WEST LAFAYETTE, IND. – Spurred on by a combined four top 25 marks, Manchester University battled multiple division competition at the Indiana Intercollegiate meet Saturday, Oct. 25.
MU's women, totaling 22 points, were led by junior Emily Clark (Logansport, Ind.) who placed 25th in the 100-yard butterfly and the 200-yard freestyle relay team of Clark, sophomore Annie Barce (Fowler, Ind.), junior Hannah Interlicchia (Porter Ranch, Calif.) and freshman Tiffany Reith (Goshen, Ind.) which wound up 15th. The Spartans' men's squad tallied 46 points with a pair of relays taking 12th (200-yd. freestyle – sophomores Guerby Ruuska, Rensselaer, Ind; Quinn-Michael L'heureux, Fort Wayne, Ind; and Nate Koch, Columbia City, Ind.; and freshman Triston Mahoney, Titusville, Fla.) and 19th (200-yard medley – same members), respectively.
"It was our first time in attendance (at the Intercollegiates)," Coach Mike Kroll said. "It was an enjoyable meet for both teams with a great atmosphere, providing a variety of situations to compete in. Both teams enjoyed getting to watch really fast Division I programs in action. It was overall a good learning experience.
"We saw improvement from where we were at last week," he added. "It was good to see that, as it helps us chart a path for future competitions."
Kroll noted several strong individual efforts. For the women, he noted Clark and Reith for strong butterfly races; Interlicchia for competing well in the breaststroke; and sophomore Catherine Brown (Bristol, Ind.) for her first attempt at the 200-yard freestyle in two years. On the men's side, he pointed out Mahoney's 100-yard-butterfly race and what he saw from L'heureux in his first meet of the season.
Manchester University dives back into action Saturday, Oct. 29, traveling to Franklin Community Schools' junior high for a dual against the Grizzlies of Franklin College. Events are slated to begin at 1 p.m.
