Alexandra White Drops 21.9 Relay Split On Day 2 of NCAC Champs; Denison Grabs Team Leads

by SwimSwam 8

February 10th, 2023 College, NCAA Division III

2023 NCAC CHAMPIONSHIPS

Courtesy: North Coast Athletic Conference

GRANVILLE, OH — The Denison men and women rushed ahead in the team standings after the second day of competition at the 2023 NCAC Swimming & Diving Championship at the Trumbull Aquatics Center on the campus of Denison University.

The Denison men held 691 points after winning the 200 IM and placing second in three other events on Thursday evening.  They were followed by Kenyon (651), Wabash (359.5), Wooster (343.5), DePauw (311.5), Oberlin (296), Ohio Wesleyan (189.5), Wittenberg (167), and Hiram (161).

The Big Red women sat atop the leaderboard with 746 points after capturing wins in the 200 freestyle relay and the 500 freestyle individual competition. They were followed by Kenyon (613.5), DePauw (388.5), Wooster (305), Oberlin (299), Ohio Wesleyan (205), Hiram (158) and Wittenberg (25).

Six NCAC women’s swimmers earned B-cut times in the 500-freestyle event. Denison sophomore Taryn Wisner won the title with her time of 4:49.12. Her teammates junior Tara Witkowski (4:51.19), freshman Quinn Brown (4:55.84), and sophomore Annie Pfeufer (4:57.67) as well as Kenyon’s junior Sarah Hoffman (4:58.14) and freshman Molly Haag (5:00.28) all touched the wall under the “B” cut time of 5:00.37.

Kenyon senior and last year’s 2022 NCAC Swimmer of the Year Bryan Fitzgerald won the men’s 500 freestyle with a time of 4:25.97. It’s the second year in a row Fitzgerald has claimed the win in the event. The next five spots belonged to Denison, with a total of seven swimmers making it under the “B” cut 4:32.31 in the event.

Kenyon sophomore Jennah Fadley earned the women’s 200 IM title with her time of 2:01.52. Denison seniors CC Crane (2:02.88) and Savy Sargent (2:02.92) finished in second and third place. Seven swimmers total earned “B” cut times.

Denison sophomore Patrick Daly took the title in the Men’s 200 IM with a time of 1:48.42. He was joined by Big Red teammate sophomore Gavin Jones (1:49.27) as well as Kenyon junior Noah Hargrove (1:50.18) and senior Luis Weekes (1:50.42) in capturing “B” cut times.

Kenyon senior Alexandra White won the women’s 50 free event with a time of 22.96. Denison senior Tara Culibrk (23.15) and Kenyon senior Ella Campbell (23.19) earned the second and third places. They were joined by Denison sophomores Amber Croonquist (23.27) and Grace Kadlecik (23.36), who all finished within half a second of each other and earned B-cut qualifications.

In the men’s 50 free, DePauw senior Ben Hilfinger topped the podium with his time of 20.17. It was the first NCAC title in an individual event for the Tigers since 2018. Kenyon freshman Djordje Dragojlovic (20.25), Wabash senior Caleb McCarty (20.40), and Kenyon seniors Mart Niefhoff (20.44) and Cherantha De Silva (20.50) all earned B-cut times under 20.51.

Kenyon junior Israel Zavaleta earned a championship in the men’s one-meter diving competition with 586.60 points. While that performance surpassed the previous NCAC and NCAA records itself (set by Denison’s Connor Dignan in 2014), Zavaleta had actually created the new record during the preliminary round earlier in the day with 610.20 points. Six other divers join him with “B” cut showings.

The Denison women’s 200-freestyle relay team of Croonquist, Kadlecik, Culibrk and freshman Phoebe Ferguson earned the championship with a time of 1:31.48. Kenyon’s squad of Campbell, White, and seniors Olivia Smith and Sydney Geboy placed second (1:31.84). Both had “B” cut times.

SwimSwam Note: White split 21.96 swimming the anchor leg of Kenyon’s 200 free relay, more than a half-second under the flat-start Division III record in the individual 50 free (22.48).

The Kenyon men’s 200-freestyle relay team of Dragojlovic, Niehoff, and juniors Daniel Brooks and Marko Krtnic won the final event of the evening with a time of 1:19.21. Both the Owls team and the Denison group of Daly, seniors Richie Kurlich and Aidan Lane, and junior Richie Stewart (1:21.30) achieved “B” cut times.

In action earlier in the day, Denison senior Kurlich set a new NCAC record during a time trial in the men’s 100 breastroke with a time of 53.93.

Visit the championship website for complete results from day two: (NCAC Championship Site) 

The 2023 NCAC Swimming & Diving Championships continue through Saturday evening. Preliminary events start at 9:30 a.m., while finals begin at 6:00 p.m.

TEAM STANDINGS

Women

  1. Denison, 746
  2. Kenyon, 613.5
  3. DePauw, 388.5
  4. Wooster, 305
  5. Oberlin, 299
  6. Ohio Wesleyan, 205
  7. Hiram, 158
  8. Wittenberg, 25

Men

  1. Denison, 691
  2. Kenyon, 651
  3. Wabash, 359.5
  4. Wooster, 343.5
  5. DePauw, 311.5
  6. Oberlin, 296
  7. Ohio Wesleyan, 189.5
  8. Wittenberg, 167
  9. Hiram, 161

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McRib
1 year ago

Denison: I wish there was a way to win NCACs without actually beating the Kenyon swimmers
Uncontested diving:

https://imgur.com/yh4WXnC

Coach
Reply to  McRib
1 year ago

Sorry to burst your bubble but Kenyon has more divers entered in this meet including the reigning NCAA champion. This isn’t the Denison Invite 😉

UaaEnjoyer
1 year ago

Where’s dat UAA coverage SwamSwim

THEO
1 year ago

White’s split is, to my knowledge, the second fastest ever in D3 behind only Emma Waddell of Williams (21.95 in 2018), surpassing Hart’s 21.98 from last year.

Unrelated but the Denison men are the biggest surprise at this meet. Where did Venos come from? 23 breast split is legit and he went 53 in the 100 today

Ice Golem
Reply to  THEO
1 year ago

THEO! You returned! Sadly, I must inform you that We Do Not Care!

THEO
Reply to  Ice Golem
1 year ago

Hi Ice Golem, nice to hear from you. Your way of demonstrating apathy is unusual but I enjoy individuality and I hope you have a nice day.

Mike
Reply to  THEO
1 year ago

The Denison men have really shown up. Even though seemingly fully rested and suited, times are “legit” as you say.

Yep
Reply to  THEO
1 year ago

Emory’s Taylor Leone split a 21.89 anchoring the 200 free relay at UAA championships last year. That’s the fastest I could find. Should be an epic battle at NCAAs this year.

Last edited 1 year ago by Yep