Tiger Splash: A Showdown with Southwestern in Swimming & Diving

The Trinity University Swimming & Diving squads aim to send Southwestern to Davy Jones’s Locker this Saturday. 
 
In their previous outing, the Tigers overwhelmed Austin College. The women’s team, ranked 18th, clinched first place with a total of 844 points, while the men’s team, ranked 21st, achieved their team title with 857 points. The 400-yard freestyle relay squad excelled in the competition, finishing first in 3:48.76. In the 200-yard freestyle, Rachel Brown (Flower Mound, Texas / Marcus) emerged victorious with a time of 2:02.98. Neely Burns (Phoenix, Arizona / Thunderbird) showcased remarkable talent, winning both the 200-yard butterfly (2:12.26) and the 100-yard freestyle (56.30). In backstroke events, Allison Ortiz (Houston, Texas / Stratford) triumphed in the 200-yard backstroke (2:16.35). The 400-yard freestyle relay team attained first position with a strong time of 3:17.24. Individually, Luke Fender (Jackson, Mississippi / St. Andrew’s Episcopal) claimed victory in the 200-yard IM (2:02.14) and bolstered the overall performance of the team. Trinity also occupied the podium in the 50-yard freestyle, with Daniel Itkins (Houston, Texas / The Village School) (22.43), Nathan Perez (Alpharetta, Georgia. / Johns Creek) (22.51), and Ian Truong (Tulsa, Oklahoma  / Jenks) (22.64) finishing in first, second, and third positions, respectively. 

SCAC Player of the Week – Nathan Perez

 

For the second occasion in his career, Nathan Perez has been honored as the SCAC Men’s Swimmer of the Week.

 

From the SCAC Press Release:

 

On Saturday, Perez recorded two wins along with two runner-up finishes at the Austin College Invite. He won the 100 freestyle in 48.84 and then swam a second faster to anchor the victorious 400 freestyle relay. Perez also placed second in the 50 free (22.51) and 100 fly (53.53).

 

Preview – Heading Toward Hixon Natatorium

The Tigers are set to return to Hixon Natatorium for a dual meet against Southwestern on Saturday, January 18th. The event will commence with diving at noon, followed by a senior recognition at 12:45 PM. Swimming events will initiate at 1:00 PM.

About the Southwestern Pirates: This match signifies the Pirates’ first competition of the spring semester. During 2024, both Southwestern teams were defeated by Colorado College but achieved wins over Austin College. The women’s team took first at the Celt Invite, while the men’s team finished in second place. Furthermore, the Pirates participated in the Tiger Invitational, where the women placed third and the men came in fourth. In last season’s dual meet versus Southwestern, both Tiger teams emerged victorious. The Tiger women earned 12 event victories, while the men triumphed with a score of 196-90.

Looking Forward

 

Trinity will head across the street to compete against the University of Incarnate Word on January 26th.