Opponents:
vs. Columbia College / Warren Wilson | December 2, 2023 | Winston-Salem, N.C. | Salem Aquatic Center

SALEM HOSTING COLUMBIA COLLEGE, WARREN WILSON
The Spirits' swim team returns to the Salem Aquatic Center for the first time since October 7th, to host a dual meet that includes both Columbia College and Warren Wilson.

The same two programs visited Winston-Salem, N.C., earlier this year on January 21, 2023. Columbia College posted a 352-86 win over the Spirits in the event, while Warren Wilson emerged with a 274-86 victory.

It will mark the fifth time that Warren Wilson has faced the Spirits since the 2019-20 season and second time in Winston-Salem.

THE CRASHING SOUND OF RECORDS AT SALEM
Some of the sounds affiliated with the Salem Aquatic Center have been records falling during the 2023-24 season.

Salem has broken five records through the first three meets, establishing three more in events that the Spirits have never competed in before in program history.

Junior Omega Pinnix has broken five program individual records for the Spirits this season. The Greensboro, N.C., native set new program records in both the 50 freestyle (25.38), 100 backstroke (1:05.91), 100 freestyle (56.37) and 200 backstroke (2:24.71).

Pinnix has already managed to reset her own personal record in two of the aforementioned events—the 50 freestyle and the 100 freestyle. In Salem's last meet, the William Peace Invitational, Pinnix bettered her previous mark in both events. Her new time of 25.38 in the 50 freestyle is 1.92 seconds faster than her time of 27.30, which she had raced at a dual which featured both Greensboro and Guilford on October 24th.

Pinnix also improved on her time in the 100 freestyle by almost four seconds between the October 24th meet and the William Peace Invitational. After posting a time of 1:00.30 in the 100 freestyle at the Greensboro and Guilford dual, Pinnix touched the wall in 56.37 in Raleigh, N.C.

Pinnix's time in the 100 backstroke topped the previous mark, held by Rachel Fichthorn, which was 1:08.68. Pinnix also topped Fichthorn's record in the 200 backstroke, which had stood since February 13, 2009, where she finished the event in a time of 2:29.25.

Meanwhile, teammate Daja Jones became the first-ever Spirit to take part in the 200 butterfly, posting a time of 4:59.44, establishing a new time for Salem in the event. Jones joined the 400 medley relay team of Pinnix, Sara Vargas and Rama Alskhita, which posted a time of 4:48.26, to become the first Salem team to compete in that event as well. They are currently among the Top-20 teams nationally with that time, which would earn them a spot at the NCAA Nationals.

Sara Vargas, who took part in the 1650 freestyle at the William Peace Invitational for the first time in program history, finished the event in a time of 29:48.12.

SPIRITS COMPETE AT WILLIAM PEACE INVITATIONAL (November 17-18)
DAY 1
Session I
Junior Omega Pinnix capped off the morning session of the William Peace Invitational by breaking her program mark in the 50 freestyle event as the Spirits took part in three events over the course of the session.

Pinnix grabbed the 50 freestyle mark earlier this season in a dual with Greensboro and Guilford, posting a time of 27.30. On Friday, Pinnix touched the wall in 25.38, establishing a new mark for the program as she placed 12th overall in the event.

Three Spirits took part in the 500 freestyle, including Sara Vargas, Madison Fullerton and Rama Alsakhita. The trio finished 37th, 38th and 39th, respectively, in the event. Vargas' time of 8:39.83 was 0.69 seconds faster than her previous mark in the event, 9.08.91, which came in the Greensboro and Guilford dual. Fullerton (8:48.09) and Alsakhita (10:12.13) were making their collegiate debuts in the 500 freestyle.

Salem also took part in the 200 medley relay, which included the quartet of Pinnix, Fullerton, Vargas and Marabeth Huffman, who joined the program after her commitment to the soccer team. That group combined for a 2:33.20 time in the event, placing them 17th overall.

Session II
After a break in the action, Salem returned to the Pullen Aquatic Center to take part in Friday's Second Session. Pinnix put together the best finish (18th) of the evening session, which came in the 200 freestyle with a time of 2:03.78, which gives her six program records. She topped the previous program mark held by Bethany Eaton, who touched the wall in 2:18.39 at the ODAC / Atlantic States Championships on February 12, 2010.

Pinnix was one of four Spirits competing in the 200 freestyle, along with Huffman (2:32.00 / 47th), Fullerton (3:16.10 / 56th) and Alsakhita (3:46.26 / 59th).

The combination of Pinnix, Huffman, Fullerton and Vargas took represented Salem in the 400 medley relay event. They posted a time of 5:43.37 and finished 16th in the race.

Salem enters Saturday, the final day of the competition, 11th in the team standings with 62 points. UNC Pembroke leads the way with 995 points, while Roanoke (776) and the University of Lynchburg (701) round out the Top-3.

DAY 2
The Salem swim team completed its two-day stint in Raleigh, N.C., at the William Peace Invitational with three Top-20 finishes, earning seven over the course of the weekend.

Among the Top-20 performances for the Spirits on Saturday, November 18th, was a 17th-place finish in the 400 freestyle relay. The quartet of Marabeth Huffman, Rama Alsakhita, Sara Vargas and Omega Pinnix, tapped the wall in 5:13.85.

That was one of two Top-20 outings for Pinnix, who was 19th in the 100 freestyle with a mark of 56.37. Pinnix topped her own Salem record by almost four seconds, after posting a time of 1:00.30 in the event at a dual that featured both Greensboro and Guilford on October 23rd.

Vargas posted a 20th-place finish in the 1650 freestyle for Salem, recording a 29:48.12, as she took nearly two minutes off her previous time in the event. Vargas, who was the first to race the event on October 23rd, had a previous mark of 31:38.84.

Two Spirits, Huffman and Alsakhita, competed in the 200 backstroke and finished 23rd and 25th, respectively. Huffman, taking part in the event for the first time in her collegiate career, posted a time of 2:51.43. Meanwhile, Alsakhita, tapped the wall in 4:19.67.

Madison Fullerton competed in one event on Saturday afternoon for Salem, finishing 30th in the 200 breaststroke with a time of 3:49.79.

RESULTS & TIMES (WILLIAM PEACE INVITATIONAL)