2024 NCAA Division III Championships: Day 3 Finals

2024 NCAA DIII Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships

• March 20-23, 2024
• Location: Greensboro Aquatic Center, Greensboro, NC
• Times: Prelims 10:00 AM / Finals 6:00 PM (ET)
• Defending Champs: Denison women (1x) & Emory men (2x)
• Results Page
• Psych Sheet
• Live Streaming on NCAA.com
• Live Results
• Recaps
  • Day 1 Prelims | Day 1 Finals
  • Day 2 Prelims | Day 2 Finals
  • Day 3 Prelims

Team Scores Thru Day 2 (Top 10)

Men

1. Emory – 214
2. Kenyon – 177
3. Chicago – 167
4. NYU – 164
5. Williams – 154.5
6. Calvin – 108
7. Tufts – 92.5
8. Carnegie Mellon – 89
9. CMS – 86
10. MIT – 84

Women

1. Denison – 244
2. Kenyon – 212
3. NYU – 195
4. Williams – 189
5. MIT – 163
6. Pomona-Pitzer – 140
7. Emory – 121
8. Chicago – 110
9. Swarthmore – 82
10. Tufts – 64.5

There’s a battle brewing in the men’s 100 breaststroke. It feels like we’ve been on record watch in the breaststroke events since Derek Maas announced he would spend his Covid fifth-year competing for NYU after spending his undergraduate campaign with Alabama. But he isn’t the top qualifier; that’ll be defending champion Jake Meyer, and he’s looked excellent all season.

The women’s breaststroke also looks exciting, featuring two of only three women who’ve swum under 1:00 in D3.

The men’s 200 butterfly features the national record-holder, Frank Applebaum, on the hunt for this third-straight title in the event. The women’s fly will see a wave of Violet, as NYU looks to hold their position in the team race.

The men’s 100 backstroke looks like it’ll be a barnburner of a race, with the top six being separated by just 0.16-hundredths of a second. The women’s race is fast at the top, as we’ll see if Kate Augustyn can match her national record from last night’s 400 medley.

On the boards, Kenyon’s Israel Zavaleta looks poised to sweep the diving events for the second year in the row.

Finally, we’ll end with timed finals of the longest relay, the 800 freestyle. It should be a shorter session than yesterday, but exciting nonetheless. Here we go!

Men’s 200 Yard Butterfly – Finals

• Division III Record: 1:43.87, Frank Applebaum (CMS), 2023
• 2023 Champion: 1:43.96, Frank Applebaum (CMS)

1. Justin Finkel (Connecticut College) – 1:43.21 (NCAA Record)
2. Frank Applebaum (CMS) – 1:43.39
3. Avery Clapp (Johns Hopkins) – 1:44.56
4. Jesse Ssengonzi (Chicago) – 1:44.93
5. Cooper Costello (Chicago) – 1:45.67
6. Harrison Thorsen (Emory) – 1:46.87
7. Leo Han (NYU) – 1:48.36
8. Benjamin Thorsen (Emory) – 1:48.47

Frank Applebaum had already visibly separated himself from the field by the first 50, splitting 22.65. The rest of the field looked bunched up behind him, but started to separate as they moved into the 150. It looked like Jesse Ssengonzi, the national record-holder in the 100, had 2nd placed locked up, but then 500 champion Justin Finkel seemed to turn on the jets to power home in 26.82. In actuality, Finkel just succeeded in holding his pace, but it was enough to clip Applebaum for the national title and set a new record of 1:43.21.

Split Comparison:

Applebaum did swim under his own record, stopping the clock in 1:43.39 for 2nd. Johns Hopkins’ Avery Clapp took 3rd (1:44.56).

Julien Camy clocked 1:47.12 to win the B-final after taking home bronze last night in the 100.

Women’s 200 Yard Butterfly – Finals

• Division III Record: 1:55.66, Logan Todhunter (Williams), 2012
• 2023 Champion: 1:59.88, Alesha Kelly (Chicago)

1. Caitlin Marshall (NYU) – 1:58.50
2. Alesha Kelly (Chicago) – 1:59.62
3. Emily Harris (Denison) – 2:00.03
4. Nicole Ranile (NYU) – 2:01.44
5. Reina Gomez (NYU) – 2:02.29
6. Samantha Kilcoyne (Williams) – 2:02.60
7. Sophia Schmitz (Kenyon) – 2:03.53
8. Youngju Baik (NYU) – 2:03.56

Caitlin Marshall led wire-to-wire in the women’s 200 fly, opening in 56.12 and closing in 1:02.38 for her first time under 1:59. Defending champion Alesha Kelly swam a best time (1:59.62), but settled for 2nd. Emily Harris also lowered her best time (2:00.03), creeping closer to the 2:00-barrier. She was followed by a pair of NYU underclassmen, as Nicole Ranile (2:01.44) and Reina Gomez (2:02.29) both dropped time from this morning to hang onto their prelims places.

Pomona-Pitzer’s Abby Smith won the B-final, descending her final hundred to solidify her lead.

Men’s 100 Yard Backstroke – Finals

• Division III Record: 45.75, Tanner Filion (Whitman), 2023
• 2023 Champion: 45.75, Tanner Filion (Whitman), 2023

1. Djorje Dragojlovic (Kenyon) – 46.90
2. Brayden Morford (CMU) – 47.04
3. Alexander McCormick (WashU) – 47.09
4. Richard Nichol (Williams) – 47.31
5. Yurii Kosian (Kenyon) – 47.50
6. David Bajwa (Calvin) – 47.78
7. James Schwenk (St. Mary’s) – 47.98
8. Adam Braunschweig (Emory) – 48.40

The men’s 100 backstroke did not disappoint. Djordje Dragojlovic, swimming out of lane 3, was out first, splitting 22.43. Four other swimmers joined him under 23: Alex McCormick (22.62), Ev Nichol (22.79), Yurii Kosian (22.73), and James Schwenk (22.88).

Dragojlovic still looked to have a slight lead as they made the final turn, but Brayden Morford started to surge from lane 2. Dragojlovic, Morford, and McCormick all appeared to lunge for the wall at the same time, and it was Dragojlovic who got his hand to the wall first, matching the time that earned him 4th last year (46.90). Morford touched just five-hundredths ahead of McCormick, shaving two-hundredths off his best time from UAAs.

Kyle Wolford of WashU won the B-final with a time of 47.89.

Women’s 100 Yard Backstroke – Finals

• Division III Record: 53.41, Kate Augustyn (MIT), 2024
• 2023 Champion: 54.00, Olivia Smith (Kenyon)

1. Kate Augustyn (MIT) – 53.41
2. Sophia Verkleeren (Williams) – 53.87
3. Sammi Thiele (Austin) – 54.73
4. Megan Jungers (Emory) – 54.80
5. Izzy Huang (Emory) – 54.97
6. Caleigh Wukitch (Kenyon) – 55.19
7. Sydney Smith (MIT) – 55.36
8. Penny Celtnieks (Emory) – 56.16

Kate Augustyn has done it again! The MIT junior took home her first individual national title, tying her national record in the process. (Coincidentally, MIT’s other individual champion so far at this meet, Tobe Obochi, also tied his prelims time when he won the 50 freestyle.)

She wasn’t without a challenge, however, as Sophia Verkleeren got out to a fast start in 25.68. The two juniors looked dead even over the first 87.5-yards, but Augustyn seemed to find a new gear down the stretch to take the win.

Sammi Thiele rounded out the podium, a full two-second improvement from her time last year where she finished 23rd overall.

Sophie Cassily of Bates won the B-final, clocking 55.19 that would have tied for 6th.

Men’s 100 Yard Breaststroke – Finals

• Division III Record: 50.94, Andrew Wilson (Emory), 2017
• 2023 Champion: 52.87, Jake Meyer (Emory)

1. Derek Maas (NYU) – 51.83
2. Jake Meyer (Emory) – 52.26
3. Garrett Clasen (Chicago) – 52.39
4. Elijah Venos (Denison) – 53.13
5. Alex Grand’Pierre (Bowdoin) – 53.50
6. Jason Starbuck (Chicago) – 53.55
7. Henri Bonnault (Emory) – 53.86
8. Emmett Adams (Tufts) – 54.75

While Andrew Wilson’s survives another day, we were treated to a nail-biting race in the men’s 100 breaststroke. Defending champion Jake Meyer turned first at the 50 (24.25), just two-hundredths ahead of Derek Maas (24.27). The pair looked to be even heading into the final turn, but Maas used a big pullout to gain some ground on Meyer.

It was all Maas into the wall, as he stopped the clock in 51.83. Garrett Clasen started to close on Meyer, but ran out of room into the wall and settled for 3rd.

We just witnessed the 2nd, 3rd, and 5th fastest performers in D3 make their mark on the history books.

All-Time Top DIII Performers, Men’s 100 Breaststroke:

1. Andrew Wilson, Emory – 50.94 (2017)
2. Derek Maas, NYU — 51.83 (2024)
3. Jake Meyer, Emory — 52.26 (2024)
4. Collin Miller, UW-Eau Claire — 52.38 (2020)
5. Garrett Clasen, Chicago — 52.39

Anthony Fitzgerald of Wheaton (IL) won the B-final, stopping the clock at 54.01 to improve on his 10th-place finish from last year.

Women’s 100 Yard Breaststroke – Finals

• Division III Record: 59.77, KT Kustritz (Denison), 2018
• 2023 Champion: 59.94, Jennah Fadely (Kenyon)

1. Jennah Fadely (Kenyon) – 59.80
2. Edenna Chen (MIT) – 1:00.79
3. Gabriella Wei (Kenyon) – 1:01.74
4. Amanda Wager (Williams) – 1:01.80
5. Charlotte Wishnack (Williams) – 1:01.01
6. Sophie Rotival (Swarthmore) – 1:02.55
7. Mattie Smith (Albion) – 1:02.70
8. Kavita Sekhon (Wellesley) – 1:02.85

Jennah Fadely and Edenna Chen were out near even at the 50, splitting 28.26 and 28.16 respectively. They stayed together until the 75, when Fadely started to make her move. She surged forward down the stretch, out-splitting Chen by over a second to record the #3 time in the history of D3 and her third sub-1:00 outing of her career (59.80).

Gabriella Wei rounded out the podium, giving Kenyon a 1-3 finish and a big boost in points for the team race.

Drue Thielking won the B-final, stopping the clock in 1:02.14.

Men’s 1-meter Diving – Finals

• Division III Record: 610.20, Israel Zavaleta (Kenyon), 2023
• 2023 Champion: 602.00, Israel Zavaleta (Kenyon)

1. Israel Zavaleta (Kenyon) – 581.15
2. Trent Makowiec (Geneseo) – 526.45
3. Conor Compton (Alfred State) – 512.00
4. Justin Toth (Birmingham South) – 504.40
5. Greg Meder (Geneseo) – 475.30
6. John Beuerlein (Rhodes) – 473.05
7. Gellert Kish (RIT) – 469.65
8. Nick Fogle (Denison) – 449.45

Israel Zavaleta swept both boards for the third-year in the row, scoring 581.15 points to take home the 1-meter title. He was below his score from last year, but it was still plenty for the win.

Trent Makowiec picked up his second runner-up finish of the meet, earning 526.45 points.

Men’s 800 Yard Freestyle Relay – Timed Finals

• Division III Record: 6:26.98, Emory (N. Goudie, B. Thorsen, J. Hamilton, P. Pema), 2023
• 2023 Champion: 6:26.98, Emory (N. Goudie, B. Thorsen, J. Hamilton, P. Pema)

1. Williams – 6:29.05
2. Emory – 6:29.63
3. Pomona-Pitzer – 6:33.41
4. Chicago – 6:33.49
5. WashU – 6:33.66
6. Kenyon – 6:35.09
7. TCNJ – 6:35.61
8. MIT – 6:35.71

Emory was in the lead at the midway point, but Williams’ back-half of Carter Anderson and Oliver Schalet turned on the heat to upset the defending champions. There are a few missing splits, but we do know that Schalet split 1:35.99 to Emory anchor Benjamin Thorsen‘s 1:36.52.

Pomona-Pitzer’s time from the early heats was good for 3rd, as they snuck past Chicago and WashU who swam in the final heat.

Women’s 800 Yard Freestyle Relay – Timed Finals

• Division III Record: 7:13.51, Emory (F. Muir, J. Wawer, M. Taylor, C. Cheng), 2018
• 2023 Champion: 7:16.35, Denison (T. Wisner, E. Wright, A. Pfeufer, T. Culibrk)

1. NYU – 7:16.20
2. Denison – 7:19.60
3. Kenyon – 7:21.28
4. Emory – 7:22.85
5. Williams – 7:23.65
6. Pomona-Pitzer – 7:24.02
7. MIT – 7:27.42
8. WashU – 7:29.89

The top six teams were near even at the halfway mark, separated by just 1.59-seconds across lanes 1-6, but NYU had 200 fly champ Caitlin Marshall and 200 free champ Kaley McIntyre on their back-half. Marshall pulled away from the field with a 1:49.14 and handed things off to McIntyre, who dropped the hammer with a 1:45.94 to touch over three seconds ahead of Denison.

Denison’s fastest leg was from their anchor, Emily Harris, who split 1:48.08. Kenyon rounded out the podium, also getting a 1:48 split from their anchor (Molly Haag, 1:48.90).

WashU’s time from the early heats moved them past Johns Hopkins into 8th.