Greencastle, Ind. - The DePauw women's swimming and diving team opened its home slate in dominant fashion Friday evening at Erdmann Natatorium, defeating Centre College 127–110 in a well-rounded team performance.
The Tigers earned victories in seven events and posted multiple top-three finishes throughout the meet, showcasing strong depth across all disciplines.
DePauw started fast with a win in the 200-yard medley relay, as Caroline Stowe, Priscilla Smith, Emily Knott, and Edie Patterson combined for a time of 1:48.58. The "B" relay of Anya Melson, McKenzie Ortolano, Cora Gilbert, and Laurie Antalis added a third-place finish in 1:51.67, giving the Tigers an early boost on the scoreboard.
In the 1,000-yard freestyle, freshman Lydia Buechler battled through a tight race to finish second with a time of 10:58.57, just two seconds off the winner. Sophomore Maddie Enenbach followed in fourth (11:46.34), and senior Paige Zurcher added a sixth-place finish (12:06.23), securing valuable points for DePauw.
Stowe continued her strong meet with a win in the 200 freestyle, touching first in 1:58.28, just ahead of senior teammate Libby Ruff, who placed second at 1:59.39.
Freshman, Priscilla Smith, picked up another victory for the Tigers in the 50 freestyle, sprinting to a first-place time of 24.54, while sophomore Laurie Antalis (25.55) and freshman Sophia Hulen (25.77) completed a 1–3–4 finish.
Senior Cora Gilbert led the field in the 200 individual medley, capturing first place in 2:12.22, followed closely by freshman Olivia Motz in fourth (2:18.96).
In diving, Centre took the top three spots on the three-meter board, but DePauw regrouped in the pool with a win from sophomore Emily Knott in the 100 butterfly at 59.09. Freshman Averie Keating followed in third (1:02.35), keeping the Tigers in front.
Stowe returned for her second individual win of the night in the 100 freestyle, clocking 53.82, while Hulen (56.21) and Buechler (58.33) added third- and sixth-place finishes.
Junior, Anya Melson, edged teammate Cora Gilbert by one one-hundredth of a second in a thrilling 100 backstroke, taking the win in 1:00.46 to Gilbert's 1:00.47.
Sophomore, Edie Patterson, kept the momentum rolling with a commanding victory in the 500 freestyle, touching in 5:16.16 — nearly ten seconds ahead of second-place finisher and teammate Jordan Laba (5:25.94). Senior Grace McKinney rounded out the top five at 5:44.88.
The Tigers capped off their strong performance with a decisive win in the 200 freestyle relay. The quartet of Ruff, Hulen, Patterson, and Smith clocked 1:40.20, while the "B" team of Antalis, Zoe Green, Keating, and Oliver Harmsen finished third (1:43.99) to seal the team victory.
DePauw's win over Centre marked a confident home dual-meet, fueled by a balance of veteran leadership and promising freshman contributions. The Tigers return to the pool for the Gail Pebworth Invitational hosted by Wabash College, on November 21-23.
