ODAC Swimming Ends Midseason With a Bang at Yellow Jacket/Union College Meets

Michaela Nolte

By Nelson Helm, Swimming World College Intern

LEXINGTON – With the first half of the season for Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) swimming coming to a close and finals approaching fast, both men’s and women’s conferences ended the first half of the season with a bang at both the Yellow Jacket Invitational and the Union College Invitational.

Yellow Jacket Invitational:

The Washington and Lee men’s and women’s teams both placed first at the Yellow Jacket Invitational. The women’s team finished with 1126.5 points, nearly 600 points ahead of second-place St. Mary’s (Md.). The men’s team had a tougher meet with Randolph-Macon and Washington College pushing the Generals to the limit. The Generals won the meet with 767.5 points, 122 ahead of second-place Randolph-Macon. The race for the second place came down the final event with Randolph-Macon winning the 400 freestyle relay, finishing two points ahead of third-place Washington College.

Key members of the Yellow Jacket’s winning relay were senior Bobby Brajdic and sophomore Robert Redenz. The duo was also an integral part for the Yellow Jackets throughout the entire meet en route to their second place finish. Brajdic won a trio of individual events and was a part of three victorious relays. Brajdic won the 100 back (51.78), 200 back (1:53.10) and 200 IM (1:54.39). His time in the 200 back was an NCAA B cut.

Redenz won the 100 breaststroke (58.89) and placed second in the 200 distance (2:12.71). Both Brajdic and Redenz were members of the 400 (3:10.46) and 800 (7:05.92) freestyle relays that touched first and the 200-medley relay (1:36.28) that finished second. Brajdic was also a part of the 400-medley relay team that finished first in 3:33.18.

On the women’s side, sophomore Emily Plowman helped lead the team to a fifth place finish. Plowman placed fifth in the 50 freestyle (25.24), seventh in the 100 back (1:01.30) and 11th in the 100 freestyle (55.72). She was also a key member of Yellow Jacket relays that finished fourth (200 freestyle relay, 1:41.39), fifth (200-medley relay, 1:57.05) and seventh (400 freestyle and medley relays, 3:48.13/4:16.88).

For Washington and Lee, first-year Tommy Thetford once again helped the Generals to a first-place finish. Thetford won the 50 and 100 freestyles (21.01/46.86) to pace the Generals. Thetford was also a member of the winning 200 medley and 200 freestyle relays (1:36.21/1:26.80).

Thetford also anchored the 400 freestyle relay that almost caught Randolph-Macon. The team finished in second with a time of 3:10.78. On the women’s side, first-year Kira Tomenchok and sophomore Emily Rollo once again helped the Generals to a first-place finish. Tomenchok won a trio of individual events, touching first in the 100 back (58.22), 200 back (2:07.41) and 100 fly (59.01). She was also a member of the 200 freestyle relay that finished in first (1:39.73). Rollo won the 200 IM in an ODAC record time of 2:08.20.

The swim bested her own ODAC record of 2:09.00 set last year. Rollo was also a member of the 200, 400 and 800 freestyle relays that touched first (1:39.73/3:35.89/7:51.89). The sophomore also helped the 200-medley relay to a first-place finish (1:48.56).

Guilford was led at the Yellow Jacket Invitational by freshman Isabel Gutierrez. Gutierrez was 17th in the 100 breaststroke (1:17.07) and 27th in the 200 IM (2:29.70). She also competed on four relays for the Quakers. She helped the team to 17th place finishes in both the 200 and 400 medley relays (2:20.24/5:09.05). Gutierrez also helped the team place 18th in the 400 and 800 freestyle relays (4:53.57/10:04.18).

Junior Emily Jordan led Notre Dame (Md.) was the main point scorer for the Gators at the invitational. Jordan placed 11th in the 100 breaststroke (1:13.89) and the 200 butterfly (2:24.72). She also placed 14th in the 400 IM (5:03.90). The junior was also a member of the 200 and 400 medley relays (2:12.19/4:54.56) that scored points.

Bridgewater also swam at the invitational, with junior Jordan Townsend pacing the Eagles to a ninth place finish. Townsend placed 15th in the 100 fly (1:03.93), 16th in the 200 breaststroke (2:44.37) and helped the 400 (4:11.01) and 800 (9:10.09) freestyle relays to a 15th place finish and the 400 (4:40.07) medley and 200 freestyle (1:50.85) relays to a 14th place finish.

The final ODAC team that competed at the Yellow Jacket Invitational was Hampden-Sydney. Ryan Mitchell was the top ranked swimmer for the Tigers. Mitchell placed 18th in the 100 back (59.75), 23rd in the 200 freestyle (1:56.54) and 21st in the 200 back (2:14.64). He also helped the team to three 16th places finishes in the 200 and 400 medley relays (1:53.55/4:09.23) and the 400 freestyle relay (3:38.23). Mitchell also helped the team place 14th in the 200 freestyle relay (1:34.76)

Union College Invitational

Emory and Henry competed at the Union College Invitational, finishing first out of eight teams. Sophomore Michaela Nolte and freshman Mackenzie Lingle were two top performers for the team. Nolte won two events, the 100 breaststroke and the 200 breaststroke (1:05.46/2:23.13).

The sophomore broke the ODAC record in the 100 breaststroke that she set last year at the ODAC Championships. She was .32 off her ODAC record in the 200 breaststroke. Nolte also helped her team win the 200 freestyle relay (1:37.57), 200-medley relay (1:49.89). She was also a member of the 800 freestyle relay (7:48.56) that placed second. Her leadoff split of 1:54.45 ranks her second in the ODAC. Lingle was third in the 100 freestyle (53.48), which puts her at the top of the ODAC. She was also third in the 100 butterfly (59.41), where she achieved a new school record.

Lingle was also a part of the 200 medley relay, the 200 free relay, the 400 freestyle relay and the 800 freestyle relay.

Swimmers of the Week

The ODAC Swimmers of the Week for their performances through the week of December 8 are Randolph-Macon senior Bobby Brajdic for his performance at the Yellow Jacket Invitational and Emory & Henry sophomore Michaela Nolte for her performance at the Union College Invitational.

Nelson Helm is a sophomore distance freestyle specialist at Washington & Lee. Helm has trained with Carter Center Aquatics as well as the Stonegate Swim Club.

 

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