After two days of competition the Little Giants sit in third place of the North Coast Athletic Conference Championships, only behind Denison and Kenyon. But with two full days of competition left, anything can happen. The NCAC Championships is a four-day event, which began on Wednesday, February 14 and will conclude on Saturday, February 15. Now in the midst of the most important meet of the year, the Wabash athletes, who have pushed themselves all season for this moment, are looking to capitalize.
After two days, energy is at an all-time high for the swimmers. Sitting at third place with two days to go is a great spot to be in. Some athletes are still awaiting their time to make a difference in the championship.
“There are still a good number of my teammates who haven’t had their first swims yet because they have a double event day on Friday or Saturday, so a lot of guys are itching to get in and swim their hearts out”, said Connor Craig ’25.
A strong day to open the competition hoisted Wabash to an early lead and they found themselves in first place when the first day concluded. The team totaled 230 points, while the closest finishers to Wabash were Kenyon with 204 and Denison with 185. The great day was led by the 800-yard freestyle relay of Ethan Johns ’25, Quinn Sweeney ’27, Xander Straw ’26 and John Allen ’26 emerged with a third-place finish. Another great performance was from Barret Smith ‘26, Eddie DeMata ‘26, Connor Craig ’25 and Daniel Streeter ’27 who finished with a fourth-place finish in the 200-yard medley relay.
The second day of competition happened February 15th, and the Little Giants found themselves in a hole compared to the first day. This slight fall in the standings is due to the sheer strength of their opponents. Kenyon is ranked first in the country for Division III schools, while Denison sits close behind at fifth. Still, the Little Giants will keep up the fight and do all they can to close the gap between themselves and the first-place team.
“To close the gap we have to continue to find ways into the A Finals of events. Almost all of the A Finals are full of Denison and Kenyon athletes. We need to disrupt their stronghold on that top scoring heat to maximize our points”, said Head Swimming & Diving Coach Will Bernhardt.
Counting down to crunch time in the championship, the team is keeping their moment alive by celebrating the moments that make the season worth the work .
“The team is hyped, everyone is doing great and the momentum is going to carry us through the next two days”, said Xander Straw ’26.
To get through the difficult task laid ahead for the final two days, the team will have to draw from the well experience and hard work that they dug over the course of the year. They will look to the values that the program has instilled in them from the first practice of the season.
“Our talking points for the last two days are the same ones we have focused on all year- control your controllables, execute your race plan, and compete with your heart,” said bernhardt. “The last two days are the hardest and we have prepared for this through our training.”
The Wabash Little Giants will close their championship run on February 17. Although the season is long, these last two days of competition will fly by and the team needs to be ready to swipe at their opportunities.
“The team is ready for the challenge of the hardest days of the meet,” said Bernhardt. “Our energy is unmatched, our confidence is high, our team is on fire and we are hungry for more. It’s time to eat.”