Wabash won its first dual meet of the season with a 175-122 victory over Illinois Wesleyan University Friday night. Saturday the Little Giants lost both ends of a triple-dual meet, losing to Carthage 105-1/2 to 90-1/2 and to the hosts, Lewis University, 104-1/2 to 94-1/2.
Clayton Craig (SO/Morristown, IN/Indiana Academy) was one of the biggest performers for the Little Giants in Friday night's win. Craig swept both diving events, winning the one-meter diving competition with a total of 185.15 points, followed by a score of 183.60 on the three-meter board. Teammates Rob Fenoglio (FR/Highland, IN/Highland) and Tom Schiltz (SO/Forest Park, OH/Winton Woods) also scored on the boards for Wabash. Fenoglio was third in three-meter diving with a score of 129.75, while Schiltz added a fourth-place finish (123.30). Fenoglio was also third in one-meter diving (161.30).
Wabash also dominated the 1000-yard freestyle, taking the top four spots. Zach Manker (SR/Grand Rapids, MI/Northview) won the event with a time of 11:10.35. Freshman Max Rubesch (Monticello, IN/Twin Lakes) was second (11:27.96), followed by John Kasey (SO/Evansville, IN/Reitz Memorial) with a time of 11:47.17. Andrew Wells (SR/Portland, IN/Jay County) was fourth (11:47.17).
Michael Belanger (SO/Crawfordsville, IN/Crawfordsville) and Kyle Weaver (JR/Portland, IN/Jay County) took the top two spots in the 200-yard butterfly. Belanger won the event, finishing in 2:11.40. Weaver was second, touching in 2:23.65. Jordon Blackwell (FR/Veedersburg, IN/Crawfordsville, IN/) won the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 23:48.
Freshman Brent Graham (Ft. Wayne, IN/Homestead) took first in the 200-yard breaststroke (2:23.40), while teammate Michael Hewitt (JR/Greenwood, IN/Center Grove) added a first place finish in the 200-yard individual medley (2:12.39).
The final win for the Little Giants came in the 200 free relay. The quartet of Belanger, Tim Deal (FR/Danville, IN/Danville Community), Mitch Palmer (FR/Ft. Wayne, IN/Canterbury), and Blaine Cooper-Surma (Free Soil, MI/Ludington) touched first in the last event with a time of 1:36.69.
Blackwell, Belanger, Weaver, and Graham had the top finishes for Wabash in the triple-dual meet Saturday. While the Little Giants were shut out from any first place points, Blackwell took second in the 200 freestyle (1:48.09) and the 100 freestyle (49.26). Belanger was second in the 500 free (5:06.50), while Weaver captured second in the 50 free (22.86). Graham was second in the 200 backstroke (2:12.75).
The 400 free relay team of Cooper-Surma, Hewitt, Belanger, and Blackwell also finished second (3:27.36).
Wabash returns to the water Friday, November 4 with a dual meet at Transylvania University at 7 p.m. The first home meet for the Little Giants will be Saturday, November 5 at 1 p.m. vs. Rose-Hulman.