2016 NCAA Division III Championships – Day 1 Prelims Live Recap

Division III Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships

• March 16-19, 2016
• Greensboro Aquatic Center, Greensboro, North Carolina
• Prelims 10 AM, Finals 6 PM – U.S. Eastern Time Zone (GMT -4 currently)
• Event schedule
• Meet program
• Real-time results – diving
• Real-time results – swimming
• Video link (expected to be available when meet starts)
• Championship Central

The NCAA Division III Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships got underway at Greensboro Aquatic Center on Wednesday, March 16.

Men’s 500-yard Freestyle – Prelims

• NCAA DIII Record: 4:20.60 3/18/2015 Andrew Greenhalgh, Johns Hopkins

Kenyon junior Arthur Conover won heat 3 by over a body length, with 4:26.59 over MIT freshman Joshua Graves. Emory’s Christian Baker jumped out to an early lead in heat 4, touching in 4:22.88 over teammate Thomas Gordon and Johns Hopkins’ Griffith Otazu.

Defending champion and NCAA DIII record-holder, Johns Hopkins junior Andrew Greenhalgh, won the final heat by a full 25 yards, touching in 4:22.70. Denison’s Benjamin Burdick was second in that heat.

Top 8:

1. Andrew Greenhalgh, Johns Hopkins 4:22.70
2. Christian Baker, Emory 4:22.88
3. Arthur Conover, Kenyon 4:26.59
4. Thomas Gordon, Emory 4:27.20
5. Griffith Otazu, Johns Hopkins 4:28.34
6. Stuart Hohm, Denison 4:28.44
7. Joshua Graves, MIT 4:28.73
8. Austin Palmer, NYU 4:29.08

Women’s 500-yard Freestyle – Prelims

• NCAA DIII Record: 4:43.37 3/23/2011 Kendra Stern, Amherst

Emory’s Rebecca Upton took the first circle-seeded heat of women’s 500s by a couple of body lengths, touching in 4:49.42. Denison senior Taylor Johns was second with 4:53.06. Denison junior Cambell Costley took the next heat out and built up an early lead. Right on her heels was Isabel Wyer of Middlebury. Wyer took over down the last 25 yards and out-touched Costley, 4:52.65 to 4:52.67.

The final heat was a terrific extended battle between top-seeded Angela Newlon of DePauw and Kenyon freshman Marysol Arce. Arce evened up at the 400 wall and sprinted her way to a 4:50.93 to 4:52.56 win of the heat.

Top 8:

1. Rebecca Upton, Emory 4:49.42
2. Marysol Arce, Kenyon 4:50.93
3. Angela Newlon, DePauw 4:52.56
4. Isabel Wyer, Middlebury 4:52.65
5. Campbell Costley, Denison 4:52.67
6. Taylor Johns, Denison 4:53.06
7. Mariah Williamson, Kenyon 4:53.77
8. Lauren Jones, Williams 4:54.15

Men’s 200-yard Individual Medley – Prelims

• NCAA DIII Record: 1:46.23 3/18/2015 Andrew Wilson, Emory

Johns Hopkins’ Mark Wilson dropped 2.3 off his seed time to win heat 2 of men’s 200 IMs in 1:50.68. Andrew Rick of Denison just out-touched a hard-charging Bradley Stevenson of Denison to win heat 3 with 1:51.26. Stevenson went 1:51.51, while Jeff Anderson of Amherst touched just behind with 1:51.55. Denison’s Joe Brunk was heat 4 winner in 1:49.17, with Michael Lagieski of Wash U going 1:50.06 for second.

Jackson Lindell of Denison broke the NCAA Division III record with his prelims swim of 1:46.07 to win heat 5.

Evan Holder of Johns Hopkins went 1:46.85 to Ian Reardon of Kenyon’s 1:48.21 in the final heat.

There was a swimoff for eighth place, pitting Timothy Kostolansky of Williams against Michael Lagieski of Wash U, both of whom had gone 1:50.06 in prelims. Lagieski earned the bid into the championship final with 1:49.15 in the swimoff, relegating Kostolansky to the consolation final.

Top 8:

1. Jackson Lindell, Denison 1:46.07*
2. Evan Holder, Johns Hopkins 1:46.85
3. Ian Reardon, Kenyon 1:48.21
4. Trevor Manz, Kenyon 1:48.83
5. Joe Brunk, Denison 1:49.17
6. Wes Walton Whitworth 1:49.64
7. Chandler Lichtefeld, Emory 1:50.01
8. Michael Lagieski, Wash U 1:50.06

Women’s 200-yard Individual Medley – Prelims

• NCAA DIII Record: 1:58.81 3/20/2013 Caroline Wilson, Williams

Redlands junior Ellie Jaques went 2:04.93 to win heat 3, while Emory’s Ming-fen Ong clocked a 2:04.20 to take heat 4. Heat 5 went to Sarah Daher of Bates in 2:02.98.

Julia Wilson of Kenyon edged 2015 runner-up Emma Waddell of Williams in heat 6, 2:02.47 to 2:02.87. The final heat went to last year’s third-place finisher, Emily Hyde of Amherst, in 2:02.67; Samantha Pierce of Connecticut was second in the heat with 2:03.41.

Top 8:

1. Julia Wilson, Kenyon 2:02.47
2. Emily Hyde, Amherst 2:02.67
3. Emma Waddell, Williams 2:02.87
4. Sara Daher, Bates 2:02.98
5. Samantha Pierce, Connecticut 2:03.41
6. Sam Senczyszyn, U W-Eau Claire 2:03.48
7. Katie Kaestner, Kenyon 2:03.62
8. Annelise Kowalsky, Emory 2:04.00

Men’s 50-yard Freestyle – Prelims

• NCAA DIII Record: 19.38 3/21/2012 Zach Turk, Kenyon

Top 8:

1. Oliver Smith, Emory 19.73
2. T2 Jesse Novak, Rowan University 19.90
3. T2 Thomas Thetford, W & L 19.90
4. Ryan Funk, Kenyon 20.13
5. Thomas Meek, Chicago 20.22
6. Connor Mergler, Buffalo St. 20.25
7. Joshua Tomazin, M I T 20.27
8. Blake Lehmann, DePauw 20.32

Women’s 50-yard Freestyle – Prelims

• NCAA DIII Record: 22.66 2/14/2013 Kirsten Nitz, Wheaton (IL)
• Meet Record: 22.71 3/18/2009 Elizabeth Carlton, Kenyon

Top 8:

1. Emma Paulson, St. Thomas 22.77
2. Fiona Muir, Emory 22.88
3. Carolyn Kane, Denison 23.09
4. T4 Marissa Bergh, Emory 23.14
5. T4 Allie Hable, U W-Eau Claire 23.14
6. Hannah Lobb, Kenyon 23.19
7. Alison Bartlett, Keene St. 23.21
8. Jenner McLeod, Kenyon 23.31

Men’s 200-yard Medley Relay – Prelims

• NCAA DIII Record: 1:27.54 3/18/2015, Kenyon (Curley, W. Manz, Magee, W. Manz)

Williams earned lane 4 in tonight’s final with their 1:28.78 effort in prelims from junior Ben Lin (21.82) and seniors Jake Tamposi (24.63), Alex McCarter (21.92), and John Hammond (20.41). This is 3/4 of the relay that placed third last year with 1:28.4, led off by a 22.3 backstroke split from Lin and a 19.99 anchor from McCarter. If the Ephs can control the second half of this relay tonight they have a shot at Kenyon’s DIII record.

Emory placed second with 1:29.79, .02 ahead of Kenyon. This is a fast and deep field, though, and it’s really anyone’s game in finals. After Williams’ 1:28.78, only .47 separate numbers 2 through 8 heading into the championship final tonight.

Top 8:

1. Williams 1:28.78
2. Emory 1:29.79
3. Kenyon 1:29.81
4. TCNJ 1:29.90
5. Denison 1:29.91
6. Johns Hopkins 1:29.98
7. Wash U 1:30.02
8. MIT 1:30.16

Women’s 200-yard Medley Relay – Prelims

NCAA DIII Record: 1:40.58 3/18/2015, Kenyon (Oberholzer, Duncan, Cooper, McLeod)

Senior Katherine Bennett (25.58), junior Olivia Clark (29.51), sophomore Waddell (23.79), and senior Faye Sultan (23.47) led the morning’s qualifiers in the 200 medley relay with a combined 1:42.35, slightly faster than their seed time. Denison qualified second with 1:42.68 ahead of Emory and Kenyon (1:43.02).

Top 8:

1. Williams 1:42.35
2. Denison 1:42.68
3. Emory 1:42.69
4. Kenyon 1:43.02
5. NYU 1:43.10
6. Wheaton IL 1:43.58
7. Amherst 1:43.67
8. Pomona-Pitzer 1:43.79

3-meter Diving (M) – Prelims

• NCAA DIII Record: 613.90 3/19/2014 Connor Dignan, Denison

Defending champion Max Levy of Denison had a huge round 3 to jump from seventh to second, then took over at the top in round 5 and never let go. At that point Denison had the top three scores in the field with Levy, Brian Allen, and Benjamin Lewis.

Throughout the ensuing rounds Samuel Randall of State University at Geneseo moved into the top three, and wound up qualifying third with 492.45 points behind Levy (565.20) and Lewis (532.20).

Top 8:

1. Max Levy, Denison 565.20
2. Benjamin Lewis, Denison 532.20
3. Samuel Randall, SUNY Geneseo
4. Brian Allen, Denison 489.60
5. Arron Carlson, SUNY Fredonia
6. William Porter, US Merchant Marine Academy, 467.15
7. Matthew Edkins, St. Lawrence 463.55
8. Matthew Rohrer, Tufts 460.45