Grinnell’s swimming and diving teams scored four victories last weekend against the University of Nebraska Swim Club and Coe College. On Friday, Jan. 30, the women’s swimming and diving team finished first with 192 points to beat the University of Nebraska’s 35 points. Additionally, the men’s swimming and diving team earned 167 points against the University of Nebraska’s 47 points.

Among the big victors of this meet was Nicholas Roberson ’18 who scored three wins for Grinnell, including the 200-yard individual medley, the 200 medley and 200 freestyle relay.

Kyren DiMarzio ’17, Kevin Bennett ’16 and Tim Sherwood ’16 swam with Roberson in the 200 medley while Thomas Robinson ’16, Tristan Knoth ’17 and Sam Ross ’16 helped out for the 200 freestyle relay.

“[The meets] were kind of like a final tune-up,” Knoth said. “We’re all exhausted, we’re coming down from peak training and again, just kept the mental intensity up and stayed focused.”

While last weekend proved to be a good weekend for the Pioneers, Knoth already has goals in mind for the Conference.

“Yeah, I have my personal time goals, but mostly drop a bunch of time,” Knoth said. 

In similar performance, the women’s swimming and diving swam past the University of Nebraska.

Beth Tsuha ’17 was a three-time winner for the women, winning the 1000-yard freestyle and swimming on the winning 200 medley and 200 freestyle relay teams.

Other winners included Malena Maxwell ’18 in the 200 individual medley and Beth Gillig ’15 in the 500 freestyle.

For the meet against Coe College, Sam Ross ’16 was a three-time winner, taking first in the 200-yard freestyle, 50 freestyle and the 200 backstroke.

Roberson, Rhett Lundy ’18, DiMarzio and Knoth were victorious in the 200 medley relay, while Knoth joined Austin Cote ’15, Zach Laird ’17 and Ben Weideman ’15 to triumph in the 200 freestyle relay.

On the women’s team, Katherine Su ’18 was a triple winner, winning the 100-yard backstroke, taking first in the 100 butterfly and formed part of the winning 200 medley relay team.

The Pioneers won the 200 freestyle relay with Gillig, Maxwell, Chloe Briney ’17 and Haley O’Neill ’18.

As one of the younger members of the swimming and diving team, Maxwell has felt the physical pain of the meets and hopes to reduce the pain for Conference.

“I know right now I’m placed top eight in the mile, so my goal for that [Conference] would be to drop more time and feel physically better after swimming it because it’s a lot to do, and the first time I swam it, my body was just like worn down. Second time, I felt a lot stronger and I want to just be able to persevere through it,” Maxwell said.

In spite of the victories of last weekend, the Pioneers are only looking ahead to Conference, which will be hosted at the College from Friday, Feb. 13 to Sunday, Feb. 15.