The Valparaiso University men’s and women’s swimming teams kicked off the 2017-18 season Sunday at the Butler Double Dual at Fishers High School. The layout of this meet scores each team against one another like a regular dual meet.

The women competed against the host Bulldogs, Evansville, Indiana State, Saint Louis and Xavier, while the men battled Evansville, Saint Louis and Xavier. Junior Bob Bretl (Wauwatosa, Wis./Marquette University H.S.) highlighted the meet, posting one of the Top 10 fastest time in Valpo history in the grueling 1000-free.

To start off the day, the 200-medley relay team comprised of Tara Lawson (Mundelein, Ill./Mundelein), Mariah Sturdivant (Chicago, Ill./George Westinghouse College Prep.), Lillia Pogue (Corpus Christi, Texas/Flour Bluff) and Erica Martins (Hartland, Wis./Lake County Lutheran) put up a time of 1:58.47. The men clocked in at 1:41.10, which included Max Penn (Columbus, Ohio/St. Charles Prep.), Adrian Acero (Bogotá, Colombia/Agustiniano Salitre) Dylan Ogle (Simpsonville, S.C./Mauldin) and Harrison Jenny (New Albany, Ohio/New Albany).

In the longest individual race of the meet, the 1000-free, freshman Maddie Wilson (Sugar Grove, Ill./Rosary) came in at 12:17.11. Bretl swam a 10:15.67, good for fifth place. This set a new personal-best, and that time moves him up to ninth fastest in the Valpo record book. Freshman Jarred Eshenaur (Chesterton, Ind./Chesterton) touched in 10:57.09.

Next up in the 200-free, senior Amanda Jenny (New Albany, Ohio/New Albany) went 2:05.57, while classmate Vinnie Zaia (Canton, Mich./Salem) came in at 2:07.82. For the men, junior Mac Sogandares (Reston, Va./South Lakes) had the team’s top time in 1:47.83. Sophomore Eric Villasenor (Tinley Park, Ill./Andrew) swam a 1:53.53.

The shortest race, the 50-free, saw sophomore Paige Wright (Surprise, Ariz./Paradise Honor) put up at time of 25.82, while junior Casey Main (Fairview, Ohio/Fairview) swam a 29.26. Harrison Jenny came in at 22.51 on the men’s side, and senior Jake Villasenor (Tinley Park, Ill./Andrew) clocked a 23.93.

Lillia Pogue put up a time of 5:01.64 in the 400-individual medley, while junior Dylan Kirar (Arvada, Colo./Ralston Valley) came in fifth with a 4:16.08. Sophomore Brendon Johnson (Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North) finished with a time of 4:24.37.

In the 200-fly, Martins touched the wall in 2:22.74, and her teammate Main swam a 2:47.74. On the men’s side, Ogle posted a time of 1:57.02, good enough for fifth place. Acero clocked in at 2:08.24.

The 100-free saw Wright go a 55.32, while junior Betsy Pogue (Corpus Christi, Texas/Flour Bluff) put up a 1:02.20. Sophomore Austin Scheer (Indianapolis, Ind./Bishop Chatard) swam a 50.41 for the men, with his classmate Spenser Shaffer (LaPorte, Ind./LaPorte) not too far behind at 50.96.

Lawson put up a time of 2:19.69 in the 200-back for the women, while Penn touched the wall in 2:04.82. His teammate, Johnson, came in at 2:09.31.

The 500-free saw senior classmates Zaia and Amanda Jenny post times of 5:37.84 and 5:40.86, respectively. On the men’s side, Kirar swam a 4:50.57, and Bretl touched in 4:58.02, both from the junior class.

In the final individual race of the competition, the 200-breast, sophomore Kenzy Tibbot (Lebanon, Ind./Lebanon) went a 2:44.93, just a couple seconds shy of her personal-best. Sogandares had the top time for the Crusader men in 2:16.44, while teammate Acero posted a 2:19.41.

To conclude the meet, the Valpo women swam a 3:48.51 in the 400-free relay. That team was comprised of Amanda Jenny, Lillia Pogue, Martins and Wright. Sogandares, Penn, Shaffer and Harrison Jenny complied a time of 3:22.71 on the men’s side.

The Crusaders will return to the pool on Saturday for a home dual meet with Eastern Illinois.