The Wabash swimming and diving team opened the 2003-04 season on the road in Michigan over the weekend. The Little Giant tankers lost its opening dual meet at Hope College 136-105 on Friday night, followed by a 140-102 loss at Kalamazoo College on Saturday afternoon.
Senior Brett Findley (Bargersville, IN/Franklin Community) swept the 1000 freestyle both days for the Little Giants. Findley finished in first place on Friday at Hope, touching in 10:33.50. Saturday he won the same event against Kalamazoo with a time of 10:30.70. Findley also took first place in the 500 freestyle at Hope, finishing the race in 5:04.65.
Wabash took the top two spots in the 200 individual medley on Friday. Junior Ben Hewitt (Greenwood, IN/Center Grove) touched first with a time of 2:05.36, just ahead of his brother Michael Hewitt (Greenwood, IN/Center Grove), who finished in 2:06.42. Ben Hewitt also finished second in the 100-yard backstroke (1:04.15).
Senior Brandon Peacock (Crawfordsville, IN/Crawfordsville) captured first place in 100 butterfly on Friday. Peacock was the top finisher with a time of 55:35. Fellow senior Steve Birrer (Indianapolis, IN/Brownsburg) was second (55.99).
Sophomore Nikeland Cooper (Moss Point, MS/Moss Point) completed his return to the diving team with a second-place finish (142.85 points) on the one-meter board. Cooper missed most of last season after being called to duty in Iraq. He returned to school this fall to rejoin his diving teammates. One of those teammate, junior Howard Bailey (Moss Point, MS/Moss Point) was second on the three-meter board with a total of 130.35 points.
Sophomore Matthew Perkins (Indianapolis, IN/Brownsburg) took second in the 100-yard freestyle (50:43) against Hope College.
Other top performers against Kalamazoo on Saturday included another second-place finish by Bailey on the three-meter board with a season-best 181.30 points. Sophomore Jeddah Wegerhoff (Avon, IN/Avon) was second in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:56.52. Wabash also got second-place finishes from Ben Hewitt in the 200 IM (2:07.04), and Birrer in the 50 free (23:46).
The Little Giants return to the pool on Friday, November 7 with a 6 p.m. dual meet with Rose-Hulman and St. Mary’s in the Class of 1950 Natatorium.