Storm swimmers close Texas trip at Austin Invite

SHERMAN, Texas - The Simpson swimming and diving teams completed their trip to Texas at the Austin College Invitational on Saturday, Jan. 9, turning a pair of solid performances. The women turned in seven top-three efforts to place second by one point and the men got a sweep from diver JJ Hansen to take fifth.

Women's Recap
The women finished with 490 team points, just one behind champion UT-Permian Basin.

Haley Blum won the 200 breaststroke (2:44.90) to give the women's team its only first-place finish on the day. She added a second-place effort in the 100 breaststroke (1:16.59), just ahead of teammate Emma Gerdis, who took third (1:17.91). Gerdis added a third-place effort in the 200 freestyle (2:14.13).

The duo joined Megan Buitendorp and Emma Schlenker to take fourth in the 400 medley relay (4:38.48). Gerdis was also a part of the second-place 400 freestyle relay team, joining Jordan Greenwood, Erica Carlson and Tori Haag (4:05.83).

Haag had three top-five individual efforts, taking second in the 400 IM (5:13.43), third in the 100 freestyle (59.62) and fifth in the 50 freestyle (26.91).

Men's Recap
On the men's side, Hansen provided a pair of first-place efforts, winning the 1-meter (160.65) and 3-meter (176.50) diving events. He finished the weekend 4-0 after sweeping the same events in the dual against Austin on Thursday, Jan. 7.

Dylan Gray turned in Simpson's next-best finish, taking fourth in the 50 freestyle (23.24). He also placed fifth in the 100 breaststroke (1:04.76) and helped the 400 freestyle relay team to seventh (3:40.99), joining Scott Wailes, Nicholas Collison and Kyle McKim. 

James Tillison had a pair of fifth-place finishes in the 500 freestyle (5:53.99) and 1000 freestyle (12:27.22).

Up Next
Simpson hosts its final home event of the season when Iowa Lakes CC goes to the Indianola YMCA on Saturday, Jan. 16. Start time is set for 1 p.m.