The Hope College women's swimming & diving team won two relays in school-record times at the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Championships on Thursday and grabbed the overall lead.
Coach John Patnott's Flying Dutch also crowned a MIAA champion in 3-meter diving as sophomore Sarah Sheridan of Richmond, Ind. (Richmond HS) won with a score of 480.85 points.
Photo of Sarah Sheridan, at right, courtesty of Steve Johnson
Hope has 280 points — nine more than reigning MIAA champion Calvin College. The four-day meet at Calvin resumes on Friday.
The Flying Dutch closed the finals by taking first in the 400 medley relay. Senior Maria Kieft of Spring Lake (Spring Lake HS), sophomore Jorgie Watson of Grand Rapids (Catholic Central HS), freshman Molly Meyer of South Bend, Ind. (John Adams HS) and sophomore Klare Northuis of Holland (Holland HS) combined for a school record time of 3:51.54.
The 400 medley relay broke the 1998 record of 3:52.33 belonging to Laural Horton, Betsy Vandenberg, Llena Durante and Erinn VanAuken.
Hope opened Thursday's finals by winning the 200-yard freestyle relay. Sophomore Michelle Hance of Noblesville, Ind. (Noblesville HS), Meyer, freshman Mikayla Freyling of Alto (Grand Rapids South Christian HS) and Northuis posted a top time of 1 minute, 35.32 seconds.
The 200 freestyle relay broke the 2009 mark of 1:52.33 belonging to Laura Ansilio, Rachel Bakken, Meghan DeWees and Christina Vogelzang.
Northuis was runner-up in the 50 freestyle by finishing in 24.00 seconds. Freyling and Kieft were fifth at 24.58 and seventh at 24.74, respectively.
Sophomore Lindsay Wiederhold of Plainwell (Plainwell HS) placed third in the 500 freestyle with a time of 5:07.12.
Hance came in fifth in the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:12.69. Watson was sixth at 2:12.51.
