy Bowden and Rebecca Ruffin finishing the 4×200 free relay in 1:49.92, Lehman, Eshleman, McGee and Roberts finishing the 4×400 free relay in 3:54.80 and the 4×800 free relay which was finished by Foss, Mary Lacine, Bowen and Roberts in 8:34.90.

Even though no team scores were kept, Panther coach Matt Bos said since the Panthers’ conference championship meet will take place in the IUPUI pool, Monday’s meet was primarily used to get comfortable with the surroundings.

“Swimming in IUPUI, where our conference championships will be in a little over a month, we just kind of got used to being in that facility and starting off their blocks and making turns off their walls,” Bos said.

The Panthers’ conference meet will take place Feb. 16 to 19 at IUPUI.

Brad Kupiec can be reached at 581-7944 or bmkupiec@eiu.edu.

Freshman Mary Lacine swims toward the end of a lap during the women’s 400-meter individual medley during a meet against Lincoln College on Nov. 5 in Padovan Pool. Lacine won the race. (Jordan Boner

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