NCAA Division II Championships: Drury in Strong Spot Heading into Final Day

CANTON, Ohio, March 12. THE penultimate day of swimming at the NCAA Division II Championships featured Drury continue to lead in both the men's and the women's team title races. The meet is being held in short course yard format.

Drury's women witnessed their three-digit day two lead dwindle to just 58 points after day three. Drury finished the day with 473 points in its effort to win its third out of four team titles. Wayne State remained in second, but piled on the points with a second-place tally of 415 points. West Chester (236.5) and UC San Diego (219) look to be in the second tier of teams, while Clarion (194), Truman State (189), Ashland (151), Grand Valley State (137) and Indianapolis (125) all will be shooting for a top five spot on the final day tomorrow.

The Drury men, meanwhile, pushed their leading total to 401 points and are on their way to a sixth straight team title, including eight out of the last 12. Incarnate Word heads into the final day with a second-place tally of 314 points. Wayne State (250), Grand Valley State (249) and Ouachita Baptist (227) make up the rest of the top five. Wingate (214), West Chester (174), UC San Diego (152), Ashland (144) and Missouri S&T (135) comprise the rest of the top 10.

Wayne State's Ashley St. Andrew held off Southern Connecticut State's Cody Hall, 4:53.51 to 4:53.63, for the women's 500 free title. St. Andrew led throughout the race, but Hall hung tough and started chipping away during the final 150 yards but could not catch St. Andrew. Drury's Erin Dolan finished third in 4:57.10.

In another exciting race, Incarnate Word's Conrado Chede knocked off Drury's Chris Jacobsen, 4:29.30 to 4:29.77. The two traded the lead back and forth until Chede put the race away down the final 100 yards. Drury's Mark Grijalva finished third in 4:30.32.

Wayne State's Sara Franklin claimed the women's 100 back title in 54.56, while Drury's Jing Hua placed second in 55.58. Clarion's Kayla Shull earned third in 56.27. Ouachita's Radu Badalac snatched the men's 100 back crown in 47.98. Florida Southern's Jeb Halfacre touched second in 48.96, while Grand Valley State's Raphael Santos took third in 48.99.

Wayne State's Courtney Roberts led her team to a 1-2 in the women's 100 breast with a 1:01.89. Ana Gonzalez Pena took second in 1:02.42. Kutztown's Stephanie Jeppesen finished third in 1:03.23. Bridgeport's Piotr Safronczyk topped the men's 100 breast in 54.40, while Wayne State's Joaquin Abascal Gallegos placed second in 54.88. Wingate's Rory Julyan picked up third in 55.03.

UCSD's Alexandra Henley turned in a 2:00.30 in the women's 200 fly for the win, while Wayne State's Elaine Hogle placed second in 2:02.28. IUP's Jackie Hynson wound up third in 2:02.44. Drury's Jun Han Kim clocked a 1:45.16 to win the men's 200 fly. Grand Valley State's Aaron Beebe (1:46.33) and Indy's Guy Kogel (1:48.93) rounded out the podium.

In diving, Clarion's Kayla Kelosky won the women's one-meter event with 452.10 points. Grand Valley State's Karen Verbrugge (447.05) and Wayne State's Cassie Chetosky (441.70) finished second and third.

Drury's Tiffany Van Dongen, Dolan, Ekaterina Alyabyeva and Yuan Qing Li won the women's 800 free relay in 7:27.47. Drury's team of Michael Winiewicz, Chris Kohler, Alexander Protsenko and Carlos Viveros also won the men's 800 free relay in 6:35.65.

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