Division III Fall Invitational Recap: D-3 Swimmers Among the Nation’s Best

Photo Courtesy: Allen Rich

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Just as many short course records were broken around the country this weekend, Division III competition did not disappoint as NCAA records in this category fell as well. With help from Andrew Wilson and Arthur Conover, Division III competition is quickly gaining speed and attention.

For reference, Emory’s Wilson swam a 51.14 in the 100 breaststroke this weekend. Not only is this the fastest time for D-3 so far this season, but it is the second fastest out of any division, and would have won Division I NCAAs last season. Conover’s 1,650 record breaking swim stands at number twelve across all three divisions, and this swim would have nearly earned him Honorable Mention All-American status last year at D-1 NCAAs.

And in a world where Division III swimmers are among the country’s best, it is easy to overlook the other top performances across D-3 from fall invitationals. Below are some of the other standout swims from D-3 athletes this weekend:

Miami Invitational

Photo Courtesy: Allen Rich

Top Performances:

Katie Kustritz (Denison)- 100/200 breast: Freshman Kustritz continued her dominance in the breaststroke races this weekend after posting a 1:01.46 and 2:15.90. Both swims are under last year’s invited time for NCAAs and are the top ranked swims in the country for D-3. These were both lifetime bests for Kustritz, but don’t expect her to slow down anytime soon. Her 100 puts her in good contention for the NCAA record of 1:00.54 come March.
Fiona Muir (Emory) – 50/100 free: Muir now holds the nation’s top times in both of these events at 23.15 and 50.00. The 50 freestyles on the women’s side this fall were a bit slower than they were last year across the board. Muir’s 100, however, is .02 ahead of the swam that gave her runner-up honors in the event at last year’s NCAAs. She led off her team’s 400 free relay in a 50.9 at this meet last year, so this is another great glimpse of what’s to come in Texas.
Oliver Smith (Emory) – 50 free: While the women’s 50s are a few tenths slower than this point last year, the same cannot be said for the men. Smith leads a trio of three men who are already under the 20 second barrier in this event. Last year, only three men were under this benchmark at NCAAs. Smith’s time of 19.67 is just off his 19.55 winning time from March. He also stands at over two tenths faster than the next closest competitor so far in the 50.
Christian Baker (Emory) – 500/1,650 free: Among the likes of Conover and Andy Greenhalgh, you cannot overlook Emory’s Christian Baker. Baker currently sits between the two in the 1,650, but is leading the nation in the 500. His 4:21.23 from this weekend was enough to post an A cut, and equals what he swam in the prelims of this event of NCAAs. He finished third last year in the 500 and fifth in the 1,650. Keep an eye out for Baker, a senior, to have the meet of his career in March.

Total Performance Invitational

Photo Courtesy: James B Coon, JHU Athletics

Top Performances:

Julia Wilson (Kenyon)- 100 breast: Before this weekend, it was a safe bet to say that Denison’s Kustritz would take the 100 breast at NCAAs this year. That was of course, until Kenyon’s Julia Wilson had a say in the matter. The junior was not off to as fast of a start as Kustritz was this season, but after swimming a 1:01.47 (just .01 behind) this weekend and finishing third at last year’s NCAA Championships, an experienced Wilson will be more than ready to go after Kustritz and the NCAA record as well.
Mark Wilson (JHU) – 100/200 fly: After earning three Honorable Mention All-American honors as a fresman, Wilson is now the fastest 100 and 200 butterflyer in D-3 this season. His 48.15 will certainly put him in the mix to be towards the top of the podium in March, as will his 1:48.31 in the 200. Both of these swims are much faster than his NCAA swims from last year.
Andrew Greenhalgh (JHU) – 500/1,650 free: Rounding out the distance trifecta this year is JHU’s Andy Greenhalgh. He is currently third in both the 500 and 1,650 with a 4:25.08 and a 15:22.32. The reigning NCAA Champion in both events, you can never count out Greenhalgh, even against a rising senior in Baker and an NCAA record holder in Conover. The distance events on the men’s side will certainly be some of the best races to watch.
Evan Holder (JHU) – 200 free: Holder has a steady lead over the competition in the 200 free after posting a 1:36.93 this weekend. After finishing second in this event, the 200 IM and the 200 breast, it would make sense for Holder to focus on the freestyle. With Andrew Wilson likely to break the NCAA records in both of the latter events, the 200 free is Holder’s best shot at an individual NCAA title. With this swim, he is setting himself up well to do so. The next closest swimmers are Conover and Baker, who have both gone 1:38.0 this year.

MIT Invitational

Photo Courtesy: MIT Athletics

Top Performances:

Julien Zhu (NYU)- 400 IM: Freshman Zhu made her mark in the 400 IM after swimming a lifetime best 4:24.75 this weekend at MIT. This is also the fastest time in D-3 this season. Zhu does not really have a significant best or weak stroke in the IM, so her consistency and ability to come home under 1:00 is what set her apart from the field.
Ryan Boraski (Keene State) – 50/100 free: Along with Smith and Jesse Novak, Boraski is the third sprinter in the group of three under 20 right now. His 19.95 is .04 out of second, while his 100 time of 44.23 was good enough for a second place ranking. Both swims were lifetime bests for Boraski, as he did not even final in the 50 free at last year’s NCAA Championships. At this rate, he should be looking to improve upon this, as well as his third-place 100 free from last year.
Bouke Edskes (MIT) – 400 IM: Edskes swam a 4:53.40 in the 400 IM, but what is most impressive is that he did it by himself in a time trial. Edskes’ strong front half is what allowed him to be successful in this one, as he was out 51.04 with a 58.22 backstroke leg. Put him in a race against the nation’s best swimmers and he will definitely improve upon his 1:08.4 breast and 55.74 free splits. Just a freshman, this was a lifetime best for Edskes, so expect to see his name throughout the next four years.
Chad Moody (NYU) – 100 back: All-American Moody raced to a lifetime best in the 100 back with a 49.04. This was almost a full second faster than he has ever been, as he will be looking to improve on his 23rd place finish in this event from last year’s NCAAs. This is an event that will be essentially wide open after NCAA record holder Benjamin Lin of Williams.

From the 50 to the 1,650, the fall invitationals this year once again provided a great preview of what’s to come in March. It is clear that Division III swimmers are stepping up to become not only the best swimmers in their division, but to become some of the fastest in the country in general.

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