Brigid Duesterhaus became the first Millikin women’s swimmer to win a CCIW Individual event since 2004 at the 2022 CCIW Championships. Brigid won the 50 yard freestyle race at the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin Championship Meet on Thursday, February 17 in a time of 24.18. The senior was also a part of four record-breaking relay teams. Along with teammates Laura Atkinson, Liv Marquardt, and Aly Barnes, the swimmers broke the 400 medley relay record previously set in 2020 in their time of 3:57.49 and gave them a second place finish in the event. With the same team, the swimmers broke the record for the 200 medley relay that had previously been set in 2020. Finally, the team of Kelli Sangston, Marquardt, Barnes, and Duesterhaus shattered the 400 freestyle relay record that had been set in 1990 with their time of 3:37.10. Lastly, the 200 freestyle relay team of Marquardt, Grace Meacham, Kaitlyn Mayer, and Duestehaus broke the 2019 record in a time of 1:40.15.
Though Brigid has been highlighted as the Big Blue Athlete of the Week, the Millikin Athletic Department would like to honor the entirety of the Big Blue swim team, as they had a historic weekend. Millikin saw a plethora of record-breaking swims on the women’s side, including freshman Aly Barnes making waves in her first ever CCIW Championships by not only being a part of three record-breaking relays, but also breaking three individual Millikin records. The freshman broke a 37-year-old record in the 200 IM in a time of 2:10.40, then broke Sami Battle’s 200 freestyle record set in 2015 with a time of 1:53.37, and finished her individual races by breaking another 37-year-old record in the 200 yard backstroke in a time of 2:10.77.
