2016 NAIA National Championships – Women’s Meet
- Dates: Wednesday, March 2 – Saturday, March 5, 2016; prelims 9 am, finals 5 pm
- Location: Columbus Aquatic Center, Columbus, Georgia (Eastern Time Zone)
- Defending Champions: Oklahoma Baptist University (results)
- Live Results: Available here
- Live Video: Available here
- Championship Central
The College of Idaho and University of the Cumberlands were the big winners in the prelims session of Day Three, the final day of competition at the 2016 NAIA Swimming and Diving Championships in Columbus, Georgia. Cumberlands outperformed the psych sheet by 27 points; Idaho improved 25 points. Olivet Nazarene was up by 10.5 points, while SCAD was about even on the morning.
Still to be swum are the slower heats of the 1650, but for the most part the women of SCAD Savannah have locked up their first national title since 2010 with an impressive final morning that saw the Bees place 11 swimmers in A finals and 4 in B finals.
200 Backstroke – Prelims
- Amanda Moran, ONU 2:01.24
- Hannah Legg, SCAD Savannah 2:03.05
- Tiffany Ray, ONU 2:03.21
Amanda Moran of Olivet Nazarene landed the middle lane for tonight’s final with a 3-second drop from her seed time; she finished in 2:01.24. SCAD senior Hannah Legg was second to qualify with 2:03.05, while ONU’s Tiffany Ray posted a 2:03.21 for third.
Joining them in the A final will be Brenau freshman Lindsay Dowling (2:04.50), Columbia College junior Megan Monahan (2:05.45), Christina Klouda (2:07.04) and Brittany Litke (2:07.65) of Cumberlands, and McKalyla Stevens from College of Idaho (2:09.31).
100 Freestyle – Prelims
- Lisa Tixier, Biola 52.02
- Abigail Richey, SCAD Savannah, 52.32
- Heather Partlow, SCAD Savannah 52.41
SCAD Savannah put 4 in the A final and 2 more in the B final of the 100 free, but the top time came from Biola sophomore Lisa Tixier who clocked a 52.02 to lead the qualifiers. SCAD’s Abigail Richey (52.32), Heather Partlow (52.41), and Haley Thompson (52.83) were the next three to qualify.
Fran Meyer of West Virginia Tech dropped more than a half-second to qualify fifth with 52.87, ahead of three freshmen: Maddy Kelly from College of Idaho (52.97), Simone de Rijcke of Lindenwood-Belleville (52.99), and SCAD’s Julie Henninger (53.11).
200 Breaststroke – Prelims
- Christina Ali, Biola 2:21.33
- Andrea Vega, ONU 2:22.88
- Alle Ragland, SCAD Savannah 2:23.55
Biola junior Christina Ali, the top seed in this event, was just off her seed time with the leading morning swim of 2:21.33. ONU freshman Andrea Vega improved her seed time by 3.3 seconds and posted the second-fastest time, 2:22.88. SCAD Savannah sophomore Alle Ragland took 2.3 second off her seed time to qualify third in 2:23.55.
The rest of the A final will consist of WVU Tech sophomore Kendra Monnin (2:24.35), MK Jabbia of Brenau (2:25.64), Cumberlands sophomore Victoria Tornelli (2:26.50), Lindsey Wilson’s Ronni Borders (2:26.51), and Safiy Abdullah of Columbia College (2:26.87).
200 Butterfly – Prelims
- Hannah Legg, SCAD Savannah 2:03.96
- Rebecca Justus, SCAD Savannah 2:05.31
- Emma McKinley, SCAD Savannah 2:05.96
The 200 fly was a huge event for SCAD Savannah, who qualified 1-2-3-4-6 with seniors Hannah Legg (2:03.96), Emma McKinley (2:05.96), and Haley Thompson (2:06.43) and sophomores Rebecca Justus (2:05.31) and Cadie Crow (2:09.45).
Cumberlands senior Grace Van Ryckeghem qualified fifth in 2:07.86. Seventh was ONU junior Hayley Ronci, just ahead of Lindsey Wilson’s Laura Stephenson (2:11.36).
400 Freestyle Relay – Prelims
- Cumberlands 3:32.83
- SCAD Savannah 3:33.28
- Biola 3:34.15
Anna Clayton (53.99), Blandine Tantart (53.73), Katy Smeltzer (53.22), and Brittany Litke (51.89) of University of the Cumberlands posted the top time of the morning to earn the right to swim in lane 4 in the final of the women’s 400 free relay with 3:32.83. SCAD was second in 3:33.28; Biola, third with 3:34.15.
Fourth through eighth were: Lindenwood-Belleville (3:35.20), College of Idaho (3:35.25), Brenau (3:36.05), Olivet Nazarene (3:38.38), and WVU Tech (3:38.46).
Ups/Downs – Day Three
| Team | A/B Finalists |
| SCAD Savannah | 11/3 |
| Olivet Nazarene University | 4/6 |
| University of the Cumberlands | 4/2 |
| Brenau University | 2/2 |
| Biola University | 2/1 |
| Columbia College | 2/1 |
| Lindsey Wilson College | 2/1 |
| The College of Idaho | 2/1 |
| West Virginia University Institute of Technology | 2/1 |
| Lindenwood University – Belleville | 1/3 |
| Asbury University | 0/2 |
| Life University | 0/2 |
| St. Andrews University | 0/2 |
| Wayland Baptist University | 0/2 |
| Soka University of America | 0/1 |
| Thomas University | 0/1 |
| Union College | 0/1 |
“The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., is a governing body of small athletics programs that are dedicated to character-driven intercollegiate athletics.
In 2000, the NAIA reaffirmed its purpose to enhance the character building aspects of sport. Through Champions of Character, the NAIA seeks to create an environment in which every student-athlete, coach, official and spectator is committed to the true spirit of competition through five core values.”
