When the Western swimming and diving teams take on Butler at 1 p.m. Saturday, senior Stacey Schortgen will not be swimming her best event – the 1,000-yard freestyle. In the opening meet victory over Delta State, Schortgen swam a personal best time (10:25.40) in the event and was three seconds off the school record.

When the Western men’s (4-0) and women’s (4-0) swimming and diving teams travel to Atlanta for the Georgia Tech Invitational Friday, they will be competing against five other schools, including top-25 teams like Georgia Tech and Florida State. The other schools competing are Miami, Rice and Florida Atlantic.

Great spirit. Be classy winners. Undefeated season. These are a few of the goals listed on a red poster in the Preston Center locker room of the Lady Topper swimming and diving team. Not to be overlooked, the phrase “Be a good student athlete” also appears on the list.

The Hilltopper and Lady Topper swim teams added two more wins to their record, defeating Xavier on Friday and Cincinnati on Saturday. The men’s team (4-0) beat Xavier 54-41 and the women’s team (4-0) won 55-39. Both the men and women’s 200-yard medley relay teams broke Xavier pool records.

Somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean, freshman swimmer Lukasz Herbst started to realize the magnitude of leaving his home in Warsaw, Poland and coming to the United States for the first time.

“It’s like a dream,” he said. “I wasn’t sure what to expect.”

In Warsaw, Herbst studied psychology and swam for the Polish National Team.

By Laura Clark Herald reporter Western’s swimming and diving meet against Butler went as planned for coach Bruce Marchionda. The Lady Toppers (2-0) won 147-106 and the Toppers (2-0) won 152-90 at the home meet Saturday. Marchionda said he was able to put swimmers in events he needed to see.

Charlotte Martin stood on the end of the three-meter diving board, wringing her hands. “This is gonna be scary,” she said. “Come on, Char,” yelled her teammates from below. “Lock your arms. Throw from your waist,” diving coach Bob Benson called to her. Another couple of seconds passed before Martin, who said she is somewhat afraid of heights, jumped off the board.

Bruce Marchionda earned his first victory as coach of the men’s and women’s swimming and diving team in the opening match of the season against Delta State Saturday. The women’s team won 123-105, taking first in every event. The men’s team won 114-108. The only events they did not win were the 200- and 500-yard freestyle and 3-meter diving.

Protect the innocent from violence, homosexuality and offensive language! This is the rallying cry of parents who try to ban books from school libraries and the hands of their children. Even prestigious Newberry Award winners aren’t exempt. Mildred Taylor’s 1977 Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry was challenged by Debra Drake of Seminole County, Fla.

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