Division II Weekly Recap: National Stage Is Set?

Photo Courtesy: Maury Neipris; Nova Southeastern Athletics

The final weekend of the Division II landscape saw some more fast swimming as Nova Southeastern swept the Sunshine State Conference and Lindenwood women and Delta State won the New South Conference Championship over the weekend.

Nova Southeastern won the Sunshine State Conference ahead of Tampa, Florida Southern and Saint Leo. Emma Sundstedt and Courtney DeVeny were the stars on the weekend for the Sharks as Sundstedt won three events and DeVeny won four.

Sunshine State results

Sundstedt won the 1000 (9:49.65) in the fastest time out of all the conference meets. She also won the 200 free (1:47.49) and the 500 (4:48.11) in the fastest time out of all the conference meets. She was also on Nova’s winning 400 (3:21.16) and 800 (7:22.14) free relays. Sundstedt also owns the hardest name to spell in Division II.

DeVeny won four total individual events for the Sharks this weekend in Clearwater. DeVeny won the 200 IM (2:00.22), 400 IM (4:16.40), 200 fly (1:59.80) and the 200 back (1:57.73). Her IM times were the fastest out of all the Division II conference meets as she is one of the favorites in those events at NCAA’s.

DeVeny also led off the 400 medley (3:41.86) and the 200 medley (1:40.31) relay team that won. She also anchored the 800 free relay team with Sundstedt.

With DeVeny and Sundstedt, Nova Southeastern could play spoiler if everyone is on point with their tapers. The team indicated they weren’t fully tapered as their times were not much faster than what they did mid-season.

Nova also got wins from Sydney Panzarino in the 50 (23.07), Jenna Johns in the 100 back (54.88) and Malin Westman in both breaststrokes (1:02.26, 2:15.59).

The Sharks were not the only team making headlines in Clearwater as Tampa’s Hana van Loock had a strong swim in the 100 free (49.85) to finish ahead of Panzarino (50.15). Saint Leo’s Natalia Garriock won the 100 fly (53.81) and was second in the 50 (23.13) behind Panzarino. Garriock was also third in the 100 free (50.26) in one of the most stacked races of the meet with van Loock and Panzarino.

The Nova men were not as dominant as the women, but still won the meet 876-802 over Florida Southern. Nova did not win any relays on the weekend as Florida Southern won both medley relays (1:27.82, 3:12.82) and the 800 free (6:33.38). Florida Tech won both sprint free relays (1:20.24, 2:56.43), but Nova still managed to win the meet.

Nova’s Franco Lupoli won both distance races as he started the meet with a 9:02.20 in the 1000 and 15:23.94 in the 1650. His 1000 time was the fastest out of all the conference meets this season.

Lupoli actually didn’t make the A-final in the 500 as he swam a 4:26.03 to win the B-Final. It didn’t matter because the A-final was won by Saint Leo’s Matija Rafaj at 4:24.67. Lupoli’s time would have put him second in the final. Lupoli and Rafaj went head to head in the 1000 as Lupoli came out on top with a 9:02.20 to Rafaj’s 9:02.43.

Nova Southeastern did have impressive depth but also got wins from Magnus Poulsen in the 100 (46.87) and 200 fly (1:46.28). Florida Southern gave them everything they could handle in the meet as they had wins from Matthew Holmes in the 200 IM (1:46.28) and 400 IM (3:50.68), Nico Campbell in the 200 free (1:37.28), Brandon Dyck in the 100 back (47.69), Matias Lopez in the 200 back (1:45.78) and Luis Jasso in the 100 (53.58) and 200 breast (1:57.06). Having Jasso was one of the reasons Florida Southern won the medley relays.

Florida Tech won both sprint free relays in large part to Victor Rocha Furtado who won the 50 (19.72) and the 100 free (43.86). He is one of the favorites for the 100 free national title if he can challenge Oklahoma Baptist’s David Lambert.

The other major Division II conference meet over the weekend was the New South Conference in Cleveland, Mississippi.

New South Conference results

The Lindenwood women won by a slim margin over West Florida as the Lions won 1082-1065 with Delta State coming in third.

Simone de Rijcke was big for Lindenwood as she won the 500 (4:53.20) and was on the winning 800 free relay team (7:24.11) splitting a 1:48.66. She also anchored the winning 400 free relay team (3:22.87) with a 49.43. De Rijcke was also second in the 200 free (1:49.60) to Delta State’s Celina Batsel (1:49.39).

Ewa Dymarek also picked up a couple wins for Lindenwood as she won the 200 breast (2:14.59) and tied for first in the 100 (1:02.74) with West Florida’s Morgan Ayers. Dymarek had the fastest 200 breast over the weekend and currently sits seventh nationally with her time.

West Florida also got wins at the meet from Madeline Pitt in the 1000 (10:06.21), 400 IM (4:22.47) and the 1650 (16:50.45), Ayers in the 100 breast and the 200 IM (2:04.25) and Tabitha Read-Clayton in the 50 (23.23) and 100 free (50.65).

West Florida also won both medley relays (1:43.21, 3:43.91). Pia Hulley (26.42), Ayers (28.77), Read-Clayton (24.59) and Danica Burnett (23.43) swam on the 200 medley while Hulley (56.43), Ayers (1:01.88), Grace Sommerville (55.26) and Read-Clayton (50.34) won the 400. Overall, it was Lindenwood’s depth that got them by West Florida as Lindenwood won the 800 free relay with Kamila Kunka (1:50.83), Erika Garcia (1:53.11), de Rijcke (1:48.66) and Morgan Fischer (1:51.51) and the 200 free relay with Lexie Winnett (23.55), Kunka (23.73), Kinga Lesinska (23.50) and Abbey Maricle (22.78).

They also won the 400 free relay to clinch the meet at 3:22.87. Kunka (51.83), Winnett (51.06), Lesinska (50.55) and de Rijcke (49.43) were on the winning relay.

The New South Conference also had Delta State’s Lucia Martelli win the 100 (54.20) and 200 fly (2:01.35) and Hannah Retherford win the 100 (55.56) and 200 back (2:00.00).

The Delta State men ended up winning the New South men’s meet with 1024 points ahead of second place Lindenwood (936).

The Delta State men got wins from Giulio Brugnoni in the 100 (46.74) and 200 back (1:45.45) and the 100 fly (47.52), as well as Mattia Schirru in the 50 (20.36) and 100 free (44.18) as well as Nathan Sawicki in the 1650 (15:42.64). Delta State’s top guys have a chance to do some serious damage at nationals in two weeks as they were not tapered for this meet this weekend.

They also won the 400 medley relay (3:14.47) with Brugnoni (47.08), Cody Lavoie (54.84), Adam Charlton (48.82) and Schirru (43.73). They also won the shorter medley with Brugnoni (21.74), Lavoie (25.06), Charlton (22.19) and Alex Zolotukhin (19.72).

Delta State closed the meet with a win in the 400 free relay (2:57.51) with Kohen Kerr (45.22), Zolotukhin (44.08), Brugnoni (44.37) and Schirru (43.84) swimming for them. Brugnoni and Schirru are sure All-American favorites for their individual events at NCAA’s in two weeks as Delta State could push the top ten.

Lindenwood also had a strong meet in second with wins from Matheus Isidro in the 1000 (9:18.36), 200 fly (1:47.12) and 500 (4:29.63), Haoning Chen in the 200 IM (1:49.08), Cristian Vasquez in the 400 IM (3:50.78), Zach Linder in the 200 free (1:37.48) and Justin Winnett in the 100 (53.72) and 200 breast (1:58.96).

Lindenwood also won the 800 free relay (6:35.13) with Isidro (1:38.89), Vasquez (1:39.82), Chen (1:38.83) and Linder (1:37.59), as well as the 200 free relay (1:21.14) with Michal Szczukowski (20.75), Chen (19.98), Joao Silveira (20.18) and Ross Watson (20.23).

Lindenwood and Delta State are both capable of scoring in the top ten at NCAA’s.

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Jenny Gustavsson

6 years ago

Emma Sundstedt ??

Buffey Fell

6 years ago

Reply to Jenny Gustavsson

Emma is just a beast in the water. I enjoyed watching her swims. Great athlete.