After an up and down season which saw their head coach depart for another job, their winter training trip cancelled and the adjustments of a new coach coming in at midseason, the Truman both men’s and women’s swimming teams set many personal and season best times at the New South Intercollegiate Swim Championships this past weekend.

The Bulldog women claimed their 11th straight conference banner as they accumulated 897 points over the four day meet and were 90 ahead of second place Henderson State (Ark.) when all events were completed.

Truman had just one event winner but had multiple swimmers in the higher scoring final events than most other teams.

Taylor Birsa took the only individual title on Saturday as she claimed the 200 breast in a time of 2:20.65.

Anna Grinter broke an NSISC record on Saturday as she swam 2:02.77 in the prelims of the 200 fly.

 Grinter’s mark was an automatic qualifying time in the event. In the finals, Grinter placed second finishing a tenth of a second behind the winner.

Not to be outdone, the Truman men moved up from fifth to fourth in the NSISC championships and was able to pass defending national champion Drury in the final race of the meet.

After breaking the school record in the 100 breast, Tony Hernandez re-wrote the oldest record on the books at Truman on Saturday as he swam 2:05.99 in the 200 breast to place sixth. Hernandez’s mark breaks Michael Morris 2:06.21 record that was set in March of 1998.

 It was the only men’s record not to be broken during the past decade. Matthew Fletcher (8th) and Greg Taplin (10th) also set B-times in the 200 breast.

Jerod Simek led four Bulldogs to top 10 finishes in the 1650 free. Simek swam in 16:00.32 to finish third while Brian Tillis placed sixth, Sam Collier seventh and Zac Litzau ninth.

The teams will now play the waiting game and will be checking the NCAA Division II times report to see who will be making the trip to the championship meet in San Antonio, Texas on March 9-12.

The field will be set approximately 10 days prior to the start of the championships

Coiurtesy Truman State University