In winning the 1650-yard freestyle on Saturday at the Wheaton (Illinois) Invitational, freshman Bailey Smith of Battle Creek (Lakeview HS), pictured, clocked an NCAA Division III B-cut time early in the season.
Smith was victorious in 16:12.37 in the distance event.
Also, taking a top spot on the awards podium on Saturday was freshman Gabe Boonstra of Hudsonville (Hudsonville HS) who won the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:40.46.
As a team, the Flying Dutchmen finished with 445.5 points for fifth place in the seven-team event that was won by NCAA Division I Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Other championship finals finishers at Wheaton were:
- Boonstra and junior Daniel Keith of Saline (Saline HS) with second- and fifth-place results respectively in the 50-yard freestyle with times of 21.18 and 21.28;
- Keith and Smith taking third and seventh place respectively in the 200-yard freestyle with times of 1:40.97 and 1:43.82;
- Freshman Brant Assink of Holland (Holland Christian HS) and freshman Theo Duong of Kentwood (East Kentwood HS) placing fifth and seventh respectively with times of 16:34.74 and 16:35.16 in the 1650-yard freestyle;
- Freshman Jack Muller of Queensland, Australia (Meridan State) recording a time of 2:08.94 for sixth place in the 200-yard breaststroke; and,
- The 400-yard free relay of Keith, freshman JT Nissen of Spring, Texas (Klein Collins HS), Smith and Boonstra with fifth place, clocking a time of 3:06.73.
The Flying Dutchmen will wait to compete again until after the first of the new year when they host the Michigan-Illinois Quad at the Holland Aquatic Center on Saturday, January 11 at 1 p.m.
