Summit League Championships

ROCHESTER, Michigan, February 21. OAKLAND freshman Anders Jensen hit his second NCAA automatic qualifying standard and set league, school and pool records in the 200-yard backstroke (1:41.49) and set an NCAA ‘B' cut and school, pool and league records in the 200 butterfly (1:44.19), and was thus awarded both Newcomer of the Championship and Swimmer of the Year as Oakland University took the Summit League Championship title for the 10th year in a row Saturday at the OU Aquatic Center.

The Golden Grizzlies also set NCAA "B" cuts in the 200 back with junior Agnes Solan (1:57.33, also a league record), junior Marcin Unold in the 200 back (1:44.77), senior Aaron Holdsworth in the 200 fly (1:44.77) and the men's 400 free relay team of senior Andy Kellogg, senior Justin Veneklase, senior Nicholas Bonucchi and Unold (2:55.95, also a league and pool record).

For the women, the Golden Grizzlies had top showings from senior and repeating Swimmer of the Year Sophia Gustafsson in the 1650 freestyle (16:57.33) and freshman and Newcomer of the Year Alyssa Vela set a Summit League record in the 100 free (50.35).

Centenary's Madeline Wyatt broke the school record in the 200-yard back, as did Jessica Brown. However, it is Wyatt, who will have her name at the top with a time of 2:05.06. With her fourth place finish in the 100-yard free, Leslie Clampitt was able to break the school mark in a time of 52.37, which surpasses her own record by four tenths of a second. In the 200-yard breaststroke, freshman Brittany Wilkens (2:27.72) was just shy of breaking the school, as she was five tenths of a second off. Brown, meanwhile, placed fifth in the 200-yard butterfly, but her time of 2:07.30 shattered the school record by over two seconds.

Both of the 400-yard freestyle relay teams had a good swim, as the Ladies finished third and the Gents were second. The men finished in a time of 3:04.20, which was over a second faster than the school record. The women (3:30.72), meanwhile, were just a second from finishing second, but their time was also fast enough for a new school mark.

Eastern Illinois' Rich Waszak led the Panthers as he placed fourth in the 200-Back in 1:53.40, just short of setting a new school-record time. Joe Ethington took home a sixth place finish in the 100 free with a time of 46.67. While Nathan Moritz had a time of 1:56.50 in the 200 fly to take seventh place. Laura Nilsen captured fifth in the 200 back in 2:07.51, less than a second off her previous school-record time. Lauren Zillmer was seventh in the 100 free, touching in 53.03. Senior Sheila Dugan finished just a second off school-record time in the 200-Breast, touching in 2:25.89.

In relay action, the foursome of Zillmer, Alex Green, Nilsen, and Story Pumphrey touched the wall in 3:34.40, to finish fifth in the 400-Free Relay. The men, meanwhile, captured third place with a time of 3:09.71 as Ethington, Steven King, Tim Mathieu, and Elliott McGill joined forces.

Western Illinois' Laura Dinkleman turned in a solid performance as she won the 200 fly with a time of 2:01.92. McKinzie Jacobs finished second in the 1,650 free with a time of 17:09.10 for the Westerwinds.

On the men's side, Eric Campbell placed second in the men's three-meter dives with a score of 291.10 to lead the Leathernecks.

The Westerwinds' relay team of Kaley Rowe, Taylor Martin, Alyssa Deffner and Amanda Smith swam the 400 free relay with a time of 3:29.74 which was good for second.

South Dakota State's Katie Budahl broke her own school record in the 200 breast clocking a winning time of 2:17.55. She became the first Jackrabbit woman to win an individual Summit League title. Christina Gerometta set a new record in the 1,650 free with a sixth-place time of 17:51.21. Gerometta became the first woman in SDSU history to finish the event in less than 18 minutes. Mallory Onisk also set her third school record in as many days with a fourth-place time of 2:05.05 seconds in the 200 fly.

On the men's side, James Motley set a school record in the 1,650 free for the Jacks. His time of 16:11.52 was more than 30 seconds better than the previous record of 16:41.90 set in 2006. Cade Roberts, placed fourth in the 200 breast with a time of 2:09.10. He also teamed with sophomores John Bisson, Jason Garder and Mark Sandager to take fifth in the 400 free relay. The quartet came in with a time of 3:11.67.

IUPUI was led by Jaron Tuttle as the senior from South Bend, Ind., won the men's three-meter diving with a score of 304.60 en route to being named The Summit League's Diver of the Year. On the women's side, freshman Chen Ni recorded a score of 265.85, setting a new Summit League championship record in the women's one-meter dives. Ni also set the league standard in the women's three-meter dives with a score of 282.70 as she was named The Summit League's Diver of the Year.

Special thanks to the Summit League for contributing this report.

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