By Kevin Cunningham
Sports Correspondent
The Whitewater Whippets’ boys swimming team took on both Jefferson and Platteville/Lancaster on Jan. 19 at home. According to head coach Joan Domitrz, it was one of the best meets of the year for the team and several swimmers earned spots on Whitewater’s top-10 all-time list in their respective events.
“It was a very competitive meet for all three teams from the first event to the last,” Domitrz said. “It was a night for many best times and great races. Every swimmer swam at least one personal best time…”
Both the 200-Medley relay and the 400-Medley relay were season-best times and earned first-place finishes. Benny Liang, Seth Bols, Andrew Gildner and Dineth Gunawardena swam the 200 in 1:49.32, while Liang, Bols, Gildner and Jack Downs swam the 400 in 3:42.52.
The multiple first-place finishes led the Whippets to an 88-81 win over Jefferson and an 88-81 defeat to Platteville/Lancaster. Liang’s 200-freestyle time of 1:49.96 cracked Whitewater’s top-10, and Bols’ 50-freestyle and 100-freestyle times also made the Whippets’ top-10.
Bols swam the 50-freestyle in 24.71 and the 100-freestyle in 54.40. Gildner had two separate second-place individual finishes, which also were top-10 finishes in Whippet history.
Gildner’s 200 IM time of 2:20.36 and his 100-backstroke time of 1:04.98 were his top swims. Downs, Jacob Korf and Michael Kuhl also had third-place finishes in one event as well.
The team’s next meet will be at 6 p.m., Friday, Jan. 22 against Fort Atkinson at home.
