INDIANAPOLIS - Day one of the 2022 Horizon League Swimming & Diving Championships was historic for the IUPUI Jaguars as its men's 200-yard medley relay team broke the school record in the event by nearly a full second. Kevin Burke (backstroke), Logan Kelly (breaststroke), Spencer Jyawook (butterfly) and Wes Wickens (freestyle) finished second with an unprecedented time of 1:26.72, just a shade behind victorious Oakland (1:26.49). Cleveland State (1:27.35) was third.
 
"Going into it, we knew we were a few tenths off the school record based on our entry time," Burke recalls. "We knew we needed big swims from everyone. Obviously, we're always going for first place. Getting out-touched slightly is nothing to be ashamed of with the great time we all had."
 
The women's 200 medley relay also placed second, with Lauren Thompson (backstroke), Jenna Nethercutt (breaststroke), Caylee Hamilton (butterfly) and Lilly Brandt (freestyle) finishing in 1:42.33. Oakland's women prevailed in 1:40.27, and Milwaukee came in third at 1:42.69. UIC and Cleveland State were disqualified as some of their swimmers left the blocks too early.
 
Wrapping up the day's highlights for IUPUI was the women's 800 free relay, where the podium looked identical to the 200 medley relay. Oakland prevailed in 7:18.76, the Jaguars were second in 7:26.45 and Milwaukee took third in 7:28.52. Another school record fell in this event courtesy of freshman Emmaleigh Zietlow, who led off the 800 in a groundbreaking time of 1:49.23.
 
It was a fitting start to the meet for head coach Damion Dennis, who emphasizes positivity, support and togetherness as the Jaguar program's key tenets.
 
"Extremely proud is an understatement," Dennis said of his athletes. "Those four individuals on both the men's and the women's relays show up every single day and work hard. They show up and they're positive. They just bring a lot of energy to the pool deck, and for us, that's what it comes down to."
 
IUPUI's men's medley relay is an eclectic group. Burke and Wickens—both juniors—are close friends, but sophomore Jyawook (from Franklin, Tennessee) and freshman Kelly (from Austin, Minnesota) are newcomers. Yet the four have bonded over the course of the school year, helping them grow into a cohesive and confident squad.
 
The women's medley relay is similarly a mixed bag, with Thompson (a junior), Nethercutt (a sophomore), Hamilton (a graduate student) and Brandt (a freshman). They too, have become close, and relay breakthroughs are particularly impactful when it comes to boosting overall morale.
 
"I absolutely love being on relays," said Thompson. "You're not just swimming for yourself. Our trust was all built this season, and I think it shows how close [we've gotten] and how close we are even with the men's team."
 
"Relays are the culmination of everybody together," Dennis added. "The athletes on the side of the pool are going nuts. The coaches are going nuts. The administration is going nuts. It's a top-to-bottom event for everybody."
 
Also taking place on day one of competition was the women's 3-meter springboard. IUPUI's Sadie Smith finished fourth with a total score of 272.55, and Isabella Smith came in sixth with 252.30. Cydney Liebenberg of UIC stood atop the podium (317.00), Milwaukee's McKenzie Sanchez took second (282.60) and Elle Chalifoux of Oakland was third (273.60).
 
Three runner-up results in three relays have propelled the Jaguars' collective confidence to new heights. The women's team is currently sitting in second place with 97 points, just behind Oakland with 115. With 62 points, the men's team is in third behind Oakland in first (80) and Cleveland State in second (66). They will look to keep rolling on Thursday in the 500 free, 200 individual medley, 50 free, men's 1-meter diving and 200 free relay. Finals in those events begin at 5:30 PM ET on ESPN+.