BLUFFTON, Ohio - October 20, 2023 - The Hiram men's and women's swimming teams could not have scripted a better start to the season, as both programs improved to 2-0 with a pair of victories over Bluffton on Friday evening.

The Terriers dominated throughout the evening, with the men and women combining for wins in 24 of the 30 events.

Men's Recap

The winning 200-yard medley relay team of Dayne Sauter, Jon Hybil, Landon Hughes and David Slovenkay started the evening with a mark of 1:47.20. Owen Pastorius and Nathan Ratynski followed suit with wins in the 200-yard freestyle (1:57.66) and 50-yard backstroke (29.15) respectively.

Hybil returned to the winner's circle with a strong effort in the 50-yard backstroke (30.01) before freshman Luke Mackall finished first in the 100-yard butterfly (1:02.14). Ethan O'Malley, another freshman student-athlete, edged out the opposition by .28 seconds to win the 50-yard freestyle (24.05) and eventually the 100-yard freestyle (55.20) as well.

Pastorius (100-yard backstroke, 1:03.93), Hybil (100-yard breaststroke, 1:05.63), Slovenkay (500-yard freestyle, 5:24.61) and Sauter (50-yard butterfly, 25.35) all posted individual victories to go along with their wins from earlier in the night. Adam Johnson would win the 100-yard IM (1:01.27) in what marked the final men's individual event.

The final race was the 200-yard freestyle relay; the team of Sauter, Slovenkay, O'Malley and Pastorius would pull off the win with a mark of 1:35.57.

Women's Recap

It didn't take long for the women to gain an early advantage, as Avery Clay, Moraine Jackson, Elena Rinaldi and Haven Papineau teamed together to win the 200-yard medley relay (2:12.23). Natalie Brown would then win the 200-yard freestyle (2:27.39) and Papineau picked up a second win with a 32.86 clip in the 50-yard backstroke.

Freshman Asa Frush joined in on the action with a first-place mark of 1:17.06 in the 100-yard butterfly. Papineau later returned to the pool and finished first in the 100-yard backstroke (1:11.66) to match her first-year teammate.

Rinaldi, the reigning NCAC Athlete of the Week, showcased her ability in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:33.30) and 50-yard butterfly (31.09), while Brown picked up a second win in the 500-yard freestyle (6:18.68). Grace Basham wrapped up the individual wins with a time of 1:30.96 in the 100-yard IM.

The team of Clay, Jackson, Rinaldi and Papineau won again to conclude the evening, posting a 1:54.91 mark in the 200-yard freestyle relay.

What's Next

Both teams will have a quick turnaround with a home meet against Wittenberg on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. at Alumni Memorial Pool.