Division II Meet Recap: Nunn Collects Records At GLVC Champs

Photo Courtesy: Hayley Good

This week featured some of the best teams in Division II head to their conference meets, including defending NCAA champions Queens University of Charlotte. Take a look below to read highlights of those meets and who you should be watching for at NCAA’s in just over a month!

Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

Grand Valley State swept the men’s and women’s GLIAC Championship meet this week, with the men taking their third straight title and the women winning their first since 2009. Grand Valley State Head Coach Andy Boyce was named GLIAC Coach of the Year for both the men’s and women’s meets. The win was the second all-time for the women’s team and the fifth all-time for the men’s team. Wayne State and Northern Michigan were second and third respectively for both men and women behind the Lakers. Some notable performances from the meet included:

Leonie Van Noort (Grand Valley State University) – The senior won the 1000 free (9:55.35) and 200 free (1:47.97), and 1650 free (16:40.57) all in championship records, while also nabbing a win in the 500 free (4:53.63). Van Noort also contributed to the winning 400 and 800 free relays. That marks the second year in a row that Van Noort has won the 200, 500, 1000, and 1650, and sets her up well to defend her NCAA titles in the 200 and 1650 in March.
Rachel Helm (Northern Michigan) – The freshman from Northern Michigan had a standout debut at the GLIAC conference meet, winning the 200 IM (2:01.17) and 100 fly (55.37) in championship records. She also posted a win in the 100 back (53.82), just .02 off the existing championship record, and won the 100 free (50.48).
Gabriel Souza (Grand Valley State University) – The senior had a stellar final conference meet, taking a win in the 100 fly (46.27) while also posting a championship record and career best. That time puts Souza as #1 in country in that event. He also contributed to wins in the 400 medley relay and 400 freestyle relays.

You can find complete results from the meet here.

Bluegrass Mountain Conference Championships

The Queens University of Charlotte men’s and women’s teams both walked away with their third consecutive Bluegrass Mountain Conference Championship this weekend, extending their streak as they now look to defend their NCAA Championship Titles in just under a month. The #2 ranked women pulled out a win over #7 Wingate by 33.5 points, 1584.5 to 1551, while the #1 ranked men pulled out a win over #10 Wingate by nearly 400 points, 1682 to 1293.

Paul Pijulet (Queens) – The junior won both the 100 back (47.27) and 200 back (1:44.36), the later in a championship record time. Pijulet also contributed to wins in the 200 medley, 400 medley, 200 free, and 800 free relays. His lead off time in the 400 medley relay also established a new conference record in the 100 backstroke (47.24).
Marius Kusch (Queens) – The sophomore won three individual events throughout the weekend including the 200 IM (1:46.81), the 100 butterfly (46.46), and the 200 butterfly (1:44.96). All three of those swims were personal bests for Kusch, and his 200 fly time broke Matt Josa’s conference record by .01 and puts him second in the country in the event. Kusch also contributed to winning 200, 400, and 800 freestyle relays that set new conference records, as well as the winning 400 medley relay.
Hannah Peiffer (Queens) – The senior won the 100 back (54.34) and 200 back (1:56.51) in addition to helping the 200 medley and 400 medley relays to wins. Her 200 back time was a personal best and had her finish ahead of Wingate’s Viktoriya Arkhipova, who is the conference record holder in the event and defending NCAA champion.

You can find complete results from the meet here.

Pacific Collegiate Swim Conference Championships

The UC San Diego men and women walked away with their ninth consecutive conference championship title this weekend at the PCSC Championships. The #4 women won the meet with a convincing 1601 points, almost 400 more than second place Fresno Pacific University. The #3 San Diego men had a closer meet but still took home a win over runner-up Fresno Pacific by 71 points, 1684 to 1613. Notable performers from the meet included:

Gabriel Hernandez (UC San Diego) – The senior took home swimmer of the meet honors after winning the 200 butterfly (1:45.11), 200 IM (1:46.89), and 400 IM (3:49.95). All three of those swims were school and meet records for the transfer, who is swimming his first and only season in Division II.
Daria Belova (Fresno Pacific University) – The junior from Fresno Pacific was just off her personal best times from last season when she took both the 200 breast (2:13.94) and 100 fly (54.14). Belova was also second in the 200 IM (2:02.43), which was her lifetime best. Belova was top 8 last year in the 200 breast and 100 fly, and could challenge for a top 3 spot in any of her individual events.

You can find complete results from the meet below:

Day One Day Two

Day Three Day Four

Great Lakes Valley Conference Championships

Drury Swimming & Diving captured both the men’s and women’s conference titles at the Great Lakes Valley Conference Championships over the weekend, winning their fourth straight on the men’s side and their third in four years on the women’s side. The women came away with 894 points, nearly 100 more than runner-up and defending champion Truman State, while the men compiled 867 to beat second place Missouri S&T by almost 200 points.

Drury’s win was notable due to the absence of NCAA record holder Wen Xu, who passed away just a week before the conference meet after suffering a medical emergency during a practice. At the conclusion of the meet, Missouri S&T head coach Doug Grooms declined his award for GLVC Coach of the Year, instead honoring Drury coaches Brian Reynolds and Doug Schranck. Some of the more notable swimmers from the weekend include:

Bailee Nunn (Drury) – The freshman from Drury continued what has been a stellar season, winning a total of seven events over the course of the conference meet, all in championship record time with two NCAA records as well. Nunn took first in the 200 IM (2:00.60), 100 fly (53.73), 100 breast (1:00.04), and 200 breaststroke (2:10.77) and was also on winning 200 free, 400 free, and 400 medley relays. Her time in the 100 breast established a new NCAA record in the event, while her time in the 200 breast tied the existing NCAA record. For her performance, Nunn was awarded Co-Freshman Of the Year along with Drury teammate Erica Dahlgren. Nunn appears to have had the strongest conference meet of anyone in Division II swimming this weekend, and appears poised for a historic NCAA’s in March.
Erica Dahlgren (Drury) – The Co-Freshman of the Year won the 1000 free (10:02.13) and 1650 free (16:50.91) in championship records. Dahlgren also won the 500 free (4:52.96) and 200 free (1:50.13) in addition to swimming on winning 400 and 800 free relays.
Jonathan Glaser (Missouri S&T) – The senior from Missouri S&T won the 200 free (1:35.42) and 100 free (43.67) in new conference records, moving himself to third in the country in both events. Glaser also won the 50 free (20.14), just a tenth off of the existing conference record. These are all personal bests for Glaser, who has traditionally focuses more on the 500, 1000, and 1650 over the years.

You can find complete results from the meet here.

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JeffiferJean

7 years ago

Y’all failed to acknowledge some really fast swimming at the RMAC Conference last week. Distance freestyler Sam Bryant jumped to the top of the Top TImes list in several events and the Colorado Mesa men’s team outscored the favored Cal Baptist team.

Jennifer Hamer Radomski

7 years ago

What about the great swimming at RMACs last week?