Big Blue Wrestlers Win Twice at CCIW Duals
The Millikin wrestling team scored two dual victories at the CCIW Duals being held at North Central College in Naperville on January 22. The Big Blue opened the day defeating Lakeland College 51-3 and Concordia (Wis.) 44-4.
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This year the CCIW implemented regular season competition. Today’s CCIW Duals was the culmination with teams coming together to finish their respective conference seasons. The Big Blue faced affiliated members Lakeland and Concordia to wrap up a 7-1 CCIW regular season. The Big Blue are 18-3 overall on the year.
In the win over Lakeland, Millikin picked up six wins on the mat and forfeits in three weight classes. Freshman Coby Haney (Mattoon, H.S.) at 125 and Zac Blasioli (Wood River, East Alton H.S.) at 133 started the match with two wins by fall. Jordan Carson (St. Louis, Mo., Triton College) won 2-1 at 149 and Bradan Birt (Epworth, Iowa, Western Dubuque H.S.) won by injury default at 165 pounds. Dejon Glaster (Murfreesboro, Tenn., Oakland H.S.) scored a pin at 174 and Niles Ager (Rock Falls, H.S.) won by fall at 197.
Against Concordia (Wis.), Haney improved to 11-2 on the season with his second pin of the day. Blasioli, who entered today ranked ninth in the NWCA rankings, went to 21-3 on the year with a 12-3 win over Gabe Rodriguez. DJ Millet (Granite City, H.S.) won at 141 3-2 and Carson earned a 9-5 decision over Bryce Claypool at 149. Birt, the second ranked wrestler nationally at 165 pounds, remained undefeated improving to 25-0 with a win by fall in 32 seconds over Carson Cook. Glaster and Micah Downs (Wapella, Tolono Unity H.S.) scored falls before Ager won by technical fall at 197 15-0. Brayan Reyes (Springfield, Lanphier H.S.) improved to 22-3 on the season with a 3-0 decision over Jarrell Carey at 285.
Millikin lost at North Central College 28-15 on January 21. The night started well for Millikin with Haney winning at 125 pounds 4-0 over Julian Valtierrez. The Big Blue’s second win on the night came at 165 pounds with Birt winning by fall at 1:01 over Payton Geigner. Downs got the Big Blue’s final victory at 184 with a pin over Jack Hominac at the 2:26 mark.
Women’s Swimming Tops Standings at Panther Invite, Men Place Second
The Millikin men's and women's swim teams traveled to Principia College for the Panther Invite on January 22. The women's team topped the standings and the men placed second as a team.
The women's team scored 670 total points to place first. On the men's side, Hendrix College placed first with a team score of 667. The Big Blue were second with 331 total points.
The Big Blue got off to a strong start with the Women's 200 Yard Medley Relay Team of Kelli Sangston (Monett, Mo., H.S.), Laura Atkinson (Maylasia), Kaitlyn Mayer (Centralia, H.S.), and Amanda Fathman (Hamilton, Mich., H.S.) placing first.
Millikin's Hope Roderick (Glen Carbon, Edwardsville H.S.) picked up an event win, taking the top slot in the women's 500 yard freestyle, and Liv Marquardt (Vandalia, H.S.) finished in second place. The Big Blue nabbed another event win when Aly Barnes (Jackson, N.J., Jackson Memorial H.S.) finished first in the 200 yard freestyle, followed by Katie Yelaska (Bremen, Ind., H.S.), Sarahi Villafana (Chicago, Westinghouse H.S.), and Shay Buchanan (Orlando, Fla., Trinity Prep H.S.) in second, third, and fourth. Roderick's second individual event win of the day was in the 1650 yard freestyle.
The Big Blue claimed another event win in Brigid Duesterhaus's (Decatur, MacArthur H.S.) first event of the day. Duesterhaus was the victor in the 100 yard backstroke in a time of 1:01.77. Duesterhaus notched her second event win of the day in the 50 yard freestyle.
In another strong race for the Big Blue, Atkinson finished first in the 100 yard breaststroke.
Mayer tallied an event win in the 200 yard butterfly in a time of 2:28.46. Mayer's second win of the day came in the 100 yard freestyle.
Atkinson's performance in the 200 yard breaststroke earned her the top slot.
Millikin provided the top four times in the women's 100 yard butterfly with Marquardt in first, Barnes in second, Duesterhaus in third, and Mayer in fourth.
Kendall Rossignol (Simpsonville S.C., Hillcrest H.S.) picked up an event win in the 400 yard IM with her time of 5:15.31.
The Millikin women's team finished out the day with a relay win in the 400 yard freestyle relay swam by the team of Grace Meacham (Gig Harbor, Wash., H.S.), Barnes, Marquardt, and Duesterhaus in a time of 3:54.77.
On January 21 the Millikin swimming team faced Illinois Wesleyan at the Decatur Family YMCA with the Titans winning the men’s competition 119-69 and the women’s event 114-91.
Millikin won women's 200 yard medley relay. With Marquardt, Atkinson, Duesterhaus, and Barnes swimming legs, the Big Blue finished in a time of 1:51.50 to beat out the IWU squad by .26 seconds.
Duesterhaus was the victor in two individual races, including the 50 yard freestyle she swam in a time of 24.85. Duesterhaus's second win of the day came in the 100 yard freestyle, finishing in a time of 55.17 for the victory.
Dawsen Loafman (Nokomis, H.S.) claimed an individual victory in the men's 100 yard freestyle with his time of 51.20.
Barnes took first place in the women's 500 yard freestyle in her time of 5:32.68.
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