2023 NCAA Division III Championships – Day 2 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
• Day 1 Full Results (PDF)

DAY 2 FINALS HEAT SHEETS

Top 10 Women’s Teams After Day 1

1. Denison 107
2. (TIE) Kenyon / Emory 90
3. –
4. Williams 77
5. Tufts 69.5
6. Chicago 59.5
7. Hope College 46
8. NYU 44
9. MIT 39
10. Pomona-Pitzer 36.5

Top 10 Men’s Teams After Day 1

1. Emory 110.5
2. Kenyon 80.5
3. Chicago 65
4. MIT 62
5. Johns Hopkins 57
6. Calvin 50
7. Williams 46
8. Bates 45
9. (TIE) Denison / NYU 37

Women’s 200 Freestyle Relay – Finals

• NCAA D3 Record: 1:30.39, Kenyon – 2022
• Meet Record: 1:30.39, Kenyon – 2022
• 2022 Champion: Kenyon – 1:30.39

Podium:

1. Emory – 1:31.62
2. Tufts – 1:31.97
3. Kenyon – 1:32.31
4. (TIE) Denison / Pomona-Pitzer – 1:33.06
5. –
6. JHU – 1:33.49
7. MIT – 1:33.55
8. NYU – 1:33.91

Caroline Maki (22.98), Samantha Kass (23.37), Penelope Celtnieks (23.00) and Taylor Leone (22.27) combined to give Emory the victory in the 200 free relay with 1:31.62. Tufts’ Elle Morse (23.29), Jillian Cudney (23.23), Lily Klinginsmith (22.65), and Katelin Ulmer (22.80) were within a stroke of upsetting the Eagles but finished second in 1:31.97. Kenyon finished another three-tenth back, with swims from Ella Campbell (23.44), Sydney Geboy (23.25), Lisa Torrecillas-Jouault (23.30), and Alexandra White (22.32).

Men’s 200 Freestyle Relay – Finals

• NCAA D3 Record: 1:18.06, Kenyon – 2012
• Meet Record: 1:18.06, Kenyon – 2012
• 2022 Champion: MIT – 1:19.10

Podium:

1. Kenyon – 1:18.40
2. Calvin – 1:18.85
3. Emory – 1:19.24
4. Chicago – 1:19.80
5. MIT – 1:20.47
6. SUNY Geneseo – 1:20.65
7. Bates – 1:21.11
8. Carnegie Mellon – 1:21.24

Djordje Dragojlovic (19.84), Mart Niehoff (19.73), K.T. Cherantha De Silva (19.34), and Daniel Brooks (19.49) won the men’s 200 free relay title for Kenyon, swimming in lane 3 after having placed third this morning.

The Owls were in third place after the leadoff leg, with Calvin’s Noah Holstege touching first in 19.58 and Emory’s Nicholas Goudie coming to the wall second with 19.75.

Niehoff’s second leg pulled the Owls past Emory and within .09 of Calvin. De Silva’s third leg blew the field out of the water and put Kenyon in front headed into the final leg. Brooks brought it home, keeping Calvin and Emory just out of reach.

Calvin’s relay team consisted of Holstege (19.58), Jacob Heeres (19.92), Forrest Peterson (19.83), and Corey Campbell (19.52).

Emory used Goudie (19.75), Patrick Pema (20.26), Caden Bjornstad (19.86), and Colin Lafave (19.37).

Women’s 400 Individual Medley – Finals

• NCAA D3 Record: 4:13.14, Caroline Wilson (Williams) – 2012
• Meet Record: 4:13.14, Caroline Wilson (Williams) – 2012
• 2022 Champion: Molly Craig (Williams) – 4:16.83

Podium:

1. Augusta Lewis (C-M-S) – 4:1573
2. Neely Burns (Trinity) – 4:18.50
3. Sophia Verkleeren (Williams) – 4:20.60
4. Savannah Sargent (Denison) – 4:20.72
5. Tara Witkowski (Denison) – 4:21.69
6. Esme Wright (Denison) – 4:22.36
7. Jordyn Wentzel (St. Kate’s) – 4:22.43
8. Gabriella Wei (Kenyon) – 4:26.00

Augusta Lewis, a senior from Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, stunned the field from lane 1, winning with 4:15.73. That time is 2.3 seconds faster than what she went last year as runner-up, and it would have won the 2022 title by 1.1 seconds. Lewis split 58.60 / 1:06.3 / 1:11.4 / 59.2 to finish two body lengths ahead of runner-up Neely Burns of Trinity University.

Sophia Verkleeren of Williams was first out of the gate and led through the 250. Lewis made up 1.5 seconds of her deficit to Verkleeren on the first 50 of the breaststroke and took over the lead on the second 50. She had the fastest freestyle leg, too, leaving no room for the middle lanes of the pool to catch her.

Men’s 400 Individual Medley – Finals

• NCAA D3 Record: 3:46.62, Harrison Curley (Kenyon) – 2015
• Meet Record: 3:46.62, Harrison Curley (Kenyon) – 2015
• 2022 Champion: Bryan Fitzgerald (Kenyon) – 3:47.62

Podium:

1. Bryan Fitzgerald (Kenyon) – 3:49.58
2. Danny Sibley (Wash U.) – 3:51.20
3. Benjamin Thorsen (Emory) – 3:52.07
4. Ryan Gibbons (Emory) – 3:52.09
5. Ethan Manske (Kenyon) – 3:55.61
6. Gavin Formon (TCNJ) – 3:56.62
7. Marcell Milo-Sidlo (Chicago) – 3:57.45
8. Larry Yu (Pomona-Pitzer) – 3:59.23

Defending champion Bryan Fitzgerald of Kenyon won the 400 IM final from lane 7, going 3:49.58, about 2 seconds off his winning time from 2022.

WashU’s Danny Sibley was first out of the gate, splitting 51.1 on the fly to lead Fitzgerald by 1.3 seconds at the 100. Sibley was still in front after the backstroke, but Fitzgerald narrowed the margin by .2. Fitzgerald destroyed the field on the breaststroke, splitting 1:05.5 and taking over the lead with a 1.5-second cushion headed into the freestyle. He came home in 53.1 to finish 1.7 seconds ahead of Sibley.

Another second behind the two leaders were Emory’s Benjamin Thorsen and Ryan Gibbons, who had very similar splits and touched within .02 of each other with 3:52.07 and 3:52.09, respectively.

Women’s 100 Butterfly – Finals

• NCAA D3 Record: 52.64, Kirsten Nitz (Wheaton) – 2014
• Meet Record: 52.64, Kirsten Nitz (Wheaton) – 2014
• 2022 Champion: Crile Hart (Kenyon) – 53.21

Podium:

1. Lily Klinginsmith (Tufts) – 53.65
2. Alexandra Turvey (Pomona-Pitzer) – 54.22
3. Emma Pritchett (Denison) – 54.25
4. Samantha Kilcoyne (Williams) – 54.54
5. Caroline Maki (Emory) – 54.80
6. Taylor Leone (Emory) – 55.02
7. Maggie Farrell (Calvin) – 55.05
8. Kate Brush (Colorado College) – 55.21

Tufts freshman Lily Klinginsmith claimed a wire-to-wire win in the championship final of the 100 fly, going 53.65 to beat Alex Turvey of Pomona-Pitzer by six-tenths.

Klinginsmith was out in 25.33 and home in 28.32, registering the fastest splits on both halves. Turvey was tied with Calvin’s Maggie Farrell at the 50, trailing Klinginsmith, Emory’s Caroline Maki, and Denison’s Emma Pritchett. Turvey plasted a 28.5 on the back half to get her hand to the wall .03 ahead of Pritchett.

Samantha Kilcoyne of Williams, Turvey, and Pritchett all out-split Maki on the back half to finish fourth, second, and third, respectively.

Men’s 100 Butterfly – Finals

• NCAA D3 Record: 46.46, David Fitch (Kenyon) – 2021
• Meet Record: 46.47, Jesse Ssengonzi (Chicago) – 2023
• 2022 Champion: Jesse Ssengonzi (Chicago) – 46.77

Podium:

1. Marko Krtinic (Kenyon) – 46.51
2. Jesse Ssengonzi (Chicago) – 46.68
3. Tanner Filion (Whitman) – 47.83
4. Liam McDonnell (John Carroll) – 46.92
5. T. Cherantha De Silva (Kenyon) – 47.13
6. Neil Mortimer (Colby) – 47.62
7. Bryan Sullivan (Millsaps) – 47.92
8. Leo Han (NYU) – 48.09

Kenyon junior Marko Krtinic came from behind to just touch out defending champion Jesse Ssengonzi of Chicago, 46.51 to 46.68. Ssengonzi had broken the meet record in prelims with 46.47.

It was Tanner Filion of Whitman who paced the field on the first 50 yards, turning in 21.46, .2 ahead of Krtinic and .3 ahead of Ssengonzi.

Krtinic came home in 24.8 to Ssengonzi’s 24.9; Filion went 25.3 and was just able to hold off John Carroll senior Liam McDonnel, who came home three-tenths faster.

The top four finishers were all under 47 seconds. Last year only Ssengonzi and runner-up David Fitch went 46s.

Women’s 200 Freestyle – Finals

• NCAA D3 Record: 1:44.82, Kendra Stern (Amherst) – 2011
• Meet Record: 1:44.82, Kendra Stern (Amherst) – 2011
• 2022 Champion: Claire Brennan (Tufts) – 1:48.46

Podium:

1. Kaley McIntyre (NYU) – 1:47.44
2. Taryn Wisner (Denison) – 1:48.80
3. Tara Culibrk (Denison) – 1:49.03
4. Karen Zhao (Chicago) – 1:50.34
5. Kristin Cornish (Johns Hopkins) – 1:50.66
6. Claire Brennan (Tufts) – 1:50.73
7. Anna Pfeufer (Denison) – 1:50.81
8. Grace Wenger (Bates) – 1:51.41

NYU freshman Kaley McIntyre went out like a shot and established an early lead from lane 5, flipping in 25.17 and getting a three-tenths edge on the field. Denison’s Taryn Wiser and Tara Culibrk trailed in second and third place throughout the race.

McIntyre split 25.1 / 27.5 / 27.3 / 27.4 to win by a body length with 1:47.44.

Wisner, who was third last year with 1:49.17, came in second with 1:48.80. Her teammate Culibrk, eighth a year ago, went 1:49.03 for third.

The rest of the field, led by Chicago’s Karen Zhao, was another body length behind.

Men’s 200 Freestyle – Finals

• NCAA D3 Record: 1:35.52, Jamie Lovette Williams) – 2022
• Meet Record: 1:36.00, Jamie Lovette (Williams) – 2022
• 2022 Champion: Jamie Lovette (Williams) – 1:36.00

Podium:

1. James McChesney (TCNJ) – 1:34.74 MEET / D3 RECORD
2. Pat Pema (Emory) – 1:36.09
3. Mason Kelber (Wash U) – 1:37.06
4. Nick Goudie (Emory) – 1:37.28
5. Yurii Kosian (Kenyon) – 1:37.58
6. Nathaniel Yeoh (NYU) – 1:37.08
7. Arthur Kiselnikov (Chicago) – 1:39.05
8. Oliver Schalet (Williams) – 1:39.19

James McChesney, a junior at The College of New Jersey, destroyed the NCAA Division III and championship meet record, winning with 1:34.74.

Emory senior Pat Pema, who won the 500 free last night, set the pace early on, leading at the halfway mark from lane 7 with 45.92. He split 24.0 / 24.5 on his middle 50s to lead by .25 at the 150 with 1:10.49.

Pema fell way off pace on the final 50, splitting 25.6, while McChesney came roaring home in 24.1.

McChesney split 21.76 / 24.24 / 24.64 / 24.1 to become the first Division III athlete to break the 1:35 barrier in the 200 free.

Pema finished second in 1:36.09. That marks a 1.4-second improvement from his 2022 finish, when he was fifth with 1:37.46. McChesney was fourth last year with 1:37.40.

Mason Kelber of WashU held off the rest of the field to finish third with 1:37.06.

Men’s 1-Meter Diving – Finals

• NCAA D3 Record: 578.70 – Connor Dignan, Denison (2014)
• Meet Record: 576.40 – Israel Zavaleta, Kenyon (2022)
• 2022 Champion: 576.40 – Israel Zavaleta, Kenyon

Podium:

1. Israel Zavaleta (Kenyon) – 602.00
2. Lucas Bumgarner (Emory) – 520.50
3. Jud Kyle (Carnegie Mellon) – 497.20
4. Trent Makowiec (SUNY Geneseo) – 490.75
5. Kobe Tray (Williams) – 47700
6. James Kyle (Carnegie Mellon) – 476.00
7. Jacob Calus (SUNY Geneseo) – 473.10
8. Mason Fishell (Kenyon) – 457.45

Kenyon junior and defending champion Israel Zavaleta crushed the meet and Division III records with 602.00 points, becoming the first Division III diver to register more than 578.70 points on the one-meter board. Zavaleta could have skipped his last dive and still won; he had 525.50 points headed into the final round. But his last dive was a spectacular reverse 1 1/2 somersault 2 1/2 twist free that netted him all 8 1/2s and one 9 for an award of 76.50. He also scored 72.00 points on his fifth dive, a forward 2 1/2 somersault 1 twist pike.

Emory’s Lucas Bumgarner, last year’s third place finisher, came in second with 520.50 points. The runner-up in 2022, Trent Makowiec of SUNY Geneseo, was fourth (490.75).

Carnegie Mellon brothers Jud Kyle (497.20) and James Kyle (476.00), Williams’ Kobe Tray (477.00), Jacob Calus of SUNY Geneseo (473.10) and Kenyon’s Mason Fishell (457.45) rounded out the championship final.

Women’s 400 Medley Relay – Finals

• NCAA D3 Record: 3:38.05, Kenyon – 2022
• Meet Record: 3:38.05, Kenyon – 2022
• 2022 Champion: Kenyon – 3:38.05

Podium:

1. Kenyon – 3:39.28
2. Emory – 3:41.15
3. MIT – 3:41.49
4. Williams – 3:41.79
5. Denison – 3:42.41
6. NYU – 3:43.92
7. Pomona-Pitzer – 3:44.73
8. Chicago – 3:46.92

The Kenyon quartet of Olivia Smith (54.63), Jennah Fadely (59.78), Anna Axas (54.39), and Alexandra White (50.48) combined for a massive 3:39.28 to win the 400 medley relay. It was the same four swimmers who had gone 3:42.94 in prelims; Smith improved the backstroke leadoff by .4, Fadely dropped a full second, Axas was 2.2 seconds faster, and White was better by a tenth, giving the Owls a 1.9-second victory over Emory.

Emory used Megan Jungers (55.26), Anna Glowniak (1:01.83), Taylor Leone (54.24), and Caroline Maki (49.82) to combine for 3:41.15.

MIT’s Kate Augustyn (54.97), Edenna Chen (1:00.26), Lauren Levy (56.19), and Sonia Seliger (50.07) placed third with 3:41.49, just .30 ahead of Williams.

Men’s 400 Medley Relay – Finals

• NCAA D3 Record: 3:10.51, Emory – 2017
• Meet Record: 3:10.51, Emory – 2017
• 2022 Champion: Chicago – 3:11.99

Podium:

1. Kenyon – 3:11.39
2. MIT – 3:11.63
3. Chicago – 3:12.76
4. Williams – 3:13.60
5. Emory – 3:14.53
6. Tufts – 3:16.13
7. Johns Hopkins – 3:16.16
8. Denison – 3:16.40

Kenyon’s Yurii Kosian (47.61), Luis Sebastian Weekes (54.47), Marko Krtinic (46.49), and Djordje Dragojlovic (42.82) held off a strong challenge from MIT to win the 400 medley relay in 3:11.39.

MIT got off to a very fast start with a 46.43 backstroke leadoff from Adam Janicki. Janicki’s time eclipsed the NCAA Division III record, set by Jack Wadsworth in 2022, by .02. Jacob McCarran followed with 54.09 on the breast, and the Engineers had a 1.5-second lead over the Owls at the halfway mark.

It was Krtinic’s butterfly that put Kenyon into the lead by three-tenths, as he out-split Michael Peng by 1.9 seconds. Tobe Obochi brought it home for MIT in 42.75, which was .07 faster than Dragojlovic but not quite fast enough to overcome the .29 deficit he had inherited.

Chicago’s JP Phillips (48.78), Garret Clasen (53.04), Jesse Ssengonzi (46.93), and Arthur Kiselnikov (44.01) combined for 3:12.76 for third place.

Women’s Team Scores Through Day 2

1. Denison 281.5
2. Emory 196
3. Kenyon 191
4. Tufts 163.5
5. Williams 154
6. Nyu 118
7. Chicago 117.5
8. Pomona-Pitzer 115.5
9. Mit 95
10. Johns Hopkins 68.5
11. Hope College 57.5
12. (TIE) Bowdoin / Amherst 49
13. –
14. Claremont MS 44
15. Ithaca 37
16. Carnegie Mellon 36
17. Bates 33
18. Calvin 31
19. Trinity University 29
20. Kate’s 27
21. Swarthmore 23
22. Gustavus 18
23. Mary Washington 13
24. (TIE) Springfield / Wheaton (Ma) 12
25. –
26. Colorado College 11
27. Hamilton 10
28. Case Western 7
29. Suny Geneseo 6
30. St Olaf 3
31. Wash U. MO 3

Men’s Team Scores Through Day 2

1. Kenyon 282.5
2. Emory 257.5
3. Chicago 198
4. MIT 137
5. Williams 117
6. Johns Hopkins 100
7. Calvin 96
8. Carnegie Mellon 83
9. Wash U. MO 82
10. Denison 71
11. Bates 69
12. (TIE) Tufts / TCNJ 65.5
13. –
14. NYU 63
15. John Carroll 59
16. Suny Geneseo 57
17. Colby 37
18. Conn College 26
19. Pomona-Pitzer 19
20. Trinity University 17
21. (TIE) Whitman / Bowdoin 16
22. –
23. Claremont MS 13
24. Millsaps 12
25. Birmingham Southern 9
26. USMMA 8
27. (TIE) Coast Guard / Washington & Lee / Alfred State / Rowan 5
28. –
29. –
30. –
31. (TIE )Brandeis / Swarthmore 4
32. –
33. Mary’s MD 3
34. (TIE) WPI / UW Eau Claire 2
35. –
36. Rhodes 1