From: Jeff Febus (jfebus@calvin.edu)
Date: Fri Mar 14 2003 - 21:28:05 EST
CALVIN SPORTS REPORT FOR MARCH 14, 2003 (PART TWO)
WOMEN'S SWIMMING AND DIVING
ATLANTA, GA -- For the first time in her career, Calvin senior Katie Nagelkirk
has earned All-America honors in an individual event. A native of Zeeland and
a graduate of Holland Christian High School, Nagelkirk took home All-America
accolades Friday night at the NCAA III Women's Swimming and Diving
Championships with an eighth place time of 1:55.57 in the 200 freestyle.
During her career, Nagelkirk has been a part of two Calvin All-America relay
teams but she had never earned the distinction as an individual until Friday
night's race. A year ago, Nagelkirk just missed All-America distinction
(top-eight individual finish) in both the 50 and 100 freestyle as she placed
ninth in both events at the NCAA III Championships.
In Friday morning's prelims, Nagelkirk assured herself of an All-America berth
by posting a school record time of 1:53.73 that proved to be the eighth-best
time of the prelims and garnered her the eighth and final spot for Friday
night's championship finals.
A two-time MIAA MVP in women's swimming and diving, Nagelkirk is just the
fourth individual in Calvin women's swimming and diving history to earn
All-America honors in an individual event and the first to do so since Kate
Shaugnessy took seventh for Calvin in the 200 butterfly at the 1994 NCAA III
Championships.
She is also the second swimmer from Holland Christian High School to do so at
Calvin as her former Holland Christian High School coach Stephanie Rhind was an
All-American in the 100 breaststroke in 1988. In addition, Nagelkirk is the
first swimmer in Calvin women's swimming and diving history to earn All-America
citations in the 200 freestyle.
"I was just thrilled to see Katie up on the All-America stand tonight," said
Calvin swim coach Dan Gelderloos. "She has worked so hard throughout her
career and to see it pay off today was very satisfying. She has had a
tremendous senior year and hopefully she still has two more races left."
Nagelkirk is scheduled to compete in the 100 freestyle prelims Saturday
morning. She is seeded seventh in the event. Freshman Abby Johnson of Grand
Haven High School is also slated to compete in the 200 butterfly tomorrow. She
is seeded 25th in the event. On Friday morning, Johnson shattered her own
school record in the 100 butterfly with a time of 59.15 that placed her 27th
overall.
Nagelkirk's All-America swim Friday night allowed Calvin to build its team
point total to 22 points, good for 28th place in the overall team standings
heading into Saturday. Calvin's highest team finish came at the 2001 NCAA
III Championships when it placed 18th with 42 points.
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