2019 NCAA Division III Women’s Championships – Day 1 Finals Live Recap

NCAA DIVISION III WOMEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

DAY ONE FINALS:

WOMEN’S 500 YARD FREESTYLE – FINALS

  • NCAA Record: 4:43.37 3/23/2011, Kendra Stern, Amherst
  1. Laura Westphal, Williams – 4:48.15
  2. Rebecca Erwin, Birmingham Southern – 4:48.25
  3. Kendall Vanderhoof, Kenyon – 4:51.10
  4. Lydia Dacorte, Wheaton – 4:51.61
  5. Margaret Menso, Saint Kate’s -4:54.21
  6. Amy Socha, Tufts – 4:58.38
  7. Hannah Orbach-Mandel, Kenyon – 4:59.27
  8. Rachel Reistroffer, NYU – 5:01.29

Birmingham Southern’s Rebecca Erwin, the #1 seed coming into the meet, took it out fast and seemed like she had an insurmountable lead over the rest of the field. The defending champion in Laura Westphal of Williams, however, inched closer and closer with each lap. In the final stretch, Westphal narrowly got the touch over Erwin, 4:48.15 to 4:48.25.

Kenyon’s Kendall Vanderhoof also closed a significant distance between her and Wheaton’s Lydia Dacorte – the two touched 3rd and 4th at 4:51.10 and 4:51.61, respectively. Saint Kate’s Margarte Menso officially earned a top eight finish in her freshman debut, touching 5th in 4:54.21.

Rounding out the field was Tuft’s Amy Socha (4:58.38), Kenyon’s Hannah Orbach-Mandel (4:59.27) and NYU’s Rachel Reistroffer (5:01.29).

WOMEN’S 200 YARD INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY – FINALS

  • NCAA Record: 1:58.29 3/21/2018, Crile Hart, Kenyon
  1. Honroe Collins, NYU – 1:58.18
  2. KT Kustriz, Denison – 2:00.07
  3. Crile Hart, Kenyon – 2:00.53
  4. Jordyn Wentzel, Saint Kate’s – 2:01.00
  5. Molly Craig, Williams – 2:01.42
  6. Natalie Zaravella, Denison – 2:02.66
  7. Sterling Dixon, Bowdoin – 2:03.78
  8. Caroline White, Williams – 2:05.52

Kenyon sophomore Crile Hart, the defending champion in the event, was comfortably out ahead at the 100 mark. KT Kustriz made up some ground on the breaststroke leg; as expected of the NCAA DIII record holder in the 100 breast. Lingering among them at the 150 was NYU junior Honroe Collins, who exploded on the freestyle leg to pull away from the field – finishing in a new NCAA DIII record time of 1:58.18.

Touching behind was Kustriz and Hart at 2:00.07 and 2:00.53. Next came Saint Kate’s Jordyn Wentzel, who dropped her entry time to a 2:01.00 in finals. Molly Craig, a sophomore from Williams, shaved down over a second to finish fifth in 2:01.46.

Also comprising the top eight was Denisons’ Natalie Zaravella (2:02.66), Bowdoin’s Sterling Dixon (2:03.78), and William’s Caroline White (2:05.52).

WOMEN’S 50 YARD FREESTYLE – FINALS

  • NCAA Record: 22.48 3/21/2018, Fiona Muir, Emory
  1. Fiona Muir, Emory – 22.75
  2. Maddie Hopkins, Denison – 22.98
  3. Megan Taylor, Emory – 23.03
  4. Emmie Mirus, Kenyon – 23.04
  5. Kristen Petersen, Johns Hopkins – 23.19
  6. Brooke Barnes, Wheaton College – 23.20
  7. Deidra, Osula, SUNY Geneso – 23.26
  8. Olivia Haskell, Connecticut College – 23.38

Kenyon’s Emmie Mirus flipped first at the 50, but the veteran in Emory’s Fiona Muir – whose lowest all-time finish in this event throughout her career was second – closed hard on the last 25 to take first in 22.75. The only other swimmer in the field under 23 was Denison’s Maddie Hopkins, who clocked a 22.98.

Muir’s teammate, Megan Taylor, out-touched Mirus by the slimmest of margins, as the two took third and fourth in 23.03 and 23.04 respectively. Johns Hopkin’s Kristen Petersen and Wheaton College’s Brooke Barnes were also separated by one-hundredth of a second; the two claimed fifth and sixth with times of 23.19 and 23.20.

SUNY Geneso’s Deidra Osula (23.26) and Connecticut College’s Olivia Haskell (23.38) complete the final.

WOMEN’S 3 METER DIVING – FINALS

  • NCAA Record: 517.10 3/20/2010, Hayley Emerick, Trinity (TX)
  1. Lindsey Ruderman, Amherst – 498.45
  2. Agnes Lo, Chicago – 486.35
  3. Anna Belson, Ithica – 481.85
  4. Morgan Matranga, MIT – 473.65
  5. Samantha Reichman, SUNY Genesco – 465.50
  6. Elizabeth Cron, Chicago – 456.55
  7. Sierra Skaza, Springfield College – 453.70
  8. Blake Zhou, MIT – DQ

WOMEN’S 200 YARD MEDLEY RELAY – FINALS

  • NCAA Record: 1:40.12 3/21/2018, Emory (Cheng, Lally, Campbell, Taylor)
  1. Denison – 1:40.11
  2. Kenyon – 1:40.79
  3. Emory – 1:42.03

Denison and Kenyon pulled away from the rest of the field on the breaststroke leg, thanks to swift splits from KT Kustriz (27.19) and Makena Markert (28.16). With Maddie Hopkins (23.97) and Gabriella Nutter (22.97) holding down the back half for the Big Red, Dension secured the win en route to a new Division III record time of 1:40.11.

Kenyon’s Caylee Hamilton (24.53) and Emmie Mirus (22.42) propelled the Ladies to a second place finishing time of 1:40.79. The two NCAC powerhouses were significantly ahead of third place finishing Emory’s squad consisting of Bethany Seagraves (26.16), Ashely Daniels (28.32), Lucena Daro (24.82) and Megan Taylor (22.73).

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