Division III Recap: Queens Maintains Reign Over Emory

Emory parents 5
Photo Courtesy: Hayley Good

As is usually the case early in the season, the top of the NCAA Division III rankings were shaken up significantly this weekend, as some teams dove into their first meet of the year, and a few others have begun to settle into a racing groove.

The Emory Eagles faced their first real test of the season, ultimately falling to Division II Queens. In their weekend-long challenge against Division I competition, Johns Hopkins picked up one team victory, but set a number of nation leading times along the way.

Both the NYU men and women beat Rowan University, and Kenyon got back in the water at the Kenyon Relays.

Divisional Dual: Emory Falls to Queens

Queens (the reigning Division II National Champions) was fairly dominant against Division III’s Emory on Saturday in Atlanta. In their first real test, though, the Eagles put together some of the fastest times in the country so far this year.

Underclass women provided many of the highlights for the Eagle women.

Freshman Edie Bates was third in the 100 breast (1:06.96). Her classmate Clio Hancock was 2:06.17 in the 200 fly for third. Hancock also put together a 4:30.19 400 IM, the fastest time in the country this year. Freshman Gaige Elms led the Eagle women’s backstroke crew, placing second in the 200 in 2:07.14.

Sophomore Lucy Daro was second in the 100 free in 52.57. That stands as the number two time in Division III in this young season. She also has the nation leading 200 free (1:53.70).

Senior Meg Taylor was notably better than last week against Birmingham Southern, and two weeks ago at the intersquad meet, going a 24.65 and 53.71 in the 50 and 100 free.

For the men, Trey Kolleck went a 45.25 to win the 100 free. That was just more than a second off his lifetime best 44.11 swum at NCAAs last year. This early in the season, that time leads the nation by a full three quarters of a second. Kolleck also won the 50 in 20.76, another nation leading time.

Reigning mile NCAA champion Tom Gordon put together a 9:31.68 in the 1000. He came home in 25.33 (faster than his opening 50 of 25.46), in an effort to out touch Queens’ Mohamed Hegazy. That’s the fastest time in Division III by a full 15 seconds.

Sophomore Kellen Stillman was runner up in the 200 free (1:42.06). Junior Sage Ono won the 100 back (51.53). The Eagles also claimed first through fourth in the 200 fly, led by freshman Will Schuler (1:56.32).

Full Results

Hop (Partly) on Top

Friday night Johns Hopkins raced Towson, the Naval Academy, and William and Mary. Most Blue Jays appear to have swum off events, while both teams lost to all three Division I opponents.

Saturday morning in Lewisburg, PA, the Blue Jays put together a top notch line up to race Bucknell. The women were competitive early, before the Bison pulled away (182 to 112). The Blue Jay men flew right over their Division I competition, winning 174 to 114.

Freshman Sydney Okubo continues to shine. She went a 26.70 leading off the 200 medley relay, before improving her nation leading 200 backstroke time to a 2:03.68, and winning the 100 backstroke in 57.15 (another number one time). She ended the weekend with a 4:30.39 400 IM, the second-fastest time in Division III this year.

Sophomore Emma McElrath continues to lead in the distance events, winning the 1000 (10:29.07) and touching second in the 500 (5:04.57). Other Blue Jay women picking up wins against Division I competition were Sonia Lin (100 Breast, 1:06.24), Michelle Wang (200 Fly, 2:06.60), and Kiki Petersen (50 Free, 24.16).

Emile KuylMax ChenBrandon Fabian, and Nat Davenport put together a 1:32.35 200 medley relay, nearly two seconds faster than Bucknell.

Freshmen Noah Corbitt (1:41.66) and Collin Hughes (1:42.48) did not match their season best 200 freestyles but still went one-two against their Division I competition. Hughes was 4:44.78 to win the 500. Blue Jay freshmen picked up another victory with Chen in the 100 breaststroke (57.20).

Kuyl won the 100 backstroke in 52.13 but was only 1:58.85 in the 200. There freshman Dylan Wachenfeld (1:53.26) and sophomore Matt McGough (1:56.07) stepped up to finish first and second. McGough touched in 4:07.99 to claim the 400 IM.

Sophomore Christopher Arena won the 1000 in 9:50.28. Fabian won the 50 free in 20.99 and the 100 in 46.00. He combined with Kuyl, Chen, and Davenport to win the 200 freestyle relay with a 1:24.20.

Johns Hopkins vs. Bucknell Results

Kenyon Relays: Who are the new Lords and Ladies?

One of the big questions going into the weekend was what do the Ladies have to reload with this year? Will it be enough to catch Emory in March? The Answers: Not much, but it’s only October. The Ladies’ roster lists just five first years (two of them divers). The Lords, however, have 17 newcomers.

It’s hard to take much away from a meet with a lineup of 4×50 yards of each stroke as well as the 4×100 IM relay, but the ever-versatile sophomore Crile Hart, the 2018 DIII Swimmer of the Year, appears ready to defend her title. Hart’s swims included a 26.41 200 medley relay lead off, a 30.07 50 breaststroke split, a 25.44 50 fly split, a 23.16 50 freestyle split, and a flat start 57.47 100 IM.

Performances by the freshman women included a 25.90 50 fly split from Racine Ross and a 30.24 50 breast split and a 26.71 flat start 50 fly from Andrea Perttula.

The Lords got a pair of 20.5 50 freestyles as Weston Carpenter (20.57) and Marcus Hong (20.58) anchored their 200 medley relays with some early season speed. Sophomore David Fitch had the fastest 50 back split of the day. From a dive, he was 21.73. He was also 21.84 in the 50 fly, with a relay take off.

Full Results

Also of Note

  • There’s already five men under 21 seconds in the 50 free this year: Kolleck, Coast Guard’s Joseph Rodriguez (20.87), NYU’s Nianzhong Liu (20.98), and Widener’s Aaron Green and Fabian both at 20.99.
  • Calvin sophomore Julian Iturbe went a 1:40.98 in the 200 free Friday night.
  • Calvin senior Ben Holstege went a nation leading 49.98 100 backstroke Friday. That’s the first time he’s ever broken 50 seconds in a dual meet.
  • NYU’s Justin Lum was a 2:05.94 in the 200 breast, the second fastest time in the country this year. That’s the freshman’s fourth best ever time.
  • Denison’s Maddie Hokins is the first woman to clear 57 seconds this year in the 100 fly, posting a 56.97 against Eastern Michigan on Saturday.
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