A near four week layoff from competition didn't slow down the Barton Community College swim teams, rather gave the young Cougars time to get stronger and faster as evident in a 3-1 record Saturday in a pair of duels held at Salina South High School against Tabor College and Midland University.
"I was extremely proud of both our teams," said first year Head Coach Jonathan Reeder. "We've trained hard and team has responded as there were lots of improvements which excites me as we move forward in our season."
The Cougar men won both their duels, getting revenge on a Midland squad it lost to in the last time in the pool in Missouri, in winning 102-75 and beating Tabor in every event for a resounding 127-29 victory.
Keagan Wilson racked up two of the seven Cougar victories on the day winning both the 200 butterfly (2:07.25) and 50 freestyle. Wilson's 22.18 lead three other teammates as Barton took the top four spots with Will Spitz taking second in 22.68 followed by Noah Childs' 24.13 and Corey Harbaugh's 24.34.
Other Cougar first place finishes were Dawson Gantenbein in the 200 backstroke (2:07.66), Phane Pedigo in the grueling mile (19:06.20), and Spitz shaving off two seconds from his previous best to take the 100 freestyle (49.25).
Bailey Chavez joined Wilson, Spitz, and Gantenbein as the tandem won both the 400 medley (3:45.65) and 400 freestyle (3:23.47) relays.
The Lady Cougars split both their duels as the four-woman squad was outscored 122-40 by the Tabor team of fifteen athletes but turned the tides against Midland's one-woman team to score a 75-18 victory.
Two first place finishes had the Barton name attached with Regan Smyth taking the 200 butterfly in 2:44.33 with Kayla Hennen winning the 100 freestyle in 1:05.26. Smyth also matched Wilson's double gold day but came up .54 seconds short in what was a two-woman race in the 50 freestyle.
Barton will be back in the competitive pool next Saturday as the Cougars travel to the Morningside College Invitational held in Sioux City, Iowa.