The Wabash swimming and diving team completed its 2006-07 dual meet season Saturday afternoon. The Little Giants were hoping to finish with a perfect 7-0 mark, but lost 179-119 to the University of Indianapolis in the finale.
Senior Tony Caldwell led a Little Giant team that continues to focus on the upcoming North Coast Athletic Conference Swimming and Diving Championships in Canton next week. He won both backstroke events, taking first place in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 53.44 before finishing first in the 200 back with a time of 1:59.07. Freshman Adam Petro added a first place finish in the 200 butterfly (1:57.38).
The Wabash 200-yards freestyle relay team of Kyle Weaver, Blaine Cooper-Surma, Jordon Blackwell, and Robert Fozkos took first place in the final event of the meet. Fozkos outtouched U. of I. swimmer Kieran O'Neill in the stetch to give the Little Giants top points with a time of 1:26.37.
Weaver was second in the 100 butterfly, being edged out by less than a 1/10th of a second while swimming a season-best time of 52.25. He also finished second in the 50 free (21.58). Elijah Sanders added a second in the 500 free (4:56.65) and the 1000 free (10:05.26). Blackwell took the second spot in the 200 free (1:45.55) and the 100 free (48.25).
Diver Rob Fenoglio was first on the one-meter board with a score of 203.65. He took second in three-meter competition with a score of 164.60.
"We swam like we should right in the middle of a taper," head coach Peter Casares said. "Peaks and valleys are part of taper, and some of our guys swam fast while others tried their hardest to put up a decent time.
"All in all we are right where we need to be in terms of being on pace for an amazing conference meet. A little more time and focus will allow our best races of the year to hit us right when they matter the most."
The Little Giants travel to Canton next Wednesday to prepare for competition at the conference championship meet. The first events begin Thursday morning, February 8.