Barton Swimming earns pair of 5th place national team finishes; Siemiller earns program's first individual national title #GoBarton #RoarCougs

Last season the Barton Community College swim teams were the new kid on the block at the NJCAA National Swimming and Diving Championships. This year the Cougars performed like veterans as the program returned home from Buffalo, New York, with a pair of fifth place finishes including the program's first ever individual national championship.

The Barton women made the bigger jump of the two squads in the program's second year of competition, vaulting from 11th last year to accumulating 458 points in coming up just twenty points shy of the Southwestern Oregon and well in front of Iowa Lakes' 266 points.

The Cougar men jumped up two slots from their inaugural season, coming up just nineteen points shy of fourth place South Georgia State with 443 points and 172 points ahead of Monroe.

Indian River continued thier dominance at the top of the team standings, as the women won 24-of-25 individual and team titles in rolling to thier 37th consecutive title while the men won their 45th consecutive.

Women Highlights
Freshman McKayla Siemiller etched her name in Barton folklore on Thursday by capturing the 50 backstroke on the second day of the four day competition clocking a personal best 26.59 to win the event by .39 seconds and become the program's first ever individual national champion.

Siemiller racked up sixty-two points during the week with a third place (100 IM), fifth (50 freestyle), and seventh (100 freestyle), as well as, was a member of the Cougars' three national runner-up relays (200 Freestyle, 200 medley, and 400 medley).

Matching Siemiller's total, fellow freshman Elizabeth Spitz also had a tremendous week beginning the Championship with a national runner-up in the 50 breaststroke before a trio of fourth place wall touchings in the 100 IM and in each of the 100 and 200 breaststroke events.

Joining Siemiller and Spitz on the runner-up relays was Reagan Smyth, teaming with Sara Childs for the season best 200 freestyle time of 1:38.61 then adding Elizabeth Schrock for the medley relays' season best 1:48.63 in the 200 and blowing away the tandem's best in the 400 variety by over ten seconds by clocking a 4:01.47.

Individually, the Cougar women had fifteen performances overall in the Championship finals, in addition to, having their other two relay tandems post a 4th (400 freestyle) and 6th place (800 freestyle) to accumulate twenty in the nation's Top-8.

Men's Highlights
The Cougars were one shy of matching their women counterparts with Championship finals, putting fourteen in the nation's Top-8 but had thirty performances land in the top sixteen, to go along with each of the five relays finishing no lower than fifth place.

Marco Alvarez was the big point earning on the men's side in 47 total points with his 50 butterfly time of 22.48 placing sixth nationally. Adding a 7th place in the 100 variety (50.62), Alvarez finished eighth in both the 50 freestyle (21.60) and in the 200 butterfly by shaving off over eleven seconds off a season best time to qualify for finals before a slightly slower 1:59.51 finale.

Christian Taylor's 200 freestyle performance was nearly ten seconds faster than his season best to touch the wall in a 5th place finish of 1:45.73. Taylor matched Alvarez for team point high total with thirty-three additional points coming in the breaststroke, 7th in the 50 (27.04) and 200 (2:09.67), to go along with a 9th placing in the 100 variety (58.85).

In the relays, the 200 freestyle of Alvarez, Elijae Draper, William Spitz, and David Garcia placed the highest of the five tandem events with a 3rd place 1:24.74 time. Alvarez and Taylor joined with Gabrial Ozanne and Leonard-Andrei Olaru in the longest relay event, resetting the team's season best time by over forty-six seconds with a 7:06.39 to place 4th.

Complete Women Results *SB denotes Season Best

Sara Childs: 5 points
  50 Freestyle: 17th (26.92 *SB by .77 seconds)
  50 Backstroke: 15th (30.44, Prelims 30.50 *SB by .26 seconds)
  100 Backstroke: 16th (1:07.39, Prelims 1:06.25 *SB by 1.9 seconds)
  200 Backstroke: 15th (*2:26.88, Prelims 2:27.61 *SB by 4.92 seconds)
Abigail Frye: 20 points
  200 IM: 13th (*2:26.03, Prelims 2:28.98 *SB by 13.82 seconds)
  50 Backstroke: 11th (29.89, Prelims 29.89 *SB by .47 seconds)
  100 Backstroke: 12th (1:05.10, Prelims 1:04.61 *Missed SB by .52 seconds)
  200 Backstroke: 12th (2:21.29, Prelims 2:19.53 *SB by .69 seconds)
Kayla Hennen: 18 Points
  50 Breaststroke: 12th (36.07, Prelims 35.92 *SB by 1.65 seconds)
  400 IM: 11th (*5:28.17, Prelims 5:29.42 *SB by 8.86 seconds)
  100 Breaststroke: 14th (*1:18.32, Prelims 1:19.65 *SB by .81 seconds)
  200 Breaststroke: 13th (*2:52.03, Prelims 2:53.10 *Missed SB by .89 seconds)
Ashlee Henwood: 0 Points
  1000 Freestyle: 17th (13:20.26, *SB by 27.58 seconds)
  200 Freestyle: 22nd (2:16.60, *SB by 3.54 seconds)
  500 Freestyle: 18th (6:18.09 *SB by 8.39 seconds)
  200 Backstroke: 20th (2:37.77 *SB by 4.97 seconds)
Selena Howard: 2 points
  50 Backstroke: 16th (31.34, Prelims 30.80 *SB by .29 seconds)
  200 Freestyle: 23rd (2:16.70, *Missed SB by .5 seconds)
  100 Backstroke: 17th (1:09.12 *Missed SB by 2.72 seconds)
  200 Backstroke: 16th (2:31.12, Prelims 2:29.99 *Missed SB by .57 seconds)
Caroline Noble: 11 points
  1000 Freestyle: 13th (12:18.88 *SB by 26.8 seconds)
  200 Freestyle: 19th (2:13.59 *SB by 3.8 seconds)
  500 Freestyle: 16th (6:00.48, Prelims 5:59.66 *SB by 3.19 seconds)
  1650 Freestyle: 11th (21:03.24 *SB by 23.81 seconds)
Paola Noriega: 1 point
  1000 Freestyle: 16th (13:02.23, *SB by 30.21 seconds)
  200 Freestyle: 20th (2:14.08, *SB by 3.04 seconds)
  500 Freestyle: 19th (6:20.97, *SB by 4.24 seconds)
  200 Backstroke: 21st (2:38.51, *SB by 7.29 seconds)
Elizabeth Schrock: 46 points
  50 Breaststroke: 7th (33.19, Prelims 32.87 *SB by .91 seconds)
  200 Freestyle: 9th (2:02.95, Prelims 2:03.20 *SB by 5.59 seconds)
  100 Breaststroke: 6th (1:11.14, Prelims 1:10.73 *SB by 1.75 seconds)
  200 Breaststroke: 7th (2:37.74, Prelims 2:36.78 *SB by 3.13 seconds)
McKayla Siemiller: 62 points
  50 Freestyle: 5th (24.46, Prelims 24.20 *SB by .78 seconds)
  50 Backstroke: 1st (*26.59, Prelims 27.08 *SB by 1.08 seconds)
  100 IM: 3rd (*1:00.19, Prelims 1:00.74 *SB by 2.37 seconds)
  100 Freestyle: 7th (55.22, Prelims 54.71 *SB by 2.21 seconds)
Reagan Smyth: 54 points
  50 Freestyle: 6th (24.58, Prelims 24.35 *SB by 1.47 seconds)
  100 Butterfly: 6th (*1:01.32, Prelims 1:01.52 *SB by 3.98 seconds)
  50 Butterfly: 4th (26.88, Prelims 26.50 *SB by 2.05 seconds)
  100 Freestyle: 6th (53.48, Prelims 53.08 *SB by 2.57 seconds)
Elizabeth Spitz: 62 points
  50 Breaststroke: 2nd (30.38, Prelims 30.00 *SB by 2.50 seconds)
  100 IM: 4th (*1:00.97, Prelims 1:01.61 *SB by .46 seconds)
  100 Breaststroke: 4th (*1:07.51, Prelims 1:09.32 *SB by .17 seconds)
  200 Breaststroke: 4th (2:30.45, Prelims 2:34.21 *Missed SB by .63 seconds)
Sydney Williams: 19 points
  1000 Freestyle: 11th (12:02.26 *SB by 51.86 seconds)
  200 Freestyle: 21st (2:14.42 *SB by 3.89 seconds)
  500 Freestyle: 13th (5:50.54, Prelims 5:54.48 *SB by 10.11 seconds)
  1650 Freestyle: 9th (20:30.18 *SB by 46.22 seconds)

Women's Relay Results

800 Freestyle Relay (Smyth, Frye, Williams, Schrock)
  6th (8:27.55 *SB by 34 seconds)
200 Freestyle Relay (Smyth, Childs, Spitz, Siemiller)
  2nd (1:38.61 *SB by 1.48 seconds)
400 Medley Relay (Siemiller, Spitz, Smyth, Schrock)
  2nd (4:01.47 *SB by 10.34 seconds)
200 Medley Relay (Siemiller, Spitz, Smyth, Schrock)
  2nd (1:48.63 *SB by 1.41 seconds)
400 Freestyle Relay (Schrock, Frye, Spitz, Siemiller)
  4th (3:41.32 *SB by five seconds)

Complete Men Results *SB denotes Season Best

Marco Alvarez: 47 points
  50 Freestyle: 8th (21.60, Prelims 21.20 *SB by 1.38 seconds)
  100 Butterfly: 7th (*50.62, Prelims 50.71 *SB by 1.94 seconds)
  200 Butterfly: 8th (1:59.51, Prelims 1:57.96 *SB by 11.26 seconds)
  50 Butterfly: 6th (22.62, Prelims 22.48 *SB by one second)
Simon Botton: 27 points
  50 Breaststroke: 10th (27.26, Prelims 27:18 *SB by 2.1 seconds)
  200 IM: 12th (2:00.81, Prelims 1:59.93 *SB by 2.6 seconds)
  100 IM: 8th (54.59, Prelims 54.59 *SB by 1.02 seconds)
  100 Breaststroke: 13th (1:00.13, Prelims 59.34 *SB by 1.38 seconds)
Noah Childs: 27 points
  50 Freestyle: 20th (22.20 *SB by .20 seconds)
  50 Backstroke: 9th (*24.91, Prelims 25.17 *SB by .95 seconds)
  100 Backstroke: 7th (*54.09, Prelims 54.13 *SB by 2.3 seconds)
  200 Backstroke: 11th (2:01.62, Prelims 2:04.74 *SB by 8.77 seconds)
Elijae Draper: 11 points
  50 Breaststroke: 13th (*28.30, Prelims 28.67 *SB by 3.91 seconds)
  50 Freestyle: 22nd (22.30 *SB by .47 seconds)
  100 IM: 13th (*57.32, Prelims 58.44 *SB by 2.67 seconds)
  50 Butterfly: 14th (*24.28, Prelims 24.36 *SB by 1.31 seconds)
David Garcia: 36 points
  50 Freestyle: 6th (20.82, Prelims 20.74 *SB by .93 seconds)
  50 Backstroke: 12th (*25.85, Prelims 26.27 *SB by 3.01 seconds)
  50 Butterfly: 12th (*24.08, Prelims 24.25 *SB by .78 seconds)
  100 Freestyle: 6th (47.39, Prelims 46.55 *SB by 2.97 seconds)
Leonard-Andrei Olaru: 24 points
  1000 Freestyle: 11th (10:22.51, SB by 37.74 seconds)
  100 Butterfly: 12th (*53.39, Prelims 53.67 *SB by .74 seconds)
  200 Butterfly: 6th (*1:57.11, Prelims 1:57.69 *SB by 3.39 seconds)
  50 Butterfly: 17th (24.52 *SB by .53 seconds)
Gabrial Ozanne: 6 points
  200 IM: 16th (2:13.09, Prelims 2:08.28 *SB by 2.11 seconds)
  100 Butterfly: 14th (54.93, Prelims 54.93 *SB by .21 seconds)
  200 Butterfly: 16th (2:10.07, Prelims 2:07.43 *SB by .05 seconds)
  50 Butterfly: 16th (24.78, Prelims 24.51 *SB by 1.57 seconds)
Isaac Panzer: 18 points
  50 Freestyle: 14th (22.07, Prelims 21.70 *SB .51 seconds)
  50 Backstroke: 10th (25.32, Prelims 25.76 *SB by 2.21 seconds)
  100 Backstroke: 11th (*57.41, Prelims 58.65 *Tied SB)
  100 Freestyle: 15th (49.34, Prelims 49.00 *SB by .3 seconds)
Rory Smith: 34 points
  50 Breaststroke: 8th (27.18, Prelims 26.74 *SB by 2.27 seconds)
  100 IM: 12th (56.40, Prelims 56.34 *Missed SB by .01 seconds)
  100 Breaststroke: 8th (59.95, Prelims 58.86 *SB by .65 seconds)
  200 Breaststroke: 10th (2:14.18, Prelims 2:13.23 *Missed SB by .35 seconds)
William Spitz: 11 points
  50 Freestyle: 12th (21.91, Prelims 21.61 *SB by .48 seconds)
  50 Backstroke: 14th (26.63, Prelims 26.40 *SB by .09 seconds)
  100 IM: 15th (*57.84, Prelims 58.17 *SB by .94 seconds)
  100 Freestyle: 16th (49.81, Prelims 48.70 *SB by 1.48 seconds)
Christian Taylor: 47 points
  50 Breaststroke: 7th (27.04, Prelims 26.96 *SB by 2.01 seconds)
  200 Freestyle: 5th (*1:45.73, Prelims 1:47.12 *SB by 9.52 seconds)
  100 Breaststroke: 9th (58.85, Prelims 59.03 *SB by 3.37 seconds)
  200 Breaststroke: 7th (2:09.67, Prelims 2:11.43 *SB by 9.82 seconds)
Asa Unruh: 2 points
  1000 Freestyle: 23rd (11:41.76, SB by 1 min 6.68 seconds)
  500 Freestyle: 20th (5:33.60 *SB by 14.49 seconds)
  200 Backstroke: 15th (2:21.65, Prelims 2:22.25 *SB by 8.87 seconds)
Sean Williams: 3 points
  50 Breaststroke: 15th (28.55, Prelims 28.23 *SB by 1.57 seconds)
  400 IM: 17th (4:42.04 *SB by 9.7 seconds)
  100 Breaststroke: 16th (1:02.53, Prelims 1:01.90 *SB by 3.7 seconds
  200 Breaststroke: 17th (2:22.99 *SB by 2.85 seconds)

Men's Relay Results

800 Freestyle Relay (Alvarez, Ozanne, Taylor, Olaru)
  4th (7:06.39 *SB by 46.21 seconds)
200 Freestyle Relay (Alvarez, Draper, Spitz, Garcia)
  3rd (1:24.74 *SB by 2.07 seconds)
400 Medley Relay (Childs, Smith, Olaru, Panzer)
  5th (3:34.49 *SB by 2.58 seconds)
200 Medley Relay (Childs, Taylor, Alvarez, Garcia)
  4th (1:33.60 *SB by 4.76 seconds)
400 Freestyle Relay (Alvarez, Panzer, Spitz, Garcia)
  4th (3:10.86 *SB by 6.62 seconds)