Blue Raider Men Swim Past Shawnee State in Dual Meet

PORTSMOUTH, Ohio – At the Warsaw Aquatic Center, the Blue Raider men's swim team captured its first dual meet victory of the 2023-24 season, defeating hosts Shawnee State (Ohio) 186-70 and breaking two school records in the process.

Lindsey Wilson, in all, won 12 events, including 10 individual races and two relays.

The Blue Raiders' first record-setting performance came from Fabio Martin Rojo in the 200-meter short course freestyle. The junior's time of 2:00.36 bested his own previous mark by 1.47 seconds which he set last season. Martin Rojo picked up additional wins in the 100 and 400-meter freestyles.

Then, in the 50-meter short course freestyle, Max van Schagen touched the wall in 24.52 seconds to take down Tyler Kings' two-year-old record by a mere seven-hundredths of a second and meet an NAIA Provisional standard.

Elsewhere for Lindsey Wilson, freshman Dario Soria finished .14 seconds off a school record time in the 200-meter short course backstroke, earning first place with a swim of 2:13.32. He also took the top spot on the day in the 100-meter backstroke and 200-meter individual medley.

Chase Hickman (100-meter butterfly; 1:00.29), Ethan Butler (800-meter freestyle; 9:36.48), and Malte Ahrens (200-meter butterfly; 2:21.96) collected the Blue Raiders' other individual victories.

As for the relays, the Blue Raider men swept the two events starting with the 200-meter medley and concluding with the 200-meter freestyle. The foursome of Azahn Hicks, Clinton Eales, Hickman, and van Schagen made up both of the winning relays with times of 1:51.13 and 1:39.81, respectively.

Lindsey Wilson returns to the pool on October 21 when Mid-South rival University of the Cumberlands (Ky.) visits Columbia for an afternoon dual meet at the Holloway Natatorium.