The Wabash College swimming and diving team returned from its training trip in the Bahamas to finish fifth at the University of Indianapolis Invitational.
The Little Giants scored 393 points in the two-day invite. The University of Indianapolis won with 664 points, followed by Evansville (532), Grand Valley State (479.5), and Wayne State (452). The Little Giants avenged an earlier loss to IUPUI in the Wabash Invitational, finishing ahead of the Jaguars (269) and Ohio Northern University (282.5), the only other Division III school in the Invitational.
Junior Ben Hewitt (Greenwood, IN/Center Grove) captured three top-five finishes for Wabash. He took fourth place in the 200-yard individual medley, touching in 2:06.03. Hewitt followed with a fifth place finish in the 400-yard IM (4:28.15) and a third place finish in the 200-yard breaststroke (2:15.93).
Senior Brett Findley (Bargersville, IN/Franklin Community) grabbed second place in the 500 freestyle, finishing the race in 4:56.76. Sophomore Chris Bly (Indianapolis, IN/Lawrence North) had several personal best times, including a 5:14.02 in the 500 free to finish in eighth place. Findley added eighth-place points to the Wabash totals in the 1650 freestyle, finishing the race in the 17:36.65. He also grabbed eighth place in the 200-yard butterfly (2:08.92).
Senior Brandon Peacock (Crawfordsville, IN/Crawfordsville) (photo right) added a seventh place finish in the 100-yard butterfly (56.52), finishing just ahead of teammate Matt Perkins (Indianapolis, IN/Brownsburg) in eighth place (56.75). Perkins added a fourth place finish in the 200 backstroke with a time of 2:05.10, and a seventh place finish in the 100 yard backstroke (57.80). Peacock, freshman Kyle Weaver (Portland, IN/Jay County), and senior Stephen Birrer (Indianapolis, IN/Brownsburg) finished ninth through 11th in the 50 free. Peacock touched in 23.07, followed by Weaver in tenth (23.15), and Birrer (23.41).
The Little Giants added a fourth place finish in the 200-yard medley relay (1:42.29) and fifth in the 400-yard freestyle relay (3:24.27).