Sports : Viking swimmer continue improving at Grinnell Invitational

The Viking swimmers continued their steady improvement as they competed Saturday as part of the annual Grinnell Invitational. The Vikings finished fifth while facing Linn-Mar, Waterloo West, Indianola and Grinnell. John Levis and Brandon Tharp each medalled for the Vikings with Levis winning the 100 Butterfly and Tharp finishing third in the 100 Breast.

The inexperienced Viking squad continued its strong improvement with the swimmers registering a combined 24 new personal best times at the meet. Senior Tyler Naughton continued his impressive start to the season, dropping another 2.8 seconds from his 100 backstroke time. Tyler has done a super so far this season. The team graduated a really strong backstroker last year and we need someone to step up their performance and fill that void. Tyler has really done that so far bringing his 100 back time down more than 6 seconds from where he was at the end of last season.

Senior Ben Weekly, in his first year of swimming, is also making huge strides. From his first meet two weeks ago he has dropped his 100 freestyle by an amazing 23 seconds to a very solid 1:09.85 registered Saturday. Weekly also set personal bests in the 50 breast and 50 free at the meet, dropping several seconds in each event.

The Vikings have two meets this week, travelling to Waterloo to face East and West Tuesday evening and meeting Decorah and Waterloo East at Luther College Friday night.

Saturday's results:

200 Medley Relay A 2:08.95 9th Naughton, Tharp, Drake Tilson, John Eden

B 2:45.11 10th Matt Lash, Weekly, Jake Stodola, Garrett Wilson

200 Free 2:03.17 4th Levis

2:48.04 14th Anthony Dickerson

2:51.04 15th Tilson

50 Free 25.39 5th Tharp

30.65 28th Stodola

32.72 35th Ivan Kruger

33.99 37th Matt Lash

37.44 42nd Wilson

100 Fly 1:00.75 1st Levis

100 Free 1:09.85 28th Weekly

1:09.96 29th Dickerson

1:18.59 38th Kruger

1:36.90 45th Wilson

500 Free 7:45.55 12th Tilson

200 Free Relay A 1:46.78 6th Levis, Tharp, Naughton, Eden

B 2:03.12 13th Dickerson, Weekly, Lash, Stodola

100 Back 1:16.38 9th Naughton

1:30.80 12th Eden

1:36.13 13th Lash

100 Breast 1:11.45 3rd Tharp

400 Free Relay A 4:22.42 9th Levis, Naughton, Dickerson, Eden

B 5:34.91 10th Tilson, Kruger, Wilson, Stodola