January 24
Millikin men’s and women’s swimming team finished with the women in fifth and men in seventh in Elsah, Illinois on January 24, at the Principia College Invite. For the women’s team, Sami Battle finished as a double event winner for Big Blue, winning the 100 Yard Freestyle in 55.17 seconds and the 50 Yard Freestyle in 24.97 seconds. Shelby Kobs added to the women’s team by winning the 100 Yard Breaststroke in 1:11.51, and receiving second in the 200 Yard Breaststroke in 2:36.31. Felicity Speirs finished with 19:56.90 in the 1650 Yard Freestyle in first and in seventh in the 200 Yard Free with 2:11.44. Lauren Stryzek finished in fourth with 5:33.76 in the 400 Yard IM and eighth in the 200 Yard Breaststroke with a time of 2:55.28. Emily Vana received fifth place in the 200 Yard Butterfly finishing with 2:32.44. Randi Mehrmann was eighth in the 200 Yard Backstroke with a time of 2:34.67.The Millikin women won the 200 Yard Medley Relay with Emily Nielsen, Kobs, Vana, and Battle finishing it off for them. Millikin was second in the 400 Yard Free Relay with a time of 3:59.50 with Speirs, Sabrina Cipolla, Kobs, and Battle succeeding. In the men’s races, Jeremy Baehler finished in first with a time of 18:01.57 in the 1650 Yard Freestyle Relay and received fifth place in the 400 Yard IM with a time of 4:42.40. Spencer McGowan was second place in the 200 Yard Backstroke with 2:03.12 and he also finished in fifth place in the 500 Yard Free with a finishing time of 5:13.60.

January 31
The Millikin men and women’s swimming team defeated Knox College in a meet in Decatur, Illinois at the McIntosh Pool on January 31. Millikin’s men won with a score of 91-75 and the Big Blue women won 119-80. In the men’s swimming, Jeremy Baehler was part of two winning relays and won two events. Baehler won the 100 Yard Breaststroke with a time of 1:07.88 and the 500 Yard Freestyle with a time of 5:15.96. Other Millikin men’s event winners included: Spencer McGowan in the 100 Yard Backstroke with a time of 56.93 seconds; Chris O’Grady in the 100 Yard Freestyle with a time of 53.55 seconds; Tyler Via in the 50 Yard Freestyle with a time of 24.92 seconds. The Big Blue men won both relay events as well.  McGowan, Sagan, Baehler and Via won the 200 Yard Medley Relay with a finishing time of 1:51.23, while Nate Frederick, O’Grady, Sagan, and Baehler won the 200 Yard Freestyle Relay with 1:41.47. Big Blue had three double event winners in the women’s competition. Sami Battle won the 50 Yard Freestyle with a time of 25.43 seconds and the 100 Yard Freestyle finishing in 57.51 seconds.

Other Big Blue women’s event winners included: Shelby Kobs winning the 200 Yard Breaststroke with a time of 2:46.17, also winning the 200 Yard IM with a time of 2:29.71; Felicity Speirs won the 100 Yard Backstroke with a time of 1:10.42 and the 500 Yard Freestyle with a time of 5:55.01; Lauren Stryzek won the 100 Yard Breaststroke with 1:22.22. The Millikin women also won both relay events with Emily Nielsen, Kobs, Emily Vana, and Battle winning the Women’s 200 Yard Medley Relay with a time of 2:01.70, and Sabrina Cipolla, Speirs, Kobs, and Battle winning the 200 Yard Free Relay with a time of 1:50.74.