Columbus East High School

The Columbus East swim teams returned to the Olympian Swimming Complex on Tuesday night to face Bloomington North in a triple dual that also included Trinity Lutheran. While depth proved to be the deciding factor in the overall team scores, the Olympians delivered several strong individual and relay performances on their home pool. On the boys side, Columbus East matched Bloomington North stride for stride in event wins, but the Cougars’ numbers across multiple finishing positions created separation on the scoreboard, resulting in a 114–54 outcome. Despite that, the Olympians left the meet with plenty of highlights. Josh Pendleton turned in a standout night, sweeping both of his individual events. He touched first in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:48.03 and followed that with a victory in the 500 freestyle at 4:46.33, marking a significant step forward as the season continues. Alex Stilson added another individual win for East in the 100 backstroke, finishing in 1:03.02. The Olympians also found success in the relays, as Ryan Lienhoop, Micah Wettschurack, Marvin Mauer, and Mason Bean combined to win the 200 freestyle relay in 1:54.25. East continued to rack up points with runner-up finishes in both major relays. Pendleton, Stilson, Ryan Turner, and Bean placed second in the 400 freestyle relay, while Stilson, Pendleton, Wettschurack, and Turner earned second in the 200 medley relay. Additional podium finishes included Stilson taking third in the 200 individual medley, Turner placing third in the 50 freestyle, and Wettschurack finishing third in the 100 breaststroke. The Olympians also came away with a clear win over Trinity Lutheran in the boys meet, posting a 92–7 victory. On the girls side, Columbus East was represented by a single swimmer. Baylee Benefield competed in two events, placing second in the 200 freestyle and fourth in the 100 backstroke. With only one athlete available, East fell in the team scoring, but Benefield’s performances provided valuable points and experience. While the final scores reflected the challenges of limited roster size, the meet served as another positive step for the Olympians as they continue to refine lineups and build momentum heading deeper into the season.