NCAA Div. III: Johns Hopkins Teams Having a Monster Season

By Kevin Tritt

BALTIMORE, Dec. 5. THE Blue Jays of Johns Hopkins University, a perennial NCAA Division III swimming power, are having a banner year, highlighted by both the men's and women's performance at the Miami of Ohio Invitational last weekend.

The Blue Jay men are 4-1 this season, and finished seventh out of 17 teams at the Invitational. The women are 3-1 and placed ninth in Oxford. The women will return to action by hosting Navy on January 12, and both teams will face West Chester on January 15..

An incredible 13 school records were broken and 22 swimmers qualified for the NCAA Championships last weekend when Hopkins competed in the Miami of Ohio
Invitational.

Krissy Brinsley broke the school records in the 100
backstroke with a time of 57.97 and in the 50 freestyle with a time of 24.32.

Nontawan Benja-Athon continued her impressive freshman
season by setting the school record in the 200 breaststroke with a time of 2:21.37, while Stephanie Harbeson swam the 200 freestyle in 1:52.98 to break another Hopkins record.

On the men's side, Justin Brannock won the 200 freestyle in a school record time of 1:39.58, while J.P. Balfour II swam the 400 individual medley in 4:02.44 and Scott Amstrong swam the 500 freestyle in 4:27.28 to set school marks.

Also setting new Hopkins records for the men's team were the 200 medley relay team (Brett Fisher, Scott Pitz, David Lofthus, Brandon Loftus) in 1:32.96 and the 400 medley relay team (Fisher, Pitz, Loftus, Brannock) in 3:24.09.

For the women, records were set by the 200 medley relay team (Ashley Shively, Elizabeth Schlicher, Megan
Rudinsky, Brinsley) in 1:48.85, the 200 freestyle relay team (Michelle Phillips, Harbeson, Shively, Brinsley) in 1:37.37, the 400 medley relay team (Brinsley, Benja-Athon, Rudinsky, Harbeson) in
3:55.17, and the 400 freestyle relay team (Phillips, Rudinsky, Harbeson, Brinsley) in 3:32.78.

With their performances over the weekend, 22 Hopkins swimmers wrapped up a return trip to Oxford in March to compete in the Div. III NCAA Championships. Listed are the swimmers who qualified for individual vents and the events in which they qualified:

Women:
Diana Smirnova – 200 individual medley in 2:09.70, 100
butterfly in 58.04, 200 butterfly in 2:10.18

Nontawan Benja-Athon – 200 individual medley in 2:09.86, 200 freestyle in 1:55.61, 200 breaststroke in 2:21.37

Krissy Brinsley – 50 freestyle in 24.32, 100 backstroke in 57.97

Ashley Shively – 50 freestyle in 24.49, 100 butterfly in 58.46, 100 backstroke in 59.55

Michelle Phillips – 50 freestyle in 24.58, 100 freestyle in 53.37

Megan Rudinsky – 100 butterfly in 57.96

Stephanie Harbeson – 200 freestyle in 1:52.98, 100 freestyle in 53.43

Amy Bailey – 200 butterfly in 2:12.52.

Men:
Scott Armstrong – 500 freestyle in 4:27.28, 200 freestyle in 1:41.48, 1650 freestyle in 15:39.42

William Freund – 500 freestyle in 4:35.34, 200 freestyle in 1:42.14

Jon Kleinman – 500 freestyle in 4:36.77, 400 individual medley in 4:05.14, 1650 freestyle in
16:19.92

Oliver Buccicone – 500 freestyle in 4:38.57, 200 butterfly in 1:54.68

J.P. Balfour II – 200 individual medley in 1:53.93, 400 individual medley in 4:02.44, 200 backstroke in 1:42.53

Loren Robinson – 200 individual medley in 1:55.30, 200 freestyle in 1:43.06, 100 freestyle in 46.78

Mark Levin – 50 freestyle in 21.32, 100 freestyle in 46.70
Justin Brannock – 50 freestyle in 21.37, 200 freestyle in 1:39.58; 100 freestyle in 46.05

David Lofthus – 100 butterfly in 50.39, 100 backstroke in 51.55, 200 backstroke in 1:53.69

Brett Fisher – 100 butterfly in 51.30, 100 backstroke in 51.62

Brandon Loftus – 100 butterfly in 51.87

Scott Pitz – 100 breaststroke in 57.80, 200 breaststroke in 2:07.38

Ben Herman – 1650 freestyle in 16:21.97

10 Blue Jay Relay Teams Also Qualify:

Women:
200 freestyle relay (Phillips, Harbeson, Shively, Brinsley) in 1:37.37

400 medley relay (Brinsley, Benja-Athon, Rudinsky, Harbeson) in 3:55.17

200 medley relay (Shively, Schlicher, Rudinsky, Brinsley) in 1:48.85

800 freestyle relay (Smirnova, Harbeson, Benja-Athon, Brinsley) in 7:43.41

400 freestyle relay (Phillips, Rudinsky, Harbeson,
Brinsley) in 3:32.78

Men:
200 freestyle relay (Levin, Lofthus, Kyle Robinson, Brannock) in 1:24.16

400 medley relay (Fisher, Pitz, Lofthus, Brannock) in 3:24.09

200 medley relay (Fisher, Pitz, Lofthus, Loftus) in 1:32.96

800 freestyle relay (Freund, Armstrong, L. Robinson, Brannock) in 6:46.26 (aggregate)

400 freestyle relay (Levin, L. Robinson, Fisher, Brannock) in 3:05.03

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