The Valparaiso men’s and women’s swimming teams head to Milwaukee with momentum on their blocks for the Horizon League Swimming and Diving Championships coming off their dual meet win on Senior Day against Eastern Illinois. When the Crusaders jump into the pool at the Walter Schroeder Aquatic Center on Wednesday afternoon, it will be after a four-week hiatus.
Freshman Dani Gomez Barrientos (Mexico City, Mexico/Grandview Prep. [Fla.]) and senior Flavia Segatto (Pembroke Pines, Fla./Charles W. Flanagan) are two of the names to watch for the women’s team after helping then reel off four dual meet victories, the most in recent memory. Both also garnered recognition from the league office this season, with Gomez Barrientos being named the Horizon League Swimmer of the Week on Jan. 14, while Segatto won the award back on Nov. 18.
Gomez Barrientos had a remarkable freshman campaign, setting school records in the 200 (2:08.85) and the 400 yard IM (4:38.02) while also recording top-ten times in seven other events. She finished off her regular season with victories in the 200 yard freestyle (1:57.36), the 50 yard butterfly (27.03) and the 100 yard butterfly (59.34). She set the tenth fastest time in Valpo history in the 200 yard freestyle and the sixth fastest time in the 100 yard butterfly against Eastern Illinois.
Segatto, whose 400 yard IM time Gomez Barrientos broke, is coming off a dominating Senior Day performance where she picked up victories in the 1000 yard freestyle (11:00.93), the 500 yard freestyle (5:25.52) and the 200 yard IM (2:17.55).
Senior Makenna Cannon (Delafield, Wis./Kettle Moraine) set the school record in the 50 yard breaststroke (32.65) against Eastern Illinois at her final home meet while also recording top season times in the 100 yard breaststroke (1:07.15) and the 200 yard freestyle (1:57.21).
All three were members of the record-setting 800 yard freestyle relay (7:45.26) with junior Erin McBride (St. Louis, Mo./Webster Groves) back at the Calvin Winter Invitational in December.
The men earned their first dual meet victory in recent memory with a 140.5-121.5 win against Eastern Illinois on Senior Day. Just as with Gomez Barrientos, freshman Max Penn (Columbus, Ohio/St. Charles Prep) had an exceptional first year as well, swimming into the Valpo record books with the top times in the 50 (26.57), 100 (51.38) and the 200 yard backstroke (1:53.56).
Junior Gonzalo Castro Diaz (Mexico City, Mexico) found himself rewriting the Crusader record books as well. He broke his personal – and Crusader best – in the 200 yard butterfly (1:52.70) by nearly three-quarters of a second back on Oct. 25 at Cleveland State and set the fastest time in the 100 yard butterfly (50.78) at the Calvin Winter Invitational in December. He closed out the season against Eastern Illinois with a first place – and Crusader record – in the 50 yard butterfly (23.44) while taking the title in the 100 yard butterfly as well.
Junior Fred Jenny (New Albany, Ohio/New Albany) set the Valpo record in the 50 yard breaststroke against Eastern Illinois as well, touching the wall in 26.88 at the ARC pool. Jenny holds the top Valpo times this season in the 100 and 200 yard breaststroke as well, timing in at 57.05 and 2:09.86, respectively. He closed out the regular season with a pair of victories in the 100 (58.46) and the 50 yard breaststroke (26.88)
All three were members of the record setting 400 yard medley relay (3:24.95) along with senior Kyle Braun (McHenry, Ill./West) at the Calvin Winter Invitational.
Action for the Horizon League Swimming and Diving Championships begins with prelims at noon CT on Wednesday followed by finals starting at 7:30 pm CT. Both the prelims and finals will be streamed at http://www.horizonleague.org/live/12353. Live results will also be available at ValpoAthletics.com. For more information on the championships, including order of events, maps, ticket information and more, visit the Championships Central pages at http://www.horizonleague.org/blog/2015-horizon-league-swimming-and-diving-championship-central and http://mkepanthers.com/sports/2015/1/22/MSWIM_0122155847.aspx.