2023 NCAA Division III Championships: Day 1 Finals Live Recap

2023 NCAA DIVISION III WOMEN’S AND MEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Dates: Wednesday, March 15 – Saturday, March 18, 2023
• Location: Greensboro Aquatic Center, Greensboro, NC
• Times: Prelims 10:00 AM / Finals 6:00 PM
• Defending Champs: Kenyon women (1x) & Emory men (1x)
• Fan Guide
• Results Page
• Women’s Psych Sheet
• Men’s Psych Sheet
• Live Streaming on NCAA.com
• Live Results

The first night of action at the 2023 NCAA DIII Swimming and Diving Championships are set to kick-off in Greensboro with the finals of the 500 freestyle, 200 IM, 50 freestyle, 200 medley relay, and the women’s 3M diving event. 

WOMEN’S 500 FREE – FINALS

• Division III Record: 4:43.37, Kendra Stern (Amherst) – 2011

Top 8:

1. Kristin Cornish (Johns Hopkins) – 4:48.38
2. Taryn Wisner (Denison) – 4:49.84
3. Tara Witkowski (Denison) – 4:50.66
4. Caitlin Marshall (NYU) – 4:52.81
5. Emily Harris (Denison) – 4:55.81
6. Jessica Gordon (Amherst) – 4:55.81
7. Sarah Hoffman (Kenyon) – 4:57.38
8. Lily Codd (Williams) – 5:03.87

From the first 100 meters, it was clear that this would be a race between Johns Hopkins sophomore Kristin Cornish and the Denison duo of Taryn Wisner and Tara Witkowski. Cornish got off to a quick start, splitting 1:52.40 over the first 200 yards of the race, giving herself a clear lead over the field. Though Wisner and Witkowski challenged that lead at times, Cornish never looked back, besting the field to win the National Title in a time of 4:48.38 after finishing 2nd last year. Wisner, last year’s Champion, came in just behind with a time of 4:49.84 to claim the runner-up position, with Witkowski finishing 3rd (4:50.66).

Denison had 3 out of the top 5 swimmers in the final with Emily Harris finishing 5th to give the team valuable points.

In the B-final, Tufts swimmer Madeleine Dunn got out to an early lead and held on for the victory in a time of 4:55.53. With her swim, Dunn knocked 3 seconds off of her prelims swim, but still came short of her season-best of 4:52.96.

MEN’S 500 FREE – FINALS

• Division III Record: 4:18.35, Arthur Conover (Kenyon) – 2017

Top 8:

1. Patrick Pema (Emory) – 4:20.41
2.  Justin Finkel (Conn) – 4:21.47
3. Bryan Fitzgerald (Kenyon) – 4:22.70
4. Mason Kelber (Wash U.) – 4:23.16
5. Kellen Roddy (Johns Hopkins) – 4:24.18
6. Thomas Pritchard (NYU) -4:26.75
7. Alexa Atherton (Williams) – 4:27.40
8. Benjamin Thorsen (Emory) – 4:27.52

After leading the prelims heats by a comfortable margin, Emory senior Patrick Pema was even faster tonight to get the job done, swimming a 4:20.41 to best the field by over a second. Connecticut College saw Justin Finkel drop over 3 seconds off of his best time to claim second with a time of 4:21.47. Only a sophomore, Finkel already looks to be a strong contender for the Title at next year’s meet with his performance here. Kenyon’s Bryan Fitzgerald rounded out the podium with a 4:22.70, also dropping signigicantly from his prelims performance.

NYU sophomore Connor Vincent chopped almost 3.5 seconds off of his prelims time to easily claim the B-final in a time of 4:23.65, which would’ve placed 5th in the A-final.

WOMEN’S 200 IM – FINALS

• Division III Record: 1:57.76, Crile Hart (Kenyon) – 2022

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Sophia Verkleeren (Williams) – 1:59.47
2. Greta Gridley (Hope College) – 2:00.71
3. Lillian Klinginsmith (Tufts) – 2:00.73
4. Jordyn Wentzel (St. Kate’s) – 2:00.89
5. Augusta Lewis (CMS) – 2:01.15
6. Kinsey Brooks (Mary Washington) – 2:02.02
7. Neely Burns (Trinity) – 2:02.16
8. Sara Kraus (Hope College) – 2:04.21

Williams College sophomore Sophia Verkleeren was the only swimmer in the field to dip under the 2:00 barrier, swimming a time of 1:59.47 for first place in the 200 IM. Verkleeren’s biggest advantage over the field came on the backstroke leg, where she pulled away with a 28.91 split, almost a second faster than anyone else in the field. Despite their efforts, her competitors were unable to close that gap, giving her the victory by a solid margin. Hope College’s Greta Gridley, Tufts’ Lillian Klinginsmith, and St. Kate’s Jordyn Wentzel all battled it out for the remaining podium spots, with Gridley and Klinginsmith using strong freestyle legs to claim 2nd and 3rd, respectively.

In the B-final, Kenyon sophomore Jennah Fadely dropped a second from her morning swim to claim the victory in a time of 2:02.39.

MEN’S 200 IM – FINALS

• Division III Record: 1:44.18, Andrew Wilson (Emory) – 2018

1. Garrett Clasen (Chicago) – 1:45.65
2. Jaden Luo (MIT) – 1:46.99
3. Alex McCormick (Wash U.) – 1:47.18
4. Oliver Schalet (Williams) – 1:47.66
5. Kyle Garcia (Chicago) – 1:48.01
6. Patrick Daly (Denison) – 1:48.12
7. Steven Rua (Johns Hopkins) – 1:48.28
8. William O’Daffer (Emory) – 1:49.44

In a decisive victory, University of Chicago junior Garrett Clasen used a blazing front half to pull away from his competition and never looked back, touching in a time of 1:45.65. Clasen had some of the fastest splits in the entire field across all 4 strokes, including a 26.97 backstroke leg and a 22.60 butterfly leg, showing depth across all four strokes. The rest of the field was locked in a tight battle through the first half of the race, until MIT’s Jaden Lou dropped a 29.66 breaststroke leg to separate himself as the clear runner-up, untimately touching 2nd in a time of 1:46.99 to chop a second off of his prelims performance. Wash U junior Alexander McCormick also dropped from his prelims performance to claim 3rd.

WOMEN’S 50 FREE – FINALS

• Division III Record: 22.48, Fiona Muir (Emory) – 2018

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Kaley McIntyre (NYU) – 22.78
2. Tara Culibrk (Denison) – 22.81
3. Alexandra White (Kenyon) – 22.82
4. Taylor Leone (Emory) – 22.89
5. Caroline Maki (Emory) – 22.98
6. Ella Riccio (Bowdoin) – 23.33
7. Makaili Charlemagne (Springfield) – 23.41
8. Katelin Ulmer (Tufts) – 23.58

After posting a huge personal best in prelims, NYU freshman Kaley McIntyre matched that time exactly in the final, giving herself the win by .03 seconds over Denison’s Tara Culibrk. With her swim, Culibrk knocked another two tenths off of her season best of 22.99 that she posted in prelims. Culibrk nearly saw a repeat of the morning session where she and Kenyon’s Alexandra White tied, with White finishing only .01 seconds behind Culibrk in the final with a time of 22.82.

Another Kenyon swimmer, Ella Campbell, won the B-final with a 23.13, slicing three tenths of a second off of her prelims performance.

MEN’S 50 FREE – FINALS

• Division III Record: 19.37, Oliver Smith (Emory) – 2018

1. Noah Holstege (Calvin) – 19.48
2. Nathaniel Berry (Bates) – 19.77
3. Nicholas Goudie (Emory)/James McChesney (TCNJ) – 19.87 (TIE)
4.  –
5. Peter Labarge (Tufts)/Djordje Dragojlovic (Kenyon) – 20.02 (TIE)
6.  –
7. Neil Mortimer (Colby) – 20.18
8. Tobe Obochi (MIT) – 20.38

Despite producing two ties, the men’s 50 freestyle A-final was not nearly as close as the women’s race, as Calvin’s Noah Holstege easily claimed the National Title in a time of 19.48, almost .3 ahead of the field. Notably, Holstege didn’t even qualify for the B-final of this race at last year’s meet, where he finished 19th in a time of 20.34. His time today marks a significant increase in his performace since then. Nathaniel Berry also improved upon his performance from last season, coming in 2nd with a time of 19.77 after finishing 7th in this event last season.

There were two ties in the final, with Nicholas Goudie and James McChesney finishing 3rd with a 19.87 and Peter Labarge and Djordje Dragojlovic coming in 5th with a 20.02.

Kenyon senior K.T. Cherantha De Silva dropped a huge personal best of 19.83 to claim 1st in the B-final, a time which would have been good for 3rd overall.

WOMEN’S 200 MEDLEY RELAY – FINALS

• Division III Record: 1:39.59, Kenyon – 2022

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Emory (M. Jungers, A. Glowniak, T. Leone, C. Maki) – 1:39.55 *DIII Record*
2. Kenyon (O. Smith, J. Fadley, C. Ford, A. White) – 1:39.67
3. Williams (S. Verkleeren, A. Wager, S. Kilcoyne, I. Yang) – 1:41.09
4. MIT – 1:41.48
5. Pomona-Pitzer – 1:41.96
6. Tufts – 1:42.48
7. Denison – 1:42.56
8. Chicago – 1:44.13

The Emory team of Megan Jungers, Anna Glowniak, Taylor Leone, and Caroline Maki just threw down a time of 1:39.55 to narrowly break the NCAA Division III record in the 200 medley relay, cutting .04 seconds off of the mark set by the school last season. Jungers got things started with a 25.38 on the backstroke leg, handing it off to Glowniak, who split 28.25 on the breaststroke leg. Leone kept things going with a blazing 23.69 butterfly leg, and Maki wrapped up the race with a 22.23 on the freestyle leg shortly after competing in the individual 50 freestyle.

Kenyon’s team of Olivia Smith, Jennah Fadely, Celia Ford, and Alexandra White almost broke the old mark themselves, coming in with a time of 1:39.67 for second place.

MEN’S 200 MEDLEY RELAY – FINALS

• Division III Record: 1:26.14, Emory – 2017

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Emory (R. Soh, J. Meyer, J. Echols, C. Lafave) – 1:25.85
2. MIT (A. Janicki, J. Luo, M. Peng, T. Obochi) – 1:26.11
3. Kenyon (Y. Kosian, L. Sebastian Weekes, M. Krtinic, K.T. Cherantha De Silva) – 1:26.76
4. Calvin – 1:27.09
5. Chicago -1:27.14
6. Bates – 1:27.87
7. John Carroll – 1:27.88
8. Johns Hopkins – 1:28.38

Just like their women’s team, the Emory men crushed the NCAA Division III Record in the 200 medley relay, posting a time of 1:25.85 to take almost .3 off of the previous record of 1:26.44 that was set by the school all the way back in 2017. Ryan Soh led the team off with a strong 21.90 backstroke leg, turning it over to Jacob Meyer’s 23.54 breaststroke leg. Jeffery Echols then split a 21.15 on the butterfly leg to give Colin Lafave a clear led going into the freestyle leg. Lafave got the job done with a 19.26 split to secure the victory.

The MIT team of Adam Janicki, Jaden Luo, Michael Peng, and Tobe Obochi also had a huge swim to finish 2nd in a time of 1:26.11, also getting under the previous record. Notably, Obochi split a blazing 19.10 on the freestyle leg, a time over a second faster than his individual 50 freestyle time from earlier this evening.

WOMEN’S 3-METER DIVING – FINALS

• Division III Record: 517.10, Hayley Emerick (Trinity) – 2010

1. Ariana Khan (Emory) – 478.40
2. Karalyn Pawico (Ithaca) – 471.70
3. Veronica Fong (Chicago) – 462.70
4. Sydney Bluestein (Amherst) – 439.80
5. Kelli Kuramoto (CMU) – 421.20
6. Cynthia Tang (Chicago) – 405.50
7. Emilia Schwallie (CMU) – 409.10
8. Rachel Lange (Ithaca) – 405.50

Emory got a significant boost in the team race with sophomore Ariana Khan claiming the top spot in the women’s 3 meter diving event, scoring 478.40 points. After finishing 17th last year, Ithaca College’s Karalyn Pawico saw significant improvements to her dives to finish second this year, coming in just behind Khan with 471.70 points.