The Hope College women's swimming team claimed two league titles and sits in second place after Thursday's competition at the 2016 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Championships.
Senior Sarah Sheridan of Richmond, Indiana (Richmond HS) took first in 3-meter diving for the third consecutive season, while the Flying Dutch also earned a three-peat in the 400-yard medley relay at Calvin College.
"It was a great way to end the meet," Hope coach John Patnott said of the 400 medley relay. "We swam better as the day went along. This morning we had 21 people do best times, but a few of our top people struggled a little bit. (The top swimmers) came back tonight and swam really well. If they can keep that going, it is going to be quite a contest."
Hope has 279 points heading into Friday's events. Calvin leads with 291 points. Kalamazoo (230.5) is third and followed by Albion (188), Alma (89) and Olivet (83).
Preliminaries begin at 10 a.m. Friday. The finals start at 5:30 p.m.
The winning and school-record 400 medley relay saw junior Molly Meyer of South Bend, Indiana (John Adams HS), senior Jorgie Watson of Grand Rapids, Michigan (Catholic Central HS), sophomore Chloe Palajac of Dearborn, Michigan (Dearborn HS) and senior Klare Northuis of Holland, Michigan (Holland HS) went 3 minutes, 50.42 seconds.
The relay passed the 2014 school record of 3:51.54 belonging to Maria Kieft, Jorgie Watson, Molly Meyer and Klare Northuis.
Sheridan posted a winning score of 488.60 points. She finished 49 points of the nearest competitor. Freshman Sara Plohetski of South Lyon, Michigan (South Lyon HS) took fifth in 3-meter diving with a score of 375.5. Senior Stephanie Polet of Grandville, Michigan (Grandville HS) was seventh at 351.55.
Click here to read more about Sheridan's performance.
Meyer took second in the 200 individual medley. She clocked a time of 2 minutes, 8.01 seconds.
Two of Meyer's teammates also made the 200 IM final: Palajac in fourth at 2:10.4 and Watson in sixth at 2:11.82. Freshman Elisabeth Craig of Grand Rapids, Michigan (East Grand Rapids HS) was 13th at 2:17.12.
Northuis finished third in the 50 freestyle by posting a time of 24.07 seconds. Three teammates scored in the consolation final: freshman Sara Hudson of Novi, Michigan (Notre Dame Prep) in 13th at 25.39, junior Mikayla Freyling of Alton, Michigan (Grand Rapids South Christian HS) in 15th at 25.47 and sophomore Rachel Barszcz of Canton, Michigan (Plymouth HS) in 16th at 25.66.
Sophomore Elizabeth Fris of Holland, Michigan (West Ottawa HS) placed third in the 500 freestyle with a swim of 5:08.55.
Three other Hope swimmers were in the 500 freestyle final: freshman Sydney Asselin of Holland, Michigan (Holland Christian HS) in fifth at 5:10.58, freshman Abigail Brinks of Commerce Township, Michigan (Walled Lake Northern HS0 in seventh at 5:13.07 and senior Kaleigh Mullen of Rochester, Michigan (Notre Dame Prep) in eighth at 5:13.09. Senior Virginia Cotterall of Spring Lake, Michigan (Spring Lake HS) was 15th at 5:23.85.
Hope came in third in the 200 freestyle relay. Asselin, Meyer, Brinks and Northuis went 1:36.10.
