Division III Recap: Denison Men, Kenyon Women Win NCAC Titles By Narrow Margins

At the end of a weekend of close racing the Denison men and Kenyon women emerged from the 2019 NCAC Championships with team titles, both by narrow margins. The Kenyon women scored 1,937 points to Denison’s 1,882. The Denison men scored 1,851 points to Kenyon’s 1,829.5.

Women

Denison’s KT Kustritz was on fire this weekend and could be dangerous again come Nationals. She won the 200 IM in 1:59.68 ahead of NCAA Division III record holder Crile Hart in 2:02.45. Defending national champion Kustrtiz also won the 100 breaststroke in a new meet record time of 1:00.47 and the 200 breaststroke in another meet record mark of 2:14.57.

Her sophomore teammate Maddie Hopkins set a new meet and pool record in the 50 free in 22.85. She also won the 100 fly in 54.68, the number two time in the country this year. Hopkins joined Kustritz in a sweep of her events, winning the 100 freestyle in a meet record time of 50.12.

Despite finishing second in the 200 IM Hart won the 100 back (55.02) and the 200 fly (2:02.12).

Kenyon swam a nation leading time of 7:20.31 in the 800 freestyle relay behind Delaney Ambrosen, Kendall Vanderhoof, Abby Wilson, and Hannah Orbach-Mandel. Vanderhood and Orbach-Mandel went one-two in the 500 free in 4:55.13 and 4:57.60.

Denison won the 400 medley relay in 3:40.75 with the team of Casey Kirby, Kustritz, Hopkins, and Mia Chiappe. After DQing their A medley relay in prelims, Kenyon won the 200 medley with Hart, Makena Markert, Caylee Hamilton, and Emmir Mirus in 1:40.48. That relay alone could have cost the Big Red the team title. They lost by a mere 55 points, and relay win is worth 70 in the NCAC.

Denison’s Natalie Zaravella ran away with the 400 IM in 4:24.03, the only woman to achieve the NCAA B cut. Zaravella was second in the mile in 17:05.88 behind Vanderhoof, who was out quickly, in 17:01.40.

After their dominance in the 800 free relay, Kenyon took the top four spots in the 200 free with Orbach-Mandel winning in 1:49.91 followed by Vanderhoof in 1:50.16. Kenyon added a one through four finish in the 200 back, with Ambrosen taking the win in 2:01.16.

The meet ended in a close 400 freestyle relay with Denison winning by a half second with Chiappe (51.00), Hopkins (49.36), Kirby (51.06), and Kustritz (50.88) ahead of the Ladies’ Celina German (51.85), Wilson (49.97), Orbach-Mandel (50.24), and Mirus (50.73).

Team Scores

1. Kenyon College                     1937   2. Denison University                 1882
  3. DePauw University                1194.5   4. College of Wooster                 1153
  5. Allegheny College                1005.5   6. Ohio Wesleyan University            827
  7. Oberlin College                     495   8. Wittenberg                          477
  9. Hiram College                       309

Men

Kenyon opened the meet with an 800 freestyle relay win in 6:35.94. Every split was sub-1:40 with Nick Tong (1:39.59), Robert Williams (1:37.98), Tommy Weiss (1:39.64), and Michael Bartholomew (1:38.73). The 200 freestyle relay was much closer, but the Lords still edged Denison by three tenths of a second, with David Fitch (20.66), Joseph Black (20.22), Weiss(19.85), and Weston Carpenter (20.40) finishing in 1:21.13.

Denison senior Matt Hedman was one of the Big Red’s exhibition swimmers this weekend. While he posted some swift times (4:28.96 500 free, 3:57.25 400 IM, 15:18.98 mile), he was not an event champion. His junior teammate James Baker won the 500 in 4:27.36 while Kenyon freshman Bryan Fitzgerald was also under 4:30 in 4:28.84. Baker also took the mile in 15:31.71, not far ahead of Fitzgerald in 15:40.18.

Kenyon took the top two spots in a tight 200 IM as Luis Weekes set a meet record 1:49.20 and his teammate Bartholomew (1:49.76) and Denison’s Ryan Stevenson (1:49.87) were also under 1:50. Denison senior and conference record holder Bebe Wang swam an exhibition 1:52.34.

Kenyon made it one-two-three in the 100 fly with Fitch snagging the win in 48.60. After posting the fastest 800 free relay split, the Lords’ Williams won the 200 free in 1:39.21. Batholomew won the 200 back with a 1:46.65 while his teammate Black edged Denison’s Kymani Senior 44.62 to 44.65 to win the 100 free.

Denison went one-two-three in the 50 free led by Matt McHugh in 20.33. Four men were under four minutes in the 400 IM with Denison picking up another win, this time from John Stauffer in 3:55.55.

In prelims of the 100 breaststroke Kenyon senior Humphrey Pruett set a new meet record of 54.58. At night he held on to win in 54.88. Pruett was later second in the 200 breaststroke in 1:59.84 and he and Denison’s winner Stevenson (1:59.43) were both under the pool and meet record.

Kenyon sophomore Fitch won the 100 back in 47.89 while his senior teammate Jon Zimdars won the 200 fly in 1:49.30.

Team Scores

1. Denison University                 1851   2. Kenyon College                   1829.5
  3. DePauw University                  1123   4. Wabash College                   1093.5
  5. College of Wooster                 1013   6. Ohio Wesleyan University            780
  7. Allegheny College                   720   8. Oberlin College                     457
  9. Wittenberg                          449  10. Hiram College                       195

Full results here.

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Marc Orbach

5 years ago

Correction: Hannah Orbach-Mandel won the 200 Free in 1:49.91.

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Cathleen Pruden

5 years ago

Reply to Marc Orbach

Oops! Looks like I reported prelims results for that 200 free! Fixing now. Thanks for pointing it out!