MIAA Swimming & Diving Championships Day One Report

CALVIN SPORTS REPORT FOR FEB. 19, 2004

MIAA SWIMMING AND DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS REPORT (DAY ONE)

GRAND RAPIDS -- After one day of competition at the MIAA Swimming and Diving
Championships at East Grand Rapids High School, it appears that the men's title
will go right down to the wire. Meawhile on the women's side, Hope appears in
firm control and poised to capture its second straight league crown.

In the men's competition, defending champion Kalamazoo eight-time defending
MIAA champion Kalamazoo held a narrow lead over a Hope team determined to
reclaim its first MIAA crown since 1995 as the Hornets built a first place
total of 166 points with Hope second at 158. Albion also had a strong day,
building a third place total of 100 points with Calvin fourth with 90.

In the women's competition, Hope (185 points) came up with several sterling
performances and capitalized on a Calvin relay team that was disqualified to
build a 66-point lead over the second place Knights (119). Kalamazoo sits a
close third with 96 points.

The Hornets pulled one of the big surprises of the women's meet in the opening
event -- the 200 freestyle relay. Seeded third headed into the finals, the
Kalamazoo quarte of Elizabeth Garlow, Kristin Dominquez, Shannon Bauer and
Megan Johnson ripped off an NCAA B' cut qualifying time of 1:37.79 to edge Hope
by four-hundreths of a second for the first place medal. Hope's second place
time of 1:37.83 was also an NCAA B' cut qualifying performance. Calvin came
into the finals with the top seed in the relay but after apparently finishing
third was disqualified because of a early exchange, costing the Knights 24
points.

Hope then kept up the pressure with a first place finish by senior Michelle
Smith in the 500 freestyle as she defended her title in the event with an NCAA
III B' cut qualifying time of 5:06.06 with Calvin picking up a third place swim
by senior Brittney Stevens (Mankato, MN) with a time of 5:14.22 and senior
Ginni Bakker (Kalamazoo Christian HS) clocking in with a sixth place time of
5:24.37.

In the 200 IM, Hope senior Audrey Arnold upset defending champion Abby Johnson
of Calvin with an NCAA B' cut qualifying time of 2:10.08 with Johnson second in
2:10.80. Hope also took fourth and fifth with Megan O'Neal fourth (2:14.01)
and Lisa Ekdom fifth (2:14.19). Freshman Alex Wilson of Calvin was sixth
(2:14.30).

In the morning prelims of the 50 freestyle, Calvin freshman Rebekah Weima
(Grand Christian HS) clocked in with an NCAA III A' cut, school record and MIAA
record time of 23.79, breaking the previous Calvin and MIAA records held by
Katie Nagelkirk. Nagelkirk's MIAA record was 24.03 set in 2002 while her
previous school record of 23.85 was set in 2003. Hope then pulled off another
upset however as junior Erika Steele clocked an NCAA III A' cut qualifying time
of her own in taking first place with a time of 23.93 with Weima second at
24.03.

A highlight for the Calvin women came in the three-meter diving competition as
senior Sara TerHaar (Bradenton, FL) repeated as MIAA champion with an NCAA III
qualifying score of 431.56, more than 50 points ahead of secodn place finisher
Lindsay Brown of Albion. Hope senior Lindsay Close was fourth (363.54) with
Calvin sophomore Julie Erickson (Libertyville, IL) sixth (355.78).

The 400 medley relay featured a pair of NCAA III B' cut qualifying performances
as Hope's group of Arnold, freshman Kristen Hanna, freshman Lisa Smith and
Steele took first place with a time of 4:00.83 while Calvin's quartet of
freshman Elizabeth Ingebrigtsen (Bensenville, IL), freshman Barbara Frazier
(Port Huron), Johnson and Weima took second in a season-best and school-record
time of 4:02.28 that shattered the previous school mar of 4:06.51 set earlier
this year.

The men's competition was highlighted by the performance of Kalamazoo junior
diver Anthony Holt who repeated as league champion on the one-meter diving
board and nearly shattered the MIAA record held by former teammate Jeff Gorton
(594.60) as Holt piled up an 11-dive total of 584.7 points. Holt's performance
was punctuated by his final dive -- a front 3 1/2 tuck with a 3.0 degree of
difficulty. Holt sliced through the water with hardly a ripple, bringing
scores of 7.5, 8.5, 8, 8.5 and 7.5 for a total of 24 points, bringing a
standing ovation from the crowd.

Holt was part of a 1-5 Kalamazoo diving performance that allowed the Hornets to
build up 26 unanswered points on Hope and retake a lead from the Flying
Dutchmen as the Hornets moved out in front 140-126.

Hope opened the meet with a bang as its 200 freestyle relay team of Kurt Blohm,
Jake Taber, Chris Hamstra and Jeff Heydlauff took first with a NCAA B' cut
qualifying time of 1:23.99 Kalamazoo's team taking seocnd in 1:24.46. Calvin's
team of senior Brad White (Traverse City), freshman Matt Herrema (Grand Rapids
Christian HS), sophomore Luke Bagnall (Marshalltown, IA) and junior Peter
Boumgarden (Naperville, IL) took third in a season-best time of 1:26.03. In
the 500 freestyle, Kalamazoo took three of the top four spots led by senior
Scott Whitbeck who took first place with a B' cut qualifying time of 4:36.79.
Calvin's top finisher in the 500 freestyle was freshman Peter Tuuk (Grand
Rapids Christian HS) who took eighth with a season-best time of 4:52.36.

Trailing 73-39, Hope closed the gap with a huge performance in the 200 IM as it
went 2-5-6-8-9 to close to within nine points of the Hornets. Kalamazoo senior
Vic Stover repeated as league champion in the event, clocking in with an NCAA
B' cut qualifying time of 1:54.49. Calvin received a pair of superb finishes
as well in the 200 IM as Boumgarden was third in 1:56.56 while Bagnall took
fourth with a career-best time of 1:57.92.

Hope then took the lead by going 2-4-5-7-8 in the 50 freestyle with Jeff
Heydlauff taking second with an NCAA II B' cut qualifying time of 21.33.
Heydlauff was one of four B' cut times in the race as Kalamazoo junior Andrew
Kurtz took first with a sizzling time of 20.94 with White of Calvin taking
third (21.35, season-best) and Kurt Blohm of Hope fourth in 21.36.

In the 400 medley relay, Hope, Kalamazoo and Calvin all posted NCAA III B' cut
qualifying times with the Hope team of Iana Kobes, Geurink, Hamstra and Bolhm
taking first in 3:26.18 while Kalamazoo took second (3:28.60) and Calvin third
(3:28.73). Calvin's 400 medley relay team was made up of White, junior Ryan
Preston (Richmond, IN), Boumgarden and Tuuk. The time was also a season-best.

The second day of competition is set to begin with prelims at 10:00 a.m. at the
East Grand Rapids High School Natatorium with finals slated for 6:00 p.m..

Jeff Febus
Sports Information Director
Calvin College
(616) 526-6169 Office
(616) 526-8551 Fax
Received on Thu Feb 19 23:57:14 2004