The Hope College women's swimming & diving team heads into the final day of the 2016 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Championships with an opportunity to win a league title.
The Flying Dutch have to overcome a 28.5-point deficit at Calvin on Saturday, but are capable, head coach John Patnott believes.
"We are going to have to swim out of our minds," Patnott said. "It's very close…it's 28 and a half points right now. You can make that up in one day, but you have to be really tough. So, we're going to have to get good rest, good food, and come back in here and go after it."
Saturday's final day of competition features preliminaries at 10 a.m. and finals at 5:30 p.m.
On Friday, Hope claimed one first-place performance and was runner-up in five events.
Senior Sarah Sheridan of Richmond, Indiana (Richmond HS) earned her third consecutive 1-meter diving championship with a score of 443.90 points.
Click here to read more about Sheridan's performance.
Freshman Sara Plohetski of South Lyon, Michigan (South Lyon HS) came in fifth with 384.60 points, while senior Stephanie Polet of Grandville, Michigan (Grandville HS) was seventh with 368.1 points.
Hope finished second in the 200 medley relay. Senior Klare Northuis of Holland, Michigan (Holland HS), senior Jorgie Watson of Grand Rapids, Michigan (Catholic Central HS), freshman Elisabeth Craig of Grand Rapids, Michigan (East Grand Rapids HS) and freshman Abigail Brinks of Commerce Township, Michigan (Walled Lake Northern HS) posted a time of 1 minute, 46.36 seconds.
The Flying Dutch took second and third in the 400 individual medley. Sophomore Chloe Palajac of Dearborn, Michigan (Dearborn HS) was runner-up in 4:35.68, while sophomore Elizabeth Fris of Holland, Michigan (West Ottawa HS) was third at 4:40.00. Senior Virginia Cotterall of Spring Lake, Michigan (Spring Lake HS) placed 15th at 2:02.69.
Craig recorded a second-place time in the 100 butterfly of 58.19. Freshman Sara Hudson of Novi, Michigan (Pontiac Notre Dame Prep) came in eighth at 1:00.54. Others to score were junior Katie Smith of Mokena, Illinois (Lincoln Way East HS) in 13th at 1:02.02 and sophomore Adrienne Smith of Grand Haven, Michigan (Grand Haven HS) in 15th at 1:03.41.
Watson posted a runner-up effort in the 100 breaststroke of 1:05.42. Katie Smith was 12th at 1:11.45.
Junior Molly Meyer of South Bend, Indiana (John Adams HS) finished second in the 100 backstroke with a swim of 56.73. Northuis placed fourth at 58.97, while sophomore Julia Hines of Vienna, Virginia (James Madison HS) was 11th at 1:03.92 and sophomore Rachel Barszcz of Canton, Michigan (Canton HS) was 11th at 1:05.61.
Three Hope swimmers made the 200 freestyle final: freshman Sydney Asselin of Holland, Michigan (Holland Christian HS) in sixth at 1:56.94, Brinks in seventh at 1:57.93 and senior Kaleigh Mullen of Rochester, Michigan (Pontiac Notre Dame Prep) in eighth at 1:58.19. Cotterall was 15th at 2:02.69.
