Senior Sarah Sheridan claimed Most Valuable Diver honors, and the Hope College women's swimming & diving team finished second in the overall standings at the 2016 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Championships on Saturday in Grand Rapids.
Sheridan, pictured, won the award for the third consecutive time after repeating as MIAA champion in both 1- and 3-meter diving during the four-day meet at Calvin.
Sheridan is the third member of the Flying Dutch to claim three consecutive MVP honors. She follows swimmers Dawn Hoving Noorman (1992-94) and Shelly Russell Schafer (1987-89).
The Flying Dutch placed second with 740 points. They trailed Calvin's 787.5 in the six-team competition.
"You always want to win, but I couldn't ask more from my kids," Hope coach John Patnott said. "Calvin had more depth in certain places. We had a ton of depth in the mile, but we needed it it other places. The best championship-format team won."
Molly Meyer set a MIAA and school record in the 200 backstroke with a swim of 2 minutes, 1.61 seconds in the women's final. The junior from South Bend, Indiana (John Adams HS) won the event for the first time.
Sophomore Rachel Barszcz of Canton, Michigan (Canton HS) came in 12th at 2:18.32. Sophomore Julia Hines of Vienna, Virginia (James Madison HS) was 13th at 2:19.55.
Click here to read more about Meyer's performance.
Senior Jorgie Watson of Grand Rapids, Michigan (Catholic Central HS) finished first in the 200 breaststroke with a swim of 2:23.03. Sophomore Adrienne Smith of Grand Haven, Michigan (Grand Haven HS) was 15th at 2:42.94.
Click here to read more about Watson's performance.
Sophomore Chloe Palajac of Dearborn, Michigan (Dearborn HS) recorded a runner-up performance in the 200 butterfly at 2:06.06.
Others to score in the event were freshman Elisabeth Craig of Grand Rapids, Michigan (East Grand Rapids HS) in ninth at 2:15.13), freshman Sara Hudson of Novi, Michigan (Pontiac Notre Dame Prep) in 10th at 2:17.99, junior Payton Hoff of Clarkston, Michigan (Notre Dame Prep) in 12th at 2:22.76 and junior Katie Smith of Mokena, Illinois (Lincoln Way East HS) in 13th at 2:25.10.
Sophomore Elizabeth Fris of Holland, Michigan (West Ottawa HS) earned runner-up honors in the 1,650 freestyle with a time of 17:30.89.
Hope claimed runner-up honors in the 400 freestyle relay. Freshman Abigail Brinks of Commerce Township, Michigan (Walled Lake Northern HS), Meyer, senior Kaleigh Mullen of Rochester, Michigan (Notre Dame Prep) and senior Klare Northuis of Holland, Michigan (Holland HS) went 3:31.33.
Mullen placed fourth at 17:58.04. Freshman Sydney Asselin of Holland, Michigan (West Ottawa HS) finished sixth at 18:03.4, while Brinks was seventh at 18:09.4. Others to score in the event were senior Virginia Cotterall of Spring Lake, Michigan (Spring Lake HS) in 10th at 18:33.69 and Hoff in 12th at 18:59.67.
Northuis took fourth in the 100 freestyle at 52.55. Junior Mikayla Freyling of Alto, Michigan (Grand Rapids South Christian HS) was 14th at 56.44.
