ALEX ELLER
ellerag@lopers.unk.edu
UNK Swim held their home duel at Kearney High School on January 25 against Augustana University. The Aqualopers competed hard but lost to the Vikings by a final score of 109-67.
Freshman Cheyanne Axtell (Hastings) was the only UNK swimmer or diver to pick up gold in an event on the day. She swept the diving events, winning the one-meter with a score of 316.42 and the three-meter with a total of 120.80.
Avril Jones (Aurora) and Brianna Gies (Sioux Falls, SD) were second and third in the one-meter dive with scores of 246.45 and 168.07. In the three-meter dive Jones also earned silver with a total of 113.70.
The first swimming event of the day was the 200-yard medley relay. The team of Mikara Feit (Lincoln), Hannah Wilson (Grand Island), Olivia Forrest (Danvers, IL), and Claire Nash (Overland Park, KS) finished less than a second by Augustana in a time of 1:57.78 for third.
The Aualopers fared better in the 200-yard free relay. Forrest, Nash, Feit, and Audrey Sterling (Norfolk) swam their way to second place in 1:45.57.
Fiet who is the lone senior on UNK’s team finished third in the 1,000-meter yard free in 12:12.24 and fourth in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 1:05.15.
In the 200-individual medley, Forrest made history for the Aqualopers. Her time of 2:19.87 was the eighth fastest recorded in UNK history and helped her get fourth overall.
Next up for the swim team is the RMAC Championships in Grand Junction, Colorado. The meet will be held all day February 12 through the 15th.
