Elsah, IL – The Principia College women's swim team was back to full strength this week and wrapped up their regular season with a dual meet versus Illinois College. While the women lost the meet, 61-138, they had some good swims and are excited to build toward the final meet of the year. The team took time at the beginning of the meet to recognize and thank their senior for all she has done for the team over the years and to wish her well.
Captain Sanaya Balduaf was the lone female senior and the team appreciated her 4 years on the team and the last 2 years as a captain as the team managed its way through the challenges that COVID has brought. She was a calm, steady and caring presence that helped the team to have successful seasons despite the challenges. We will miss her.
The meet started with a mixed gender 200 Medley relay. Junior captain Camillie Abadie led off with a 31.76 backstroke split. Freshman Wyatt Shipp then split a 32.77 breaststroke leg with senior captain Thomas Rauschenbeger splitting a 26.76 50 Fly to hand it off to freshman
Avery Hanson. Hanson finished the deal with a 27.43 free relay split to take the team to a 2
nd place finish in 1:58.72.
Abadie and junior
Heather Savoye went 1-2 in the 200 IM with Savoye's 2:45.76 being a new lifetime best time. Sophomore
Kannon Gill swam to a season best in her 100 Breast with a 1:29.81 for a 3
rd place finish. Gill came back just one event later to swim to a second season best time with a 32.89 for her 50 Free. She added another season best in her 100 Free with a 1:13.46.
Sophomore
Kassie Christensen won the 100 Fly with a 1:15.47 while Savoye swim to another lifetime best, this time in the 400 IM with her 5:53.27.
The meet wrapped up with mixed gender 200 Free relay where Baldauf, Gill, Christensen and senior Emmett Wainwright swam a 1:59.35. Gill add a 4
th season best to her total for the meet with a 50 Free relay split of 32.54.
The women were in different places in their training heading into the meet as they came back from being off anywhere from a few days to a whole week, so their performances overall were a little up and down. Next week they will all be back on the same page as they head into taper and the final week and a half of the season.
The women will wrap up their season with the Liberal Arts Championships which they will host starting on Wednesday, Feb 9 and running through Saturday, Feb 12. Morning sessions will start at 10a, while evening sessions will start at 530p. They will be welcoming 6 other teams to their home pool for 3 ½ days of fast swimming. The team will be primed and ready to swim fast and finish their season on a high.
