Seven different Flying Dutch swimmers, a diver, plus one relay team, won a total of 10 events in Hope's second MIAA dual meet of the season against Kalamazoo College on Saturday. In doing so, the No. 25th-ranked Hope women's swimming and diving team topped the Hornets, 163-134, in Kalamazoo.
Hope started the meet with a win in the 200 medley relay. Junior Allison Eppinga of Saline (Saline), junior Paula Nolte of Elmhurst, Illinois (York Community), senior Betsy Craig of Grand Rapids (East Grand Rapids) and senior Sydney Asselin of Holland (Holland Christian) posted a 1:51.85 for the Flying Dutch victory.
Freshman Paige Kuhn of Dorr (Hamilton HS) took top honors in the 1650 freestyle event with a time of 18:11.26.
Junior Erin Emmert of Grand Blanc (Flint Catholic Powers) claimed the win in the 200 butterfly, touching out at 2:15.23.
Diver Sara Plohetski of South Lyon (South Lyon) won on the one-meter board. The senior scored 244.10 points.
Sophomore Meg Peel of Spring Lake (Spring Lake), pictured, finished the 200 backstroke in first in 2:08.36. That time by Peel set a new pool record at Kalamazoo, shattering the old mark of 2:10.81.
Eppinga was a winner in the 100 free with a time of 54.94.
The Flying Dutch went one-two in four events against the Hornets:
- In the 200 free, sophomore Emma Schaefer of DeWitt (Saint Johns) clocked a winning 1:59.39 while senior Abigail Brinks of Commerce Township (Walled Lake Northern) touched the wall next at 2:01.44.
- In the 100 backstroke, Peel finished first with a time of 59.65 while sophomore Hope Reynolds of Exon, Pennsylvania (Villa Maria Academy) took second with a 1:01.57.
- In the 500 free, Brinks won in 5:26.82, with Asselin less than a second behind in 5:27.82.
- In the 100 butterfly, Craig turn in a victorious time of 59.55 while Eppinga followed with a second-place 1:01.51.
The Flying Dutch swimmers compete next against Albion at home in the Dow Center on Saturday, January 26 at 1 p.m. The Hope divers will also compete on Saturday versus Albion but will also travel to Grand Valley State University on Friday, January 25 to take on the Lakers at 1 p.m.
