RIPON, Wis. – Carroll Swimming & Diving turned in a strong showing in Saturday's triangular against Ripon and Lawrence, highlighted by event victories, relay strength, and several standout individual swims. The Pioneers continued to build momentum deep into the dual-meet portion of the season, with both squads delivering competitive performances across the lineup, as the men took both and the women bested Ripon.
Men's
The Carroll men put together an efficient and well-balanced meet, posting multiple event wins and scoring contributions from every event group. Carroll opened the day with a victory in the 200 Medley Relay, touching in 1:56.37, powered by a cohesive quartet that set the tone early.
Distance specialist Mannon Stern gave the Pioneers their first individual win of the meet with a commanding performance in the 1000 freestyle, finishing first in 11:57.48. Gavin Buechel added another key victory in the 200 freestyle (2:00.16), and later returned for a strong swim in the 100 free.
Carroll showcased strong sprint depth, led by Elias Griggs LeRoux, who placed second in the 50 free (23.55), and Jonah Lotegeluaki, who delivered the team's top swim in the 100 free (52.31). In the 200 IM, Lotegeluaki went on to secure another win with a nearly wire-to-wire effort.
In the stroke events, Thomas Rynne anchored the backstroke group with a solid showing in the 100 back (1:00.25), while Benjamin Miles supplied versatility with strong efforts in the 100 fly (59.34) and 200 IM.
On the boards, Dawson Schultz delivered a runner-up finish in the 1-meter diving, scoring 134.60 points to help keep the Pioneers competitive in the middle portion of the meet.
Carroll closed the afternoon with additional relay power in the 400 free relay, rounding out a complete team effort built on balance and depth.
Women's
The Carroll women produced a competitive outing across all strokes and distances, highlighted by strong performances in freestyle depth events and consistent relay execution.
Carroll opened with a strong swim in the 200 Medley Relay, carrying momentum into a stretch of strong individual results. The distance group was particularly effective, with multiple point-scoring swims in the 1000 freestyle, where Carroll matched the pace of the field and maintained positional strength throughout.
In the sprint group, Carroll showed reliable depth, with strong performances in the 50 free and 100 free, backed by mid-distance support in the 200 free where multiple Pioneers contributed scoring times. The stroke events offered additional highlights, including competitive swims in the 100 fly and 100 back, with Carroll maintaining consistent second- and third-place finishes.
The relay units once again anchored the performance, with Carroll securing valuable points in both the medley and freestyle relays to close out the lineup. Diving added further depth, as Carroll placed effectively in the 1-meter event, strengthening the team's final scoring push.
Carroll will look to build on the momentum from this weekend's performances as both squads continue preparations for the upcoming stretch of meets leading into championship season, with their next coming on January 30th and 31st in the Wisconsin Private College Invitational in Kenosha.
