The Barton Community College swimming programs resumed the 2021-22 season in dominating fashion Friday evening while hosting the Barton Invitational, winning 21 of the 26 events against the University of St. Mary's inside the Barton Pool.
A trio of Cougars won four times each, with freshman Mikwena Lierman and Dominique Cos leading the Barton women while Enzo Vogt da Silva joined the party pacing the men. Jethro Irvine posted a pair of wins rounding out the multi-event winners on the evening.
As a team, the Barton squads produced three new meet records and 14 new top-10 best times in the program history with the women producing 13 and the men generating one.
Planned as a quadrangular invitational, the meet was shrunk down to a head-to-head tilt following the withdrawals of Iowa Lakes Community College and Sterling College due to health and safety protocols. The Cougars' scheduled dual against Iowa Lakes CC for Saturday has been postponed with the team hoping to align a virtual meet at a later date before concluding the season March 2nd-5th at the NJCAA Swimming and Diving Championships in Fort Pierce, FL.
Women Recap
Lierman set the tone from the start setting a pool record in the 200 freestyle (2:05.19) while cleaning house in the three other freestyles claiming the 25 (11.32), 100 (57.13) and capping the night with the 50 (25.43).
Cougar freshman Cos impressed in her first home meet, posting the programs ninth quickest time in the 100 backstroke (1:09.56) while also taking the 100 butterfly (1:08.77), 100 breaststroke (1:15.32) and 200 IM (2:32.54).
Making her first ever appearance in the 50 butterfly, Cindy Broadrick had no issues leading five to the wall turning in the programs fourth fastest time (28.31) with teammates Linda Franco and Summer Gomez posting the fifth and eighth fastest marks in the program of (28.46) and (29.56) respectively.
Eighth swimmers were entered in the 500 freestyle with Olivia Kerr beating out five of her Cougar teammatess for the title. Kerr's (5:48.35) clocking leaped the freshman into the record books with the seventh fastest in the program's history.
Men Recap
Vogt da Silva was sensational for the Barton men paving the waves in the 100 butterfly (54.56), 100 backstroke (57.89), 100 breaststroke (1:04.06) and capping his four gold night in the 200 IM (2:06.16).
Making the most of his first 200 freestyle swim of the season, sophomore Josias Solarte swam his way to the pool record (1:49.33) outlasting the nine participant field.
Irvine followed his Cougar teammate collecting the first of his two titles on the night in the always-exciting 50 butterfly stationing the seventh fastest time in the program (23.85). Eight events later, the freshman snatched up his second crown edging out the 14 entries including eight of his Barton teammates in the 50 backstroke (25.57).
Sophomore Isaiah Auld claimed the lone distance event posting a new personal best in the 500 freestyle (5:05.66) with Solarte finishing runner-up and Justus Hampton falling two spots back hitting a new personal best (5:23.61).
Reigning NJCAA Champion Johan Cue Carrillo showed his dominance in the 50 breaststroke with a new season best (26.87).
Tyler Woodworth capped the 10th and final title in the 50 freestyle (21.79) edging the loaded 23-man field.
Complete Barton Winter Invitational results