Opponent:
Emory Last Chance Meet | Atlanta, Ga. | Madeleine Jude Brown Aquatic Ctr. | February 23-24

REGULAR SEASON FINALE FOR SALEM SWIMMING
The Salem swim team appears in its final meet of the 2023-24 season on February 23-24, when it heads to Emory University in Atlanta, Ga. The Spirits are making a quick turnaround from a three-day stay at the Independent South Swim Conference Championships which took place from February 15-17.

Salem is one of five teams competing in the meet, including Berry College, Mars Hill, Wingate and the host Eagles.

SALEM CONCLUDES ISSC CHAMPIONSHIPS WITH TWO INDIVIDUAL CROWNS
The Salem swim team capped off its final home meet of the 2023-24 season by breaking two records and establishing a best time in the 1650 freestyle in a meet that featured not only the host Spirits, but Greensboro and Warren Wilson.

DAY ONE | FEB. 15: Salem's Omega Pinnix wrapped up the first full day of competition at the Independent South Swim Championships by breaking her own 50 freestyle record, closing the race in third place.

Pinnix established her individual record in the event at the William Peace Invitational on November 17th with a time of 25.38. However, on Thursday evening, the Salem junior shaved another 0.49 seconds off that time to deliver a mark of 24.89.

Pinnix touched the wall third behind the duo of Jamie Horne (Southern Virginia) and Sophia Swenson (William Peace) in the event. Horne established a new meet record with a mark of 24.55, while Swenson posted a time of 24.89.

Marabeth Huffman also took part in the 50 freestyle, reaching the consolation finals with a morning time of 28.19. Teammate Madison Fullerton narrowly missed the finals with a mark of 35.45.

Huffman enjoyed a time of 28.24 in the 50 freestyle consolation finals, finishing sixth in the event. The top time belonged to Southern Virginia's Loni Tippetts.

DAY TWO | FEB. 16: Omega Pinnix added to her list of firsts on Friday, February 16th, when she became the first-ever Salem swimming to capture an individual crown in the Independent South Swim Championships, which came in the 100 backstroke event.

Pinnix streaked down the lane in the 100 backstroke to touch the wall in a time of 1:00.21. She was 4.83 seconds faster than second-place finisher Caroline Massaro (Piedmont) and 8.14 seconds quicker than Loni Tippetts (Southern Virginia).

Marabeth Huffman was also involved in the Championship round of the 100 backstroke event for the Spirits, closing sixth with a mark of 1:14.30.

Madison Fullerton reached the consolation bracket of the 100 breaststroke, where she finished third and ninth overall with a time of 1:46.67.

Coupled with a third from Pinnix and a 12th from Huffman on Thursday, Salem has two Top-5 finishes and four Top-10 outings at the Independent South Swim Championships.

DAY THREE | FEB. 17: Salem's Omega Pinnix earned her second individual crown of the Independent South Swim Championships on Saturday evening when she tapped the wall first in the 200 backstroke.

Pinnix, who finished the three-day event with two individual titles, not only established a new Salem program record, but also an Independent South Swim Championship with her performance in the 200 backstroke event.

The Salem junior tapped the wall in a time of 2:10.34, shattering the championship mark held by Piedmont's Carolina Massaro, who recorded a time of 2:12.82 last season. Pinnix also broke her own school mark, which came in a dual with Columbia College and Warren Wilson on December 2nd, where she streaked down the pool in 2:19.50.

Pinnix was over 10 seconds faster than Massaro, who finished the 2024 event with a time of 2:20.89, and had a 20.81-second advantage over Grace Kopf (Piedmont), who rounded out the Top-3 finishers.

Madison Fullerton reached the consolation finals of the 200 backstroke, finishing fourth (10th overall) with a time of 3:50.77.

Pinnix wrapped up an impressive three-day stint at the Independent South Swim Championships, earning three All-Conference honors along the way (100 backstroke, 200 backstroke, 50 freestyle) to go along with her two first-place finishes.

Teammate Marabeth Huffman also drew All-Conference accolades in the 100 backstroke, along with being named Academic All-Conference on the season.

PINNIX ON VERGE OF NCAA DIVISION III CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFYING TIME
Salem junior Omega Pinnix has the opportunity to make a triumphant return to her hometown of Greensboro in March.

The Gate City and the Greensboro Aquatic Center will serve as the host site for the NCAA Division III Championships from March 20-23.

Pinnix has an outside shot to reach the NCAA Division III Championships in five different events, based off her previous posted times this season.

RECORD BOOK GOING THROUGH MAJOR OVERHAULS THIS SEASON
Salem has broken nine records and competed in three events for the first time in the eight meets which it has competed in during the 2023-24 campaign.

Junior Omega Pinnix has broken nine program individual records for the Spirits this season. The Greensboro, N.C., native set new program records in the 50 freestyle (24.89), 100 backstroke (1:00.21), 100 breaststroke (1:12.75), 100 freestyle (56.37), 200 backstroke (2:10.34), 200 breaststroke (2:50.00), 200 freestyle (2:03.79), 200 individual medley relay (2:28.45) and the 500 freestyle (6:00.13).

Pinnix Record-Breaking Timeline

September 23, 2023: Pinnix's time in the 100 backstroke topped the previous mark, held by Rachel Fichthorn, which was 1:08.68.

November 18, 2023: Pinnix managed to reset her own personal records in two of the aforementioned events—the 50 freestyle and the 100 freestyle. She did this when Spirits took part in the William Peace Invitational, which took place on November 18th. Her new time of 25.38 in the 50 freestyle was 1.92 seconds faster than her previous 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 at the William Peace Invitational. After posting a time of 1:00.30 in the 100 freestyle at the Greensboro and Guilford dual on October 23rd, Pinnix touched the wall in 56.37 in Raleigh, N.C.

Pinnix broke Fichthorn's mark in the 200 backstroke by nearly five seconds with a time of 2:24.71 at the William Peace Invitational. The Greensboro, N.C., native shaved another five seconds off her time in Salem's dual with Columbia and Warren Wilson on December 2nd, touching the wall in 2:19.50, as she broke her own personal best in the event.

December 2, 2023: Pinnix 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. The Greensboro, N.C., native shaved another five seconds off her 200 backstroke time in Salem's dual with Columbia and Warren Wilson on December 2nd, touching the wall in 2:19.50, as she broke her own personal best in the event.

January 13, 2024: Returning to her hometown for the third time this season, Pinnix established two more program records when Salem faced the trio of Guilford, Greensboro and Randolph on January 13th. The Gate City native set new marks in the 200 breaststroke and the 200 individual medley. Pinnix established the new record in the 200 breaststroke by touching the wall in 2:50.00, which topped the mark held by Olivia Kleven of 2:51.76. Pinnix also came through with a mark of 2:28.45 in the 200 medley relay, bettering the mark previously held by Rachel Fichthorn, which stood at 2:35.02. Pinnix placed first in both events for the Spirits.

January 27, 2024: Pinnix established records in both the 100 breaststroke (1:12.75) and the 500 freestyle (6:00.13) on January 27th in the Salem Fast Chance Meet. The Greensboro, N.C., native established a new record in the 100 breaststroke, tapping the wall in 1:12.75, which broke the previous mark of 1:16.31 held by Olivia Kleven. In the same meet, Pinnix also established a new program record in the 500 freestyle (6:00.13), edging Rachel Fichthorn's previous mark of 6:16.86, which came at a dual with Mars Hill and Emory & Henry on November 17, 2007.

February 15, 2024: Salem's Omega Pinnix wrapped up the first full day of competition at the Independent South Swim Championships by breaking her own 50 freestyle record, closing the race in third place. Pinnix established her individual record in the event at the William Peace Invitational on November 17th with a time of 25.38. However, on Thursday evening, the Salem junior shaved another 0.49 seconds off that time to deliver a mark of 24.89.

February 16, 2024: Omega Pinnix added to her list of firsts on Friday, February 16th, when she became the first-ever Salem swimming to capture an individual crown in the Independent South Swim Championships, which came in the 100 backstroke event. Pinnix streaked down the lane in the 100 backstroke to touch the wall in a time of 1:00.21.

February 17, 2024: Salem's Omega Pinnix earned her second individual crown of the Independent South Swim Championships on Saturday evening when she tapped the wall first in the 200 backstroke. Pinnix, who finished the three-day event with two individual titles, not only established a new Salem program record, but also an Independent South Swim Championship with her performance in the 200 backstroke event (2:10.34).

First year Marabeth Huffman put her name into the Salem swimming record books at the Fast Chance Meet on January 27th. Huffman, who posted a time of 24:55.43 in the 1650 freestyle, topped the previous mark held by teammate Sara Vargas, who had posted a time of 29:45.53 in the event, which came at the Greensboro/Guilford Dual on October 24th.

Vargas still owns the program record in the 200 butterfly, which bested Daja Jones' mark established earlier in the season, with a time of 3:51.34 at the William Peace Invitational in November.

UPDATED TOP MARKS IN PROGRAM HISTORY (by event)