The annual mud volleyball tournament kicked off the homecoming festivities this past Thursday. The WC swim team divided up into three teams and achieved 4th, last and second to last places (coordination isn’t our strong suit!). The team showed their pride by wearing in their swim suits in the tournament.
“I had such a great time getting muddy and bonding with my team!” said sophomore swimmer, Colleen Rueppel.
The team carried on their homecoming plans to Saturday by hosting their first annual Alumni Swim Meet. Current swimmers and Alumni swam fifties of each stroke and relays to duel it out in the pool. A cookout followed the conclusion of the swim meet.
“It was great to not only see the alumni, but also swim with them again! It was just like the old days!” said senior swimmer, Rebecca Scherer.
Later that day, Wilmington College welcomed Kerri Fortman, the first swimmer, into the hall of fame at the homecoming football game versus Muskingum. Kerri was a 2003 graduate and still holds two records in the program.
In the first year of the swimming program, the team was allowed to compete in the OAC Championship meet before they were official members. At the time, the college competed in the Heartland Athletic Conference, that did not sponsor swimming, therefore they were not scored officially in the final heats of the OAC Championship Meet. If they had been official members, Kerri would have been the 3rd person in OAC history to win a single event in 4 consecutive years. To give you some perspective, the conference first recognized swimming as a championship sport in 1937.
“She has an amazing story and it was awesome to finally have a swimmer inducted into the hall of fame,” said Lisa Fetters, senior swimmer.
Wilmington College will host Defiance College as season opener Saturday October 19, 2013 at 1:00 pm.
For more pictures of the swimmers playing mud volleyball, please visit our photos tab.