by Mackenzie McMahon

Two meets were on the docket for Hope College men's swimming and diving team this weekend, with action taking place at the D3 Shootout at the University of Chicago, and at the Kalamazoo Quad at Kalamazoo College. The orange and blue returned home from Kalamazoo College with 4th place, and grabbed 6th place at the D3 Shootout at the University of Chicago. 

Ben Catton, pictured left, finished second in the 100-meter backstroke for the Hope College men's swimming and diving team on day one of the D3 Shootout, while the 200-yard freestyle relay grabbed second at the Kalamazoo Quad.

Four other events saw fifth place finishes at the D3 Shootout: 100 m backstroke, 200 m butterfly, 50 m freestyle, and the 400 meter IM. 

The second place finishing relay at the Kalamazoo Quad consisted of JT Nissen, Ben DuBay, Braeden Pfeil, and Jackson Uyl, they clocked a time of 1:28.36.

Sophomore Conor East of Farmington Hills, Michigan (North Farmington HS) took home fifth in two events, the 400 IM with a time of 4:12.29 as well as in the 200-meter butterfly with a time of 1:55.61 (D3 Shootout).

Catton, a sophomore from Holland, Michigan (Holland Christian), clocked his 100-meter backstroke second-place finish at 51.01 (D3 Shootout).

Joey Grasman of Holland, Michigan (Holland Christian) finished the 500-yard freestyle in 5:03.54 for a sixth-place finish at Kalamazoo Quad. 

Also at the Kalamazoo Quad was sophomore Kyle Langdon taking home 6th in the 200-yard IM with a time of 2:06.64. Christan Dunaitis (Commerce Township, Michigan / Detroit Catholic Central) clocked a time of 2:07.33 for seventh place. 

Joel Cummins of Osceola, Indiana (Penn) finished fifth in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 21.48 on day one of the D3 Shootout. 

Ted Lockett of Cincinnati, Ohio (St. Xavier) clocked a 59.58 time in the 100-yard breaststroke for a seventh-place finish (D3 Shootout). 

The 200-yard freestyle relay had Grasman, Dunaitis, Reilly LaGrand and Jack Muller competing, coming away with a seventh-place finish and a time of 1:33.34 at the Kalamazoo Quad. 

The 500-yard freestyle race saw Grasman take home 6th place after a time of 5:03.54 (Kalamazoo Quad).

Nissen, a Spring, Texas (Klein Collins) native, clocked a 22.30 time during the 50-yard freestyle for a seventh place finish at the Kalamazoo Quad. 

Conner Halberg (Novi, Michigan / Northville) finished sixth in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:43.03. 

The Flying Dutchmen competed in two relays on Friday, the 200-yard medley and the 800-yard freestyle, both with sixth place finishes. Catton, Lockett, Cummins and  Colin Kalkman in the 200-yard relay, while Catton, Halberg, East, and Alex Boersema swam in the 800-yard relay. 

At the Kalamazoo Quad, a team of Langdon, Dunaitis, Dubay and CJ Gillergerten took home 6th place in the 400-yard medley relay with a 4:25.89 time. 

In diving, Kamaron Wilcox (Grand Rapids, Michigan / Forest Hills Central), pictured left, completed a 4th place finish in the 1-meter dive with a score of 225.90 for the Flying Dutchmen.

Ewan Tiongson from Portage, Michigan (Portage Northern HS) took home 1st place in both diving events (1 meter and 3 meter) at the Kalamazoo Quad, scoring 225.52 and 229.73 respectively. 

LaGrand, the sophomore from Grand Rapids, Michigan (Catholic Central), finished 3rd with a time of 1:02.31 in the 100 yd breaststroke. Lagrand also took home 8th in the 200 yard breaststroke. 

Junior Theo Duong (Kentwood, Michigan / East Kentwood) finished 3rd in the 1650-yard freestyle event after posting a time of 17:36.69. Duong also competed in the 500-yard freestyle (7th place, 5:03.71), and the 400-yard IM (5th place, 4:35.40).

Dunaitis, the freshman from Commerce Township (Detroit Catholic Central), finished 4th, 7th, and 8th in the 200-yard breaststroke (2:16.49), 200-yard IM (2:07.33), and the 400-yard IM (4:42.07) respectively.

CJ Gillengerten (Haslett, Michigan / Haslett) snagged 5th place in the 100-yard breaststroke, his only individual event of the day, with a time of 1:04.48.

Sophomore Kyle Langdon (Holland, Michigan / West Ottawa) placed 6th in the 200-yard IM (2:06.64) and 8th in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:05.27).

Dubay (Omaha, Nebraska / Millard West) in his single individual event placed 6th in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:52.01.

The freshman Joey Grasman (Holland, Michigan / Holland Christian) had a 4th place finish in the 200-yard freestyle event after posting a time of 1:49:29. Grasman also placed 5th in the 1650-yard freestyle (18:00.35), and 6th in the 500-yard freestyle (5:03.54).

JT Nissen (Spring, Texas / Klein Collins) took home 7th place in the 50-yard freestyle with a posted time of 22.30

The Flying Dutchmen competed in three relays at the Kalamazoo Quad: 400-yard medley (6th), 400-yard freestyle (5th), and the 200-yard freestyle. Coming in 2nd place (1:28.36) for the 200-yard freestyle was the team of Nissen, Dubay, Jackson Uyl and Braeden Pfeil. 

At the D3 Shootout, Ben Catton grabbed the 3rd spot in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 49.85.

Kamaron Wilcox (Grand Rapids, Michigan / Forest Hills Central) snagged third place with a score of 257.80 in the 3 meter dive. 

The orange and blue also picked up 5th place finishes in the 500-yard freestyle, and the 200-yard backstroke. Freshman Connor Halberg placed 5th in the 500-yard freestyle with a 4:39.34 time, while Colin Kalkman came in 5th during the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 1:55.67.

The Flying Dutchmen host Alma on Saturday, November 13 at the Holland Aquatic Center beginning at 1 p.m. for their next time in the pool.