An all-conference finish by the Wabash 200 freestyle relay team, along with four other top-ten finishes, helped the Little Giants to third place after the first day of competition at the 2006 North Coast Athletic Conference Swimming and Diving Championships. The three-day event is being held at the C.T. Branin Natatorium in Canton, Ohio.
Wabash scored 251 points, trailing only Kenyon (508) and Denison (429). Wittenberg trails in fourth place (198), followed by Oberlin (160), Wooster (151), Hiram (92), Ohio Wesleyan (88), and Allegheny (77).
The quartet of Blaine Cooper-Surma, Michael Hewitt, Jordon Blackwell, and Kyle Weaver got things started with a third place finish in the 200 free relay, scoring 54 points with a third place finish (1:26.50). The Little Giants added another 45 points in the 200 individual medley with strong finishes by Hewitt and Brent Graham. Hewitt finished seventh with a time of 1:57.46, while Graham touched out in eighth place (1:59.60).
Blackwell scored 22 points in the 50 freestyle with an eighth place finish (21.91). Weaver was 10th overall (21.99), while Cooper-Surma picked up 11 points by finishing 16th (22.31).
Action continues Friday and Saturday at the Branin Natatorium. Preliminary swims begin at 10 a.m. each morning with the finals slated to start at 6:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Photos: Top left - Kyle Weaver anchored the Little Giants' All-NCAC relay team.
Bottom right - Howard Bailey continues what has become a tradition at the NCAC Championships — he opens the first night of the finals by singing the National Anthem.