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March 17-19
Illinois Wesleyan sophomore diver Ben Polite finished 10th in the one-meter springboard diving competition and was 18th in the three-meter competition at the NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving championships, held at Holland (Mich.) Community Aquatic Center from March 17-19. In the one-meter diving, Polite had a preliminary score of 358.05 and accounted for all seven points for IWU as a team. The winner was Springfield’s Mike Shaw with 456.80 points in the finals. In the three-meter diving, Polite's score was 341.90 and Shaw was also the winner in the event with his total of 505.55.
February 11
Illinois Wesleyan's Justin Gorson won the 100-yard butterfly on day two of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin swimming championships on Fri., Feb. 11 in Wheaton. Gorson was clocked in 51.07 seconds to help the Titan men’s team into third place with 193 points in the three-day meet. Wheaton leads with 460 points and Carthage (377) is in second. The IWU women’s team is also in third place with 210 points, trailing Wheaton (517) and Carthage (319).
February 10
The Illinois Wesleyan women's swimming team is in third place and the Titan men are in fourth after day one of the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin championships, held Thurs., Feb. 10 in Wheaton. The IWU women, with 106 points, were led by Robin Johnson, who took third in the 50 free in 24.70. Anne Kopf was sixth in the same event and Caitlin VonHuben was sixth in the 500 free. IWU’s 400 medley relay team was third and the 200 free relay team was fourth. The IWU men scored 70 points as Brandon Gorson finished seventh in the 500 free. The Titan 200 free relay and the 400 medley relay units both took fourth.
February 5
Illinois Wesleyan sophomore Ben Polite had a record-setting day at the Titan Diving Invitational, held on Sat., Feb. 5 at IWU's Fort Natatorium. Polite won the 1-meter event with a score of 455.75 points, setting both school and pool records, as well as making an NCAA Division III qualifying score for 11 dives. Polite then won at 3 meters with a score of 397.85, another school mark. Lincoln College won the men's event with 36 points, followed by the Titans (18) and the University of Chicago (7). On the women's side, Lincoln College scored a winning 42 points behind Amanda Hurt, who won the 1-meter (323.15) and the 3-meter (366.45). Chicago (16) was second and IWU (5) third.
January 29
The Illinois Wesleyan men’s and women’s swimming teams each won against North Central and lost against Wheaton in a triangular meet on Sat., Jan. 29 at IWU’s Fort Natatorium. The IWU men defeated North Central, 72-6 and lost to Wheaton, 76-27, while the women downed North Central, 83-20, and lost to Wheaton, 60-43. Jessica Hohl won the 50 free and Robin Johnson won the 200 free, while Ben Polite won both the one- and three-meter diving events and Justin Gorson captured first in the 100 backstroke.
January 21
Illinois Wesleyan sophomore Jessica Hohl took two individual firsts (100 and 200 free) and helped the 200 medley relay team win as the Illinois Wesleyan women’s swim team defeated Millikin, 134-73, in a dual meet in Decatur, Ill., on Jan. 21. The Titan men also defeated Millikin, 98-97, as Justin Gorson won the 200 and 500 free. Hohl had a time of 56.89 in the 100 free and a time of 2:02.03 in the 200. Brandon Gorson (1000 free) and Dan Mikkelson (200 back) were among the other men’s winners.
January 15
Illinois Wesleyan diver Ben Polite set two school records with national qualifying marks on Sat., Jan. 15 at IWU’s Fort Natatorium in a dual meet against DePauw. won by DePauw, 152-73. Polite scored 268.90 points on the one-meter board and 287.35 on the three-meter board. DePauw defeated the IWU men by a 152-73 total and the DePauw women topped the IWU women’s team, 160-76.
January 8
The Illinois Wesleyan men’s and women’s swimming teams opened the second semester of their seasons with wins, topping Principia in a dual meet at Elsah, Ill., on Jan. 8. The men won, 153-55, and got double individual wins from Justin Gorson in the 50 free and 200 back and Brandon Gorson in the 100 and 200 free. The women won by a 157-64 score as Caitlin Von Huben (200 breast, 1650 free) and Robin Johnson (100 and 200 free) were among the Titan individual winners.
December 3-4
The Illinois Wesleyan women’s swim team finished third of nine teams at the DePauw Invitational, held Dec. 3-4 in Greencastle, Ind. Sophomore Dorothy Wawrzak placed fourth in the 100 backstroke and Jessica Hohl was fifth in the 200 freestyle, while the women’s 200 and 800 free relay teams each placed third. The IWU men’s team finished sixth (of 10) as Dan Mikkelson got sixth in the 200 backstroke and Justin Gorson placed sixth in the 200 butterfly.
November 19-20
The Illinois Wesleyan women’s swim team amassed 132 points and finished first in the eight-team IWU Invitational on Sat., Nov. 20 at Fort Natatorium. Capturing first places for the IWU women’s team were Jessica Hohl in the 200 freestyle; Lauren Paul in the 500 freestyle; and the 200 free relay team of Hohl, Paul, Anne Kopf, and Sandy Tobik. The IWU men’s team finished fifth with 43 points as Lincoln College won the men's title with 174 points. The Titans’ Ben Polite was victorious in the one-meter diving. On Fri., Nov. 19, the Titan men defeated Augustana by a 97-84 total while the women romped past the Vikings in the dual meet, 160-53.
November 13
Illinois Wesleyan sophomore Ben Polite won the 1-meter diving with a score of 428 and was the Titans’ only individual winner at the University of Chicago Maroon Invitational on Sat., Nov. 13. The Illinois Wesleyan women’s team placed fourth (of nine) with 449.5 points and the men’s team was sixth (of seven) with 303.5 points. Justin Gorson placed second in the 100 butterfly and high places for the women came from Jessica Hohl (fourth in the 50 free and seventh in the 100 free), Robin Johnson (third in the 100 free) and Dorothy Wawrzak (third in the 200 back and fourth in the 100 back).
November 12
Illinois Wesleyan junior Mike Friedman and freshman Anne Kopf have been selected as the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin "Swimmers of the Week" for the week of Nov. 6. Friedman achieved lifetime bests in two events in a dual meet with the U. of Chicago. He placed fourth in the 200 individual medley in 2:15.52 and fourth in the 200 backstroke in 2:13.01. Kopf turned in lifetime bests in placing third in the 200 freestyle (2:06.24) and second in the 100 freestyle (:57.77) in a dual meet with Chicago. She also was a member of the winning 400 freestyle relay.The CCIW selects a "Swimmer of the Week" by a vote of the league coaches each week during the season. Sharing the honors are Paul Hartman of Wheaton and Tricia Biedron of Carthage.
November 5-6
Illinois Wesleyan’s Jessica Hohl won the 100 freestyle and the 200 freestyle and swam a leg on the victorious 4x100 free relay team as the IWU women’s swim team tied the U. of Chicago, 118-118, on Sat., Nov. 6, at Fort Natatorium. Robin Johnson (50 free), Dorothy Wawrzak (200 back) and Caitlin VonHuben (200 breast) were other individual winners. The Titans’ men’s team lost to Chicago, 135-72 on Nov. 6 and fell to Wabash, 140-85 on Nov. 5. Justin Gorson won the 100 fly and 200 free at Wabash and Ben Polite was a winner both days in the 1-meter diving.
November 4
Illinois Wesleyan University junior Justin Gorson (Hawthorn Woods, Ill., Stevenson HS) was selected as the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin male "Swimmer of the Week" for the week of Oct. 30. Gorson placed in three different events in the CCIW Fall Classic on Sat., Oct. 30 at Wheaton. He won the 100 butterfly in 54.47 seconds, was second in the 200 freestyle in 1:51.15 and third in the 200 butterfly in 2:06.68. The CCIW selects a "Swimmer of the Week" by a vote of the league coaches each week during the season. Wheaton’s Katlin Marko was the women’s winner.
October 30
Sophomore Laura Cathelyn (Geneseo, Ill., J.D Darnall HS) won the 200 butterfly with a time of 2:36.93 as the Illinois Wesleyan University men’s and women’s swim teams combined to finish third in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Classic Swim Meet, hosted by Wheaton on Oct. 30. The Titans amassed 139 points, behind Wheaton (179) and Millikin (146). Junior Caitlin VonHuben (Orland Park, Ill., Sandburg HS) was second in the 200 breast (2:48.36) and third in the 200 individual medley (2:27.51). For the men, junior Justin Gorson (Hawthorn Woods, Ill., Stevenson HS) won the 100 butterfly with a time of 54.47 seconds and his clocking of 1:51.15 was good for second place in the 200 freestyle.
