Chargers seize Bethel Invite title with 5 first place finishes

Hillsdale’s ladies’s swimming and diving workforce was the highest squad on the Bethel Invitational on Saturday, edging out host Bethel and Lindsay Wilson for the highest spot in a one-day meet held on the Elkhart Aquatic Center.

The Chargers received 5 occasions to beat the competitors, led by two particular person titles from freshman Avery May, who took first with a season finest within the 1,000 freestyle (10:50.81) and received the five hundred free (5:17.37) as properly. May additionally took third within the 100 freestyle (56.39) for the Chargers, and swam a leg on the runner-up 200 freestyle relay (1:40.57) for the Chargers with fellow freshmen Sasha Babenko and Rylee Harris and sophomore Ella Schafer. 

Babenko had possibly the only finest race of the day with a title within the 100 backstroke, taking the crown in a time of 58.24 that ranks fifth-fastest within the occasion in program historical past. Along with that race and the 200 free relay, Babenko additionally took fourth within the 100 freestyle (56.41) and fifth within the 50 freestyle (25.61) for the Chargers.

Hillsdale’s last particular person title within the meet was introduced dwelling by one other freshman, Kate Potwardowski, who received the 200 breaststroke in a season-best time of two:30.89. Potwardowski additionally was part of the title-winning 200 medley relay for the Chargers, together with Ella Malone, Inez McNichols and Schafer, and likewise took runner-up within the 100 breaststroke in a season-best time of 1:08.89.

Sophomore Yvonne Botha had a powerful time within the 200 backstroke, setting a brand new private finest in 2:15.97 to earn runner-up honors for the Chargers, and McNichols took runner-up within the 400 particular person medley in 4:56.24, in addition to ending fifth within the 200 butterfly (2:18.79) and sixth within the 100 freestyle (57.13).

Another freshman for Hillsdale, Harris, had a number of excessive finishes alongside along with her runner-up end on the relay. The freshman from Clarkston took third within the 200 freestyle in a season-best time of two:01.56, in addition to fifth within the 200 backstroke (2:17.59) and sixth within the 50 freestyle (26.15). 

Schafer was part of each relays and likewise took third within the 100 butterfly for the Chargers in 1:00.32, in addition to sixth within the 100 backstroke in 1:05.08, and Ella Malone additionally added to the relay win with a season-best time and third-place end within the 200 butterfly (2:17.57), a fifth place end within the 100 butterfly (1:01.37), and a sixth-place end within the 200 backstroke (2:20.82).

Isabel Ondracek added a pair of fourth-place finishes, within the 200 freestyle (2:02.00 in a season finest time) and within the 500 freestyle (5:30.36), whereas Irene Del Castro took fourth within the 1,000 freestyle with a season-best time of 11:29.27 as properly. 

Rotem Andegeko positioned fourth within the 400 particular person medley for Hillsdale (5:06.45), Lauren Kamp took fifth in each the 200 breaststroke (2:36.13) and the 400 IM (5:09.12) and sixth within the 100 breaststroke (1:12.34), and Sasha Alles completed fifth within the 100 backstroke for the Chargers (1:03.89).

Alyson Early positioned sixth for Hillsdale within the 200 freestyle (2:05.29) and Aine Maloney positioned sixth within the 200 breaststroke in a season-best time of two:37.30.

Up subsequent for Hillsdale are its solely two dwelling dates within the 2025-26 marketing campaign, as Hillsdale hosts Albion and Davenport in a tri-meet on Friday, Nov. 7, then returns to the Jack McAvoy Natatorium the next day on Nov. 8 to battle Aquinas and Indiana Wesleyan.