Issue date: 2/25/09 Section: Sports

Eastern senior Elliott McGill, individual medley and backstroke swimmer, celebrates after competing in the Summit League Championships in Rochester, Mich., Thursday. The Eastern men's swimming team finished third at the Summit League Championships. The Eastern women's swimming team finished fifth. (Jose Juarez / Summit League Media Relations)

The Eastern men's and women's swim teams finished their season with a record of 4-6. But with numerous good swimming times at the Summit League Championships, the Panthers feel they certainly made progress this season.

"In my four years on the team, we have never swam as a group as well as we did at the Summit League Championship," said senior Elliot McGill.

After beginning the fall season with both squads defeating Indiana-Purdue at Indianapolis by a combined score of 170-126, the Panthers lost their next five meets.

Many young squads would have begun to lose faith, but the men's team battled back to a third-place finish at the House of Champions Invitational.

At the House of Champions Invitational the women's team found that it had some promising freshmen talent with Tyler Crittenden, Alex Green and Story Pumphrey. The trio combined with junior Lauren Zillmer to post a season-best time of 1 minute, 38.82 seconds in the 200-yard freestyle relay and soon the relay team developed a bond that improved with each meet.

Following the House of Champions Invitational, the swim teams went on to begin a three-match winning streak that included victories against Indiana-Purdue Indianapolis, Valparaiso and Millikin.

During the streak, the men's team began to find consistency in the pool.

The foursome of freshmen Rich Waszak and Matt O'Hagan, sophomore Cody Showers and McGill set a new season-best time of 1:37.93 against IUPUI in the 200-yard medley relay, while the other relay team of senior Joe Ethington, junior Steven King, Showers and McGill took first in the 200-yard freestyle relay in 1:28.64.

Following the IUPUI victory, the squads won every relay and individual event in their next swim meet against Millikin.

Individually, junior Laura Nilsen led the way for the women's team as she picked up two wins, the first in the 50-yard freestyle and then in the 100-yard butterfly.

The men's team also performed well in the individual events against Millikin with Showers, McGill and senior Brent Noble picking up wins. Showers finished first in the 100 fly, while McGill placed first in the 100 back and Noble finished first in the 100 breast.

The squads finished the regular season of swimming with a loss to Saint Louis. They finished their season with a third and fifth place showing at the Summit League.

"I felt that both the men's and women's teams improved on last year's performance," Zillmer said. "All the women's teams in our conference seemed to get better from last season, so while we did place fifth, I think our swim times showed we improved."

During the Summit League Championship, the teams broke five school records and several swimmers set new personal best times.

"I was very happy and impressed with the way both squads competed," said first-year head coach Matt Bos. "It was good to see us swim are best times at the most important event of the season."

Eastern's swimming program should be ready for next season.

Showers earned Second Team All-Summit League honors as well as sophomore Matt Scaliatine. Zillmer, Green, Crittenden and Pumphrey all earned Second Team All-Summit League honors at this meet as well.


Neil Schneider can be reached at 581-7944 or jnschneider@eiu.edu.

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