The Valparaiso University men’s and women’s swimming teams fought hard on the road Saturday afternoon at Western Illinois, but succumbed to the Leathernecks and Olivet Nazarene on both the men’s and women’s sides in Macomb, Ill. Junior Dylan Kirar (Arvada, Colo./Ralston Valley) and sophomore Dylan Ogle (Simpsonville, S.C./Mauldin) highlighted the day by each capturing a second-place finish for Valpo.

To start things off in the women’s 400-medley relay, the foursome of sophomore Paige Wright (Surprise, Ariz./Paradise Honors), freshman Mariah Sturdivant (Chicago, Ill./George Westinghouse Prep.), sophomore Erica Martins (Hartland, Wis./Lake County Lutheran), and senior Amanda Jenny (New Albany, Ohio/New Albany) combined for a fourth-place finish in a time of 4:18.71.

The men, comprised of senior Max Penn (Columbus, Ohio/St. Charles Prep.), sophomore Adrian Acero (Bogotá, Colombia/Augustiniano Salitre), Ogle, and sophomore Harrison Jenny (New Albany, Ohio/New Albany) gathered a time of 3:50.98 in the 400-medley relay, good for fifth place.

In the women’s 1000-free, senior Vinnie Zaia (Canton, Mich./Salem) brought home a third-place finish with a swim of 11:45.97, while freshman Maddie Wilson (Sugar Grove, Ill./Rosary) was close behind in 11:51.05 for fourth. For the men, Kirar’s second-place honors came in the 1000-free, touching the wall in 10:07.30. Junior Bob Bretl (Wauwatosa, Wis./Marquette University H.S.) came in at 10:15.29, which placed him fourth.

A third-place finish for Amanda Jenny came in the 200-free, when she stopped the clock at 2:02.67. Junior Mac Sogandares (Reston, Va./South Lakes) posted a time of 1:50.78 in the men’s 200-free that placed him in fourth.

The men’s 100-back saw Penn put up a time of 55.66, which was good for third overall, while senior classmate Grant Girten (Blue Ash, Ohio/Sycamore) wound up fourth in 56.61.

Ogle’s runner-up finish came in the men’s 200-fly when he found the wall in 2:00.77.

In the shortest race of the meet, the 50-free, Wright recorded a time of 26.06 that placed her fourth for the Crusader women.

Sturdivant put up a time of 55.65 in the women’s 100-free, which saw her post fourth-place points.

Sophomore Tara Lawson (Mundelein, Ill./Mundelein) brought the waves to a stop in the women’s 200-back with a time of 2:18.43.

The distance squad of Kirar and Bretl finished third and fourth, respectively, for Valpo in the men’s 500-free. Kirar was timed at 4:55.60, with Bretl right behind in 4:57.80.

Ogle also came home with a third-place finish in the men’s 100-fly when he stopped the clock at 55.25.

In the final event of the day, the 200-free relay, the women gathered a third-place finish. Compiling a time of 1:45.16 was the group of Wright, Martins, freshman Megan Lugar (Fishers, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern) and Amanda Jenny.

On the men’s side, Sogandares, sophomore Spenser Shaffer (LaPorte, Ind./LaPorte), Kirar and Harrison Jenny joined forces to post a time of 1:32.21, which placed them fourth overall.

Next up, the Crusaders will compete in two meets in two days as they travel to Rose-Hulman in Terre Haute, Ind. on Friday, Nov. 10, then head back to the ARC to host Saginaw Valley State the next day on Saturday, Nov. 11.