Ravens Set Six School Records in Magnus Cup

The Anderson University women's swimming and diving team set six school records in the three-day Magnus Cup, which concluded on Sunday in Cleveland.
 
Anderson took 12th place in the team standings with 34 points. The Magnus Cup Field included NCAA Division I institutions University of Akron, Bowling Green State University, Cleveland State University, University of Delaware, Xavier University, Youngstown State University, NCAA Division II institutions California University of Pennsylvania, Fairmont State University, Gannon University, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, West Virginia University Institute of Technology and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics' University of Cumberlands. Cumberlands is ranked No. 3 in the latest NAIA poll. Anderson stood as the lone NCAA Division III school in the Magnus Cup.
 
"I am incredibly proud of how our student-athletes competed in this weekend's mid-season championship," Coach Tanner Barton said. "The Magnus Cup is a highly-competitive invitational with multiple Division I, Division II and NAIA schools.  Our program was the lone Division III program competing in Cleveland, but they raced with such grit, determination and perseverance.  Our top relays were competitive with other programs and our Ravens rose to the occasion."
 
The goal of hitting a season-best performance was accomplished across the board for the Ravens.
 
"Our No. 1 priority throughout the weekend was to record season-best performance.  Every AU swim throughout the three preliminary sessions was a season-best performance.  This proves that the student-athletes are continuing to make improvements and their performances are a direct reflection of the effort they're putting in to the training."
 
In addition to achieving season-best times, the Ravens were targeting their best performances of their careers. The women's team closed out the weekend with six school records and 20 personal bests. As a program, the men and women combined to 18 school records and 51 personal bests.
 
"Our second priority throughout the weekend was to record personal best times.  Almost every woman on the team recorded a personal-best time and every single male recorded at least one personal best.  In total, our program recorded 51 personal-best times!  The women logged 20 of these 50 personal bests while the men recorded the other 31."
 
Lily Hunter (Westfield, Ind./Westfield) raced to two school records. The freshman from Westfield clocked to a 50-yard freestyle school record of 25.20 seconds. Hunter also posted a 100-freestyle school record of 55.32 seconds.
 
"In a sport like swimming, each team needs individuals who love to race.  Lily is one of these individuals and her 50 freestyle on Friday shows how she wants to establish herself as a top sprinter in the HCAC."
 
Halle Strege (McCordsville, Ind./Mount Vernon) broke 3-meter diving event school record with a score of 196.90.
 
"Halle continues to excel on the diving boards.  This was only the second time in Halle's career that she competed in the 3-meter event.  She will continue to improve upon her degree of difficulty and it will be exciting to see how she progresses throughout the second half of the season."
 
Tess Maubach (Bloomington, Ill./Bloomington) provided a school record in the 200 butterfly with a time of 2 minutes, 26.72 seconds. The sophomore from Bloomington, Ill. also put together personal records (PRs) in the 200 freestyle (2:05.97) and the 100 backstroke (1:06.50).
 
"Tess is another versatile racer.  She established a personal best and record-setting time in the 200 butterfly, but she also displayed her versatility this weekend by recording personal-best times in the backstroke and freestyle events."
 
Claire Leibold (Dayton, Ohio/Archbishop Alter) contributed a school record in the 400 individual medley with a time of 5:06.50. The sophomore from Dayton, Ohio clocked a PR time of 56.82 seconds in the 100 freestyle.
 
The Ravens fielded an 800 freestyle relay of Kaitlyn Hopp (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove South), Hunter, Brooklyn Denouden and Leibold, which turned in a school record time of 8:21.03.
 
Tori Haessig (Sunman, Ind./Milan HS) turned in four PRs. The sophomore from Sunman secured PRs in the 200 individual medley (2:33.20), 100 butterfly (1:04.97), 100 backstroke (1:12.86) and the 200 butterfly (2:30.39).
 
Denouden finished with PRs in the 50 freestyle (26.45) and the 1,650 freestyle (20:01.68).
 
Lillia Mitchell (Crawfordsville, Ind./North Montgomery) raced to a 200 individual medley PR of 2:26.94.
 
Ashley Daulton (Batesville, Ind./Batesville) clocked a 100 freestyle PR of 57.98 seconds.
 
Hopp provided a PR time of 5:14.25 in the 400 individual medley.
 
Emma Maubach (Bloomington, Ill./Bloomington) sprinted to a 50-freestyle PR of 26.94 seconds,
 
Heather Krapfl (Orland, Ind./Lakeland) clocked a 100-freestyle PR of 1:10.07.
 
Noelle Parks (Lebanon, Ind./Lebanon) charged to a 50-freestyle PR of 27.97 seconds.
 
"I want to thank my coaches, Dave Costill, Graham Carpenter and Andra Pavich for their help throughout the first part of the season.  The four of us know this program can continue to set new standards of excellence and I am grateful for how committed they are in helping our student-athletes."
 
Xavier beat out Delaware for first place with 1,119 points in the team standings. Delaware came in second with 1,065 points, finishing ahead of Cleveland State (989.5), Bowling Green State (848.5), Youngstown State (468), Indiana Pennsylvania (376), Cumberlands (297), Gannon (237.5), Akron (176), Fairmont State (101.5), California Pennsylvania (97), Anderson (34) and West Virginia Tech (0), which rounds out the team standings.
 
Anderson (1-1, 1-1) returned to action in a Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) dual with Franklin College (6-0, 3-0) on Dec. 6 at 6 p.m. in Bennett Natatorium.