The Valparaiso University swimming teams had several swimmers move up the school’s all-time top-10 lists Friday at their respective conference championships. Junior Dylan Kirar (Arvada, Colo./Ralston Valley) and sophomore Brendon Johnson (Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North) led the way for the men by placing in the A-finals of the 400-individual medley at the Summit League Championships in Sioux Falls, S.D. For the women, sophomore Paige Wright (Surprise, Ariz./Paradise Honors) made the C-finals in two events at the Missouri Valley Conference Championships in Iowa City, Iowa.

How It Happened

• In the women’s 400-IM, freshman Maddie Wilson (Sugar Grove, Ill./Rosary) posted a 4:58.31 for a 20^th place finish in the C-finals.
• During the morning prelims, sophomore Erica Martins (Hartland, Wis./Lake Country Lutheran) recorded a time of 59.54 in the women’s 100-fly, which moves her up to eighth-best all-time in Valpo history.
• Wright’s first C-finals appearance came in the 200-free when she found the wall in 1:56.05 for 19^th That time now stands as the seventh-best in the school’s record book.
• Wright placed 23^rd in the C-finals when she clocked in at 59.97 in the 100-back. She already owns the school record in this event.
• The women’s 400-medley relay of Wright, freshman Mariah Sturdivant (Chicago, Ill./George Westinghouse Prep.), Martins and senior Amanda Jenny (New Albany, Ohio/New Albany) teamed up to finish eighth for a time of 4:03.30. That effort puts them eighth-best on the school’s top-10 list.
• The men’s 400-IM saw Valpo put two swimmers in the A-finals and one in the B-finals. Kirar went 4:06.96 and improved on his time in the record book by .11, which keeps him second-best all-time. He finished sixth overall in the meet.
• Johnson placed just behind Kirar in the 400-IM for seventh overall. His time of 4:07.84 moves his best time up to third all-time in school history from fifth.
• Not to be outdone, sophomore Dylan Ogle (Simpsonville, S.C./Mauldin) posted a time of 4:12.30 in the B-finals of the meet, which was good for 10^th He now has the seventh-best time in school history in the 400-IM.
• In the men’s 200-free, junior Mac Sogandares (Reston, Va./South Lakes) moved up to third-best on the school’s Top-10 list with his time of 1:43.76 in prelims. He finished 15^th overall in the B-finals of the meet with a time of 1:44.10.
• Senior Max Penn (Columbus, Ohio/St. Charles Prep.) managed to record the exact same time in prelims and finals of 51.00 in the 100-back. That placed him 10^th overall in the B-finals of the meet. Penn currently owns the school record for this event.
• Also placing in the B-finals of the 100-back was sophomore Harrison Jenny (New Albany, Ohio/New Albany) where he finished 15^th overall with a time of 53.43. However, he moved into the 10^th spot in Valpo history with his prelim time of 53.23.
• Senior Grant Girten (Blue Ash, Ohio/Sycamore) stopped the clock at 54.08 in the B-finals of the 100-back for 16^th place overall.

Up Next

The conference championships will conclude on Saturday with the men beginning prelims at 10 a.m. CT and the women starting at 11 a.m. CT. Finals for the MVC Championships will commence at 5 p.m. CT, while the Summit League Championship finals will get under way at 7 p.m. CT. Catch the live results and live streaming for finals at ValpoAthletics.com.