Farris lauds solid start to 2021-22 season

DAVENPORT, IOWA – Battling a top-notch National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics' field Friday, Oct. 8, a sophomore duo of Willy Pinnow (Elkhorn, Wis.) and Josie Dike (Riverton, Wy.) helped headline Morningside University's curtain-raiser. 

Pinnow and Dike both achieved three top-six placings. Pinnow, leading the men's squad to 334 points at the Davenport Central High School Natatorium, wound up second in the 200-yard freestyle with an NAIA national championship B standard 1:47.15 to begin his evening. He returned later with a third-place ending the 500-yard freestyle (5:01.75) and anchored the 400-yard freestyle relay to a fourth-place finish (3:20.92). As part of a fourth-place team score for the women, Dike enabled the 200-yard freestyle relay to take third (1:47.07) and 400-yard freestyle relay to a fourth-place ending (3:52.97). She also swam to sixth in the 50-yard freestyle (26.35 seconds). 

"It was a good effort for our first meet of the year," head coach Bryan Farris said. "For the most part, we swam well while not letting up on the tough training.

"The effort by both the men and women showed me how good we can be this season," he added. "We have a lot to look forward to."

Beyond the superlatives from Dike and Pinnow, there were more Mustangs standouts. Sophomore Joe Ciriaco (Papillion, Neb.) was seventh in both the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard freestyle and assisted the 200-yard freestyle relay to a fifth-place mark along with freshmen Kyler Syverson (Casper, Wy.) and Easton Gelinne (Sioux City, Iowa) and junior Moses Dunbar (Hastings, Neb.). Newcomers women's distance competitors Kirstin Verplanke (Queen Creek, Ariz.) and Elaine Morgan (Council Bluffs, Iowa) went five-six in the 1000-yard freestyle, and the men's trio of seniors Ron DeFauw (Rock Springs, Wy.) and James Spicer (Rock Springs, Wy.) and Trey Kennedy (Colorado Springs, Colo.) picked up the four-through-six slots in the same event.

Morningside returns to action Saturday, Oct. 30, for a dual at National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III foe Gustavus Adolphus College of Minnesota.