NCAA Div. III Women: Denison Leads Kenyon After Day Two, On the Brink of Major Upset

By Bill Bell

BUFFALO, NY., March 9. DENISON's women's coach Gregg Parini has had high hopes before — only to see them dashed by Kenyon's Lady Lords, time after time, year after year.

In 1999 Denison's Big Red women led the NCAA DIII Championship after the first day of splashing. In the end, however, Kenyon romped to a 664.5-503 victory.
Last season Denison was runner-up again, 619.5-417, so Parini — himself a Kenyon grraduate who swam on several NCAA Championship teams in the early 1980s — knows not to get excited when things are going his way.

But he must NOT be able to contain his enthusiasm after tonight's second evening of championship competition at SUNY Buffalo's Flickinger Aquatic Center, as Denison's Big Red won both relays and a trio of individual events to open up an almost insurmountable 416-349 point lead over Kenyon in the 21st annual Div. III women's meet.

Third is Williams (253) while Emory (211) is fourth and Johns Hopkins (126) is fifth.

Kenyon has won the last 17-consecutive championships. To win No. 18 they're going to have to overcome big-time odds. However, Lord coach Jim Steen hasn't become the premier collegiate swimming coach in history — at least in terms of NCAA Championships won — by not defying the odds time and again.

Parini's Big Red squad again swam superbly this evening, setting meet records in the opening 200 yard medley relay (1:43.37) and the closing 800 free relay (7:33.59) plus getting a third standard via junior Mollie Parrish's 55.49 100 fly victory. Denison has now won all four relays, and set meet records in three (200-400 medley, 800 free). Since relays count double that's beaucoup points.

Denison failed to win just two races tonight — the 400 IM and the 100 back –but had multiple finalists in the medley, winding up third (Amy DeVito) and seventh (Stephanie Busch). DeVito also raced to a bronze medal in the 200 IM opening night. In the 200 free, Big Red finished first and sixth, in the 100 breast first and fifth plus runner-up in the 100 back.

The 400 IM was won by Williams freshman Meredith Olson (4:28.68), who moved up a notch from her runner-up finish in the 200 IM. Kenyon's Ashley Rowatt (4:28.84) was a close second with DeVito touching in 4:29.48.

Denison's Parrish led wall-to-wall en route to her record-setting 100 fly win, splitting 26.18 at the 50 to Kenyon senior Erica Carroll's 26.20. In the end Parrish's 55.49 shattered Carroll's meet standard of 56.16 from '99, and also thwarted the Lord star's bid for a fourth-straight fly title.

Big Red's Erin Stanley followed with a 1:52.08-1:53.49 200 free win over Washington College's Stacy Sines, and teammate Kate Flikkema — who anchored the 200 free and 400 medley relays –finished sixth in 1:54.10 (1:54.03 in the heats).

The 100 breast saw Denison's Alyssa Heidinger touch first in 1:04.09, after leading the qualifying in 1:04.58. Runner-up was Hope senior Betsy Vandenberg (1:04.88) while Kenyon soph Betsy Garratt (1:05.05) was third.

Lake Forest junior Ji Lie just missed the meet record of 56.67 in the 100 back with her winning 56.73. Denison's Leah Favret, a promising soph who had the fastest backstroke split on the medley relay (57.35), chopped that down to a 56.93 pr tonight but still wound up second. Kenyon's Carroll, 100 fly No. 2, was third (57.47).

The evening's final race, the 800 free relay, saw Kenyon get off to a flying start via senior Sarah Leone's 1:54.39 leadoff split, fastest of the meet. Denison's DeVito was hot on her heels, though (1:54.71). At halfway it was still Kenyon (3:47.33-3:47.94)and even at the 600 mark the Lords led (5:39.99-5:40.28). However, Big Red anchor Stanley was not to be denied, blistering the Flickinger Natatorium's waters with a superfast 1:53.31 anchor leg. Denison won with its meet record 7:33.59 to runner-up Kenyon's 7:36.10. By contrast the Lords' anchor, breaststroker Betsy Garratt, clocked 1:56.11.

As Al Michaels once said, "Do you believe in miracles?"

TEAM SCORES AFTER DAY TWO
1) DENISON 416 24) UW LACROSSE 19
2) KENYON 349 25) C-M-S 17
3) WILLIAMS 253 26) GROVE CITY 15
4) EMORY 211 26) UW EAU CLAIRE 15
5) JOHNS HOPKINS 126 26) DEPAUW 15
6) WHEATON 122 26) BOWDOIN 15
7) CASE WESTERN 119 30) ILL WESLEYAN 14
8) UW STEVENS POINT 112 30) NAZARETH 14
9) PUGET SOUND 86 30) COLLEGE OF NJ 14
10) COLL OF WOOSTER 83 33) US COAST GUARD 13
11) MIDDLEBURY 70 33) SPRINGFIELD 13
12) WASHINGTON UNIV. 63 35) WILLIAM SMITH 12
13) AMHERST 60 36) GETTYSBURG 11
14) HOPE 58 37) MARY WASHINGTON 9
15) UC SANTA CRUZ 48 37) TUFTS 9
16) CARLETON 38 39) R.P.I. 7
17) UW OSHKOSH 36 40) CONCORDIA 6
18) CALVIN 30 41) GUSTAVUS 5
19) WASHINGTON COLL 25 41) ALLEGHENY 5
20) ITHACA 23 41) POMONA-PITZER 5
21) NORTH CENTRAL 22 41) JOHN CARROLL 5
21) WITTENBERG 22 45) TRINITY (TX) 4
23) LAKE FOREST 20 46) SUNY GENESEO 1

1) DENISON 416 24) UW LACROSSE 19
2) KENYON 349 25) C-M-S 17
3) WILLIAMS 253 26) GROVE CITY 15
4) EMORY 211 26) UW EAU CLAIRE 15
5) JOHNS HOPKINS 126 26) DEPAUW 15
6) WHEATON 122 26) BOWDOIN 15
7) CASE WESTERN 119 30) ILL WESLEYAN 14
8) UW STEVENS POINT 112 30) NAZARETH 14
9) PUGET SOUND 86 30) COLLEGE OF NJ 14
10) COLL OF WOOSTER 83 33) US COAST GUARD 13
11) MIDDLEBURY 70 33) SPRINGFIELD 13
12) WASHINGTON UNIV. 63 35) WILLIAM SMITH 12
13) AMHERST 60 36) GETTYSBURG 11
14) HOPE 58 37) MARY WASHINGTON 9
15) UC SANTA CRUZ 48 37) TUFTS 9
16) CARLETON 38 39) R.P.I. 7
17) UW OSHKOSH 36 40) CONCORDIA 6
18) CALVIN 30 41) GUSTAVUS 5
19) WASHINGTON COLL 25 41) ALLEGHENY 5
20) ITHACA 23 41) POMONA-PITZER 5
21) NORTH CENTRAL 22 41) JOHN CARROLL 5
21) WITTENBERG 22 45) TRINITY (TX) 4
23) LAKE FOREST 20 46) SUNY GENESEO 1

1) DENISON 416 24) UW LACROSSE 19
2) KENYON 349 25) C-M-S 17
3) WILLIAMS 253 26) GROVE CITY 15
4) EMORY 211 26) UW EAU CLAIRE 15
5) JOHNS HOPKINS 126 26) DEPAUW 15
6) WHEATON 122 26) BOWDOIN 15
7) CASE WESTERN 119 30) ILL WESLEYAN 14
8) UW STEVENS POINT 112 30) NAZARETH 14
9) PUGET SOUND 86 30) COLLEGE OF NJ 14
10) COLL OF WOOSTER 83 33) US COAST GUARD 13
11) MIDDLEBURY 70 33) SPRINGFIELD 13
12) WASHINGTON UNIV. 63 35) WILLIAM SMITH 12
13) AMHERST 60 36) GETTYSBURG 11
14) HOPE 58 37) MARY WASHINGTON 9
15) UC SANTA CRUZ 48 37) TUFTS 9
16) CARLETON 38 39) R.P.I. 7
17) UW OSHKOSH 36 40) CONCORDIA 6
18) CALVIN 30 41) GUSTAVUS 5
19) WASHINGTON COLL 25 41) ALLEGHENY 5
20) ITHACA 23 41) POMONA-PITZER 5
21) NORTH CENTRAL 22 41) JOHN CARROLL 5
21) WITTENBERG 22 45) TRINITY (TX) 4
23) LAKE FOREST 20 46) SUNY GENESEO 1

By Bill Bell

BUFFALO, NY., March 9. DENISON's women's coach Gregg Parini has had high hopes before — only to see them dashed by Kenyon's Lady Lords, time after time, year after year.

In 1999 Denison's Big Red women led the NCAA DIII Championship after the first day of splashing. In the end, however, Kenyon romped to a 664.5-503 victory.
Last season Denison was runner-up again, 619.5-417, so Parini — himself a Kenyon grraduate who swam on several NCAA Championship teams in the early 1980s — knows not to get excited when things are going his way.

But he must NOT be able to contain his enthusiasm after tonight's second evening of championship competition at SUNY Buffalo's Flickinger Aquatic Center, as Denison's Big Red won both relays and a trio of individual events to open up an almost insurmountable 416-349 point lead over Kenyon in the 21st annual Div. III women's meet.

Third is Williams (253) while Emory (211) is fourth and Johns Hopkins (126) is fifth.

Kenyon has won the last 17-consecutive championships. To win No. 18 they're going to have to overcome big-time odds. However, Lord coach Jim Steen hasn't become the premier collegiate swimming coach in history — at least in terms of NCAA Championships won — by not defying the odds time and again.

Parini's Big Red squad again swam superbly this evening, setting meet records in the opening 200 yard medley relay (1:43.37) and the closing 800 free relay (7:33.59) plus getting a third standard via junior Mollie Parrish's 55.49 100 fly victory. Denison has now won all four relays, and set meet records in three (200-400 medley, 800 free). Since relays count double that's beaucoup points.

Denison failed to win just two races tonight — the 400 IM and the 100 back –but had multiple finalists in the medley, winding up third (Amy DeVito) and seventh (Stephanie Busch). DeVito also raced to a bronze medal in the 200 IM opening night. In the 200 free, Big Red finished first and sixth, in the 100 breast first and fifth plus runner-up in the 100 back.

The 400 IM was won by Williams freshman Meredith Olson (4:28.68), who moved up a notch from her runner-up finish in the 200 IM. Kenyon's Ashley Rowatt (4:28.84) was a close second with DeVito touching in 4:29.48.

Denison's Parrish led wall-to-wall en route to her record-setting 100 fly win, splitting 26.18 at the 50 to Kenyon senior Erica Carroll's 26.20. In the end Parrish's 55.49 shattered Carroll's meet standard of 56.16 from '99, and also thwarted the Lord star's bid for a fourth-straight fly title.

Big Red's Erin Stanley followed with a 1:52.08-1:53.49 200 free win over Washington College's Stacy Sines, and teammate Kate Flikkema — who anchored the 200 free and 400 medley relays –finished sixth in 1:54.10 (1:54.03 in the heats).

The 100 breast saw Denison's Alyssa Heidinger touch first in 1:04.09, after leading the qualifying in 1:04.58. Runner-up was Hope senior Betsy Vandenberg (1:04.88) while Kenyon soph Betsy Garratt (1:05.05) was third.

Lake Forest junior Ji Lie just missed the meet record of 56.67 in the 100 back with her winning 56.73. Denison's Leah Favret, a promising soph who had the fastest backstroke split on the medley relay (57.35), chopped that down to a 56.93 pr tonight but still wound up second. Kenyon's Carroll, 100 fly No. 2, was third (57.47).

The evening's final race, the 800 free relay, saw Kenyon get off to a flying start via senior Sarah Leone's 1:54.39 leadoff split, fastest of the meet. Denison's DeVito was hot on her heels, though (1:54.71). At halfway it was still Kenyon (3:47.33-3:47.94)and even at the 600 mark the Lords led (5:39.99-5:40.28). However, Big Red anchor Stanley was not to be denied, blistering the Flickinger Natatorium's waters with a superfast 1:53.31 anchor leg. Denison won with its meet record 7:33.59 to runner-up Kenyon's 7:36.10. By contrast the Lords' anchor, breaststroker Betsy Garratt, clocked 1:56.11.

As Al Michaels once said, "Do you believe in miracles?"

TEAM SCORES AFTER DAY TWO
1) DENISON 416
2) KENYON 349
3) WILLIAMS 253
4) EMORY 211
5) JOHNS HOPKINS 126
6) WHEATON 122
7) CASE WESTERN 119
8) UW STEVENS POINT 112
9) PUGET SOUND 86
10) COLL OF WOOSTER 83
11) MIDDLEBURY 70
12) WASHINGTON UNIV. 63
13) AMHERST 60
14) HOPE 58
15) UC SANTA CRUZ 48
16) CARLETON 38
17) UW OSHKOSH 36
18) CALVIN 30
19) WASHINGTON COLL 25
20) ITHACA 23
21) NORTH CENTRAL 22
21) WITTENBERG 22
23) LAKE FOREST 20
24) UW LACROSSE 19
25) C-M-S 17
26) GROVE CITY 15
26) UW EAU CLAIRE 15
26) DEPAUW 15
26) BOWDOIN 15
30) ILL WESLEYAN 14
30) NAZARETH 14
30) COLLEGE OF NJ 14
33) US COAST GUARD 13
33) SPRINGFIELD 13
35) WILLIAM SMITH 12
36) GETTYSBURG 11
37) MARY WASHINGTON 9
37) TUFTS 9
39) R.P.I. 7
40) CONCORDIA 6
41) GUSTAVUS 5
41) ALLEGHENY 5
41) POMONA-PITZER 5
41) JOHN CARROLL 5
45) TRINITY (TX) 4
46) SUNY GENESEO 1

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