Wheeling, W. Va. - After going on the road for their first three events of the season, the Wheeling University Men's Swimming team (6-0, 2-0) competed in the Alma Grace McDonough Center Natatorium for the first time on Saturday evening. The Cardinals played host to Chatham University and Bethany College and earned their third tri-meet sweep of the season. They defeated Chatham 164-31 and Bethany 168-4 as they moved to a perfect 6-0 through their first six dual meets of the season.
Leading the way for the Cardinals was freshman Aris Dimakis, who finished with two individual wins as well as a relay win on the day. It was the second time this season that Dimakis had picked up multiple wins in an event as he finished as the team's leading point scorer in the effort. He would end up winning back-to-back individual events as he showed his strength in the short distance swims. First up was the 50-Yard Freestyle, where he took first swimming a time of 22.43, beating Chatham's Max Rollins by .42 seconds. He would come back following the break in the Men's 100-Yard Individual Medley, where he picked up his second win. He would swim a time of 56.16, as the Cardinals would take the top three spots in the event. He was followed by Nathaniel Olivares (56.46) and Meiko Schonekes (57.32) as the Cardinals had one of their best finishes in a single event on the day.
Dimakis's other win would come in relay action as he joined teammates Archie Pigott, Schonekes, and Patrick Kirby in the 200-Yard Medley Relay. Dimakis would be the opening leg of the race and led the foursome to a time of 1:57.14, beating out Chatham's team by 16 seconds to get things started. Joining him in the relay was Pigott, who was the other Cardinal to finish with multiple wins on the day. His first win would come in the 100-Yard Breaststroke, where he took the top spot with a time of 1:00.26, picking up a four second win in the race. He would head into the mid-distance for his second event, as he tackled the Men's 200-Yard Individual Medley. Pigott would once again pick up the win with a time of 2:02.13 and finishing 16 seconds ahead of the rest of the field.
After the relay events kicked things off with a win. The Cardinals came back for the 500-Yard Freestyle to start the night. Segmen Duygun would get things started with a win, swimming a time of 4:56.34 to start the individual events. The winning continued in the 200-Yard Freestyle, this time with Sarp Killic taking home top honors at 1:52.56. After Pigott's first win of the night, Schonekes would swim in his first individual race, swimming in the 100-Yard Butterfly. He would pick up his second collegiate win, putting together a time of 53.99 to take home the title. Dimakis closed out the half with his two wins on the day and it would be Levi Parker who started the second half in the 100-Yard Backstroke. Parker would swim a time of 56.71, while Nathaniel Oliveras rounded out the day with a win in the 100-YArd Freestyle with a time of 51.11.
The final win of the day came in the 200-Yard Freestyle when Tom Currie, Killic, Parker, and Duygun took the pool. The foursome would swim a time of 1:33.70 as they completed the clean sweep of the day as they earned two more wins on the season.
The Wheeling University Men's Swimming team returns to action on Saturday, November 1st, when they host Salem with first swims at 1 PM.
