Women's Swim/Dive Sets 3 School Records During D3 Shootout in Chicago

The Flying Dutch finish third in a field with seven ranked teams.

In a field loaded with seven nationally-ranked teams, the Hope College women's swimming and diving team set three school records and won three events at the D3 Shootout hosted by the University of Chicago this weekend.

The 13th-ranked Flying Dutch finished with 440 points over the two-day, eight-team meet.

No. 5 Chicago totaled a winning score of 533 points. No. 9 Pomona Pitzer (Calif.) edged Hope for second place by 11 points.

The Flying Dutch placed 61 points ahead of fourth-place and No. 20 Trinity University (Texas). The rest of the standings featured No. 17 Swarthmore College (Pa.) with 379 points, No. 15 Washington University in St. Louis with 377 points, Rhodes College (Tenn.) with 341 points, and No. 25 St. Catherine University (Minn.) with 328 points.

"We're just thrilled to be a part of this meet. I think it's maybe the coolest meet in the country with nine schools from nine different states and eight conferences represented," head coach Jake Taber said. "We knew more about what to expect this year. We competed, and we competed from start to finish. I was really proud of this group."

Sophomore Sara Kraus (Rockford, Michigan / Rockford HS) bettered her own school record in the 100-yard backstroke by leading off the runner-up 400-yard medley relay with a 55.00 second split.

"We put more emphasis on her underwater this year. We hadn't fully been able to take advantage of that in a meet setting," Taber said. "After Friday's swim (of 55.69) in her third and final event, I was excited about today with the medley relay first. She was fresh. She delivered."

Freshman Laurel Wasiniak (Northville, Michigan / Northville) broke an eight-year-old Hope record in the 200 freestyle. Wasiniak recorded a runner-up and NCAA Championships qualifying swim of 1:50.63 that surpassed Libby Westrate's 2013 mark of 1:52.34. Wasiniak finished 0.19 seconds behind Chicago's Karen Zhao.

"We're very excited about how she's approaching things," Taber said of Wasiniak. "When she's healthy, which she has been the past three weeks, we see what she's capable of in the water."

The Flying Dutch established a new school record in the 800 freestyle relay as freshman Ashlea Swingewood (Carmel, Indiana / Carmel), Wasiniak, freshman Maggie Monroe (Eaton Rapids, Michigan / Eaton Rapids), and sophomore Greta Gidley (Franklin, Michigan / Mercy) touched the wall at 7:34.39. The time was also a meet record.

"We're excited for that group," Taber said. "Four newcomers - that's pretty unique."

Kraus swept both individual backstroke events. In the 100-yard race, Kraus posted a meet-record time of 55.69 seconds.

Kraus also won the 200 backstroke with a swim of 2:01.51.

Wasiniak took second in the 100 freestyle in the 100 freestyle, going 51.32 and finishing just 0.14 behind Chicago's Emily Xu.

In the 400 medley relay, Hope was runner-up as Kraus, freshman Katie Hermman (Canton, Michigan / Mercy), senior Alyssa Kerkman (South Bend, Indiana / St. Joseph) and Wasiniak clocked a swim of 3:48.71. The Flying Dutch touched the wall only 0.37 seconds behind Chicago.

Junior Cameron Hamilton (Libertyville, Illinois / Libertyville) posted a second-place, 1-meter dive total of 214.20 points and a third-place, 3-meter dive score of 213.15 points.

Hope finished third in both the 200 freestyle and 200 medley relays.

In the 200 freestyle relay, Wasiniak, junior Delaney Wesolek (Bay City, Michigan / John Glenn), Monroe and Gidley recorded a time of 1:34.45.

In the 200 medley relay, Hermann, Kraus, Kerkman and Wasiniak finished with a swim of 1:44.36.

Gidley took third in the 200 individual medley at 2:06.40 and fourth in the 50 freestyle at 2:06.40.

Kerkman placed fourth in the 100 butterfly at 58.60.

Swingewood recorded finishes of fourth place in the 500 free at 5:07.49, sixth in the 400 IM at 4:37.13, and seventh in the 200 butterfly at 2:10.40.

Hermann took sixth in the 200 breaststroke at 2:25.03 and eighth in the 100 breaststroke at 1:07.10.

Hope's next meet is Friday, Nov. 11, at 6 p.m. against Albion College and Alma College at Holland Community Aquatic Center.

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