Kenyon Women, Denison Men Win Big in D3 Rivalry Renewal

Denison vs. Kenyon

• November 9, 2024
• James A. Steen Aquatic Center, Gambier, Ohio
• Short Course Yards (25 yards)
• Full Meet Results (Web)
• Team Results:
  • Women: #1 Kenyon 180 def. #4 Denison 120
  • Men: #8 Denison 203 def. #4 Kenyon 97

One of the most storied rivalries in college swimming two campuses located only 25 miles apart produced a pair of lopsided decisions over the weekend in a D3 power matchup.

The men’s upset, particularly, was notable as Kenyon had won the previous five regular season matchups between the two.

Men’s Recap

The Denison men won 13 out of 16 events to break Kenyon’s regular season winning streak, led by a perfect four-for-four from freshman Nick Hensel from Houston.

Hensel won the 50 free in 20.90 and 100 free in 45.69, but his biggest result came on the closing 200 free relay. There he split 20.54, which is a new personal best time for him. The NCSA long course finalist had a best of 20.65 in high school at St. John’s. He has a knack for swimming well on relay leadoffs – his best time in the 100 free and 200 free both came on relay leadoffs in meets where relays aren’t normally the focus.

At the other end of the spectrum is senior and 2024 NCAC Swimmer of the Year Patrick Daly, who won the 100 breaststroke in 55.95. That’s over a second ahead of where he was at this meet last season before going on to finish 10th at the NCAA Championships. Last year, he was a better 200 breaststroker at nationals, but so far this season his speed has been more evident in the 100s than the 200s.

That time in the 100 ranks him 6th in D3 this season.

Other highly-ranked results for Denison include Lucas Conrads, who won the 1000 free in 9:39.21 – which ranks him 7th in D3 this season.

Nick Fogle swept the diving events for Denison as well. He was 8th on 1-meter at last year’s NCAA D3 Championships.

The bright spot for Kenyon was junior Ethan Manske, who won two individual events. He first took the 200 fly title in 1:50.75, and bookended that with a 4:02.42 to win the 400 IM in the last individual event of the meet.

Charlie Green was Kenyon’s other winner in 51.11.

Women’s Recap

The top-ranked Kenyon Owls reversed the script in the women’s meet, winning 11 out of 16 events on the day. For the Kenyon women, breaststroker Jennah Fadely was a quadruple winner.

The defending NCAA D3 Champion in the 100 breaststroke, Fadely on Saturday won the 100 breast in 1:02.48 and 200 breast in 2:17.04. Those are her first breaststroke swims of the season.

She also split 28.33 on the breaststroke leg of Kenyon’s 200 medley relay and 28.30 on a leg of Kenyon’s winning 200 free relay, both of which won. Fellow senior Sydney Geboy anchored that winning relay in 23.39 to pull away from Denison.

Kenyon’s breaststroke group is deep – not far behind Fadely in both races was fellow senior Gabby Wei, who was 1:02.97 in the 100 breast and 2:17.16 in the 200 breast. She is the defending D3 champion in the 200 breast.

The Kenyon women return all four of their individual national champions from last year’s title-winning team. Besides Fadely and Wei, sophomore Bengisu Caymaz is back with a vengeance. She won the 1000 free (10:10.70) by over 11 seconds and the 500 free (4:56.84) by more than five.

Those are both NCAA D3 leading times for the defending 500 and 1650 free champion from Turkey.

In spite of Kenyon winning the medley relay, the Denison women performed well in the individual sprint stroke events. Jassy Park won the 100 back in 56.81 and Amber Croonquist won the 100 fly in 57.29.

Park also split 26.01 leading off the Denison runner-up 200 medley relay, which was the fastest in the field by a full second.

Denison’s other winner in swimming was Emily Harris in the 200 fly (2:05.65), while the Big Red also swept the women’s diving events with Lu-si Minnich winning on 1-meter and Kerstyn Johnson winning on 3-meter.

The two programs, which by rivalry and convenience wind up competing several times a season, will be back together at the Denison Invitational in early December at the Trumbull Aquatics Center.