Connor Dignan Sets Another Div. III Diving Record, Two More Conference Records Fall at NCAC Championships

GRANVILLE, Ohio, February 14. THE Denison men and Kenyon women still lead the team races after two days of swimming and three days of competition at the North Coast Athletic Conference championships.

Denison’s lead has grown to 155 points over Kenyon, 1,460 points to 1,305. In the women’s meet, only 26 points separated Kenyon from Denison, making every point in tomorrow’s competition important. Connor Dignan set another NCAA Division III record in diving, this time in the 1-meter springboard, while two conference records fell in swimming.

Dignan’s score of 578.70 beat the division record of 557.90 set in 2002 by Gabe Korteum of St. Olaf College. That makes two division records for the Denison junior after setting one in the 3-meter on Wednesday. Unfortunately, Division III competition does not include platform diving, so Dignan’s competition at the conference championships is complete. We’ll have to wait until next month’s Division III championships to see if he can improve on those scores.

In the men’s meet, Denison continued to stack up the points with depth in every swimming event, but none as much as in the 1-meter diving where Denison scored first through sixth for 180 points. The Big Red men won the day’s opening event, the 200 medley relay, with a 1:30.17 to DePauw’s 1:30.94. Kenyon took third with a 1:30.97.

Kenyon struck back in the 400 IM with the first conference record, a 3:54.18 from Andrew Chevalier to beat his own mark of 3:54.51 from 2012. Teammates Ian Reardon (4:00.10) and Mark Newell (4:01.31) were second and third to help keep Kenyon in the hunt at that point.

Another win for Kenyon came in the 100 butterfly, as Christian Josephson blasted a pool record 48.62 for the victory over DePauw’s Casey Hooker’s 48.76. Hooker turned first at the 50, 22.59 to 22.91 but couldn’t outlast Josephson’s final 50. Andrew Rich of Denison took third with a 49.21.

Carlos Maciel took the win for Denison in the 200 free with a 1:38.43 to beat the pool record of 1:38.84 he set in prelims. Kenyon continued to keep the meet close with five swimmers in the top 10. Austin Caldwell was second for the Kenyon Lords with a 1:39.65 and Joey Duronio took third for Kenyon with a 1:40.28.

Damon Rosenburg of Denison set the other conference record of the day, posting a quick 54.66 in the men’s 100 breast to rest his own mark by six tenths of a second. He’ll be gunning for his NCAA Division III record of 53.61 at the championship meet next month. In second place was Trevor Manz of Kenyon with a 55.43 and Al Nenning of Denison took third with a 56.23.

Denison stayed comfortably in the lead after the men’s 100 backstroke, despite a victory by Kenyon’s Harrison Curley with a pool record 49.15, which reset the pool record of 49.62 set by him in prelims. Denison’s Jackson Humphrey settled for second with a 50.63, while his teammate Spencer Frock was third with a 51.01. After that, Denison’s point lead grew with diving.

Kenyon won its fourth event of the day with a 6:39.94 in the 800 free relay. DePauw had a sizeable lead through 700 yards, but a 1:41.91 split from anchor Matt Haeske could not hold off Kenyon’s Caldwell, who split a 1:37.53. That was two seconds faster than his individual 200 free in which he placed second. Well back in third was Denison with a 6:46.41.

In the women’s meet, Kenyon won all but two events, but Denison’s depth kept them in the lead, though slightly. Kenyon won the 200 medley relay with a pool record 1:41.93 , breaking the previous one by three seconds. Denison was second with a 1:43.26 while Wittenberg took third with a 1:46.88.

Denison’s Michelle Howell continued a strong meet with a 4:24.00 to win the 400 IM and set a new pool record. A full four seconds back in the runner-up spot was teammate Taylor Johns with a 4:28.04, and Angela Newlon of DePauw was third with a 4:28.27.

The only event not won by Kenyon or Denison today was by Courtney McGovern of Wooster, who took the 100 fly with a 56.36. She was a second behind Kenyon’s Jourdan Cline at the 50-yard mark, but outsplit Cline 29.65 to 30.93 in the backhalf to nip Cline at the wall. Cline settled for second with a 56.61, while Kenyon’s Erika Jensen was third with a 57.10.

Hillary Yarosh got Kenyon back into the win column with a 1:49.62 in the 200 free, the only swim under 1:50 today. It set a new pool record for the second time today for Yarosh, beating her 1:50.49 in prelims. Next up was the 100 breast, where Kenyon’s Katie Kaestner posted a 1:03.22 in finals after a 1:03.01 in prelims that set a pool record.

Another Kenyon win in the 100 backstroke came at the hands of Celia Oberholzer with a pool record 55.35, lowering the mark of 55.77 from prelims. Teammate Rachel Flinn was second with a 55.91 after posting a 55.85 in prelims, and Denison’s Molly Willingham took third with a 56.32.

In the 800 free relay, the Ladies of Kenyon dominated with a 7:27.66 over Denison’s 7:29.48. DePauw was well back with a 7:31.22.

Results For: North Coast Athletic Conference, day two

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