Men's Swim/Dive Opens MIAA Championships with Two Titles and One Meet Record

An electrifying and record-setting 400-yard medley relay capped Day 2 of the MIAA Championships for the Hope College men's swimming and diving team.

The Flying Dutchmen eclipsed a 13-year-old school record and a five-year-old meet in Thursday's finale at the Holland Aquatic Center.

Colin Kalkman, Jack Muller, Ben Catton, and Conner Halberg, pictured left to right, clocked a winning time of 3 minutes, 18.14 seconds to edge Calvin (3:19.63).

The relay topped Hope's 2009 record of 3:33.31 set by Mitch Ruch, Brandon King, Ryan Nelis, and Matt Rose and Albion College's 2007 meet record of 3:18.27.

"That was definitely the right way to end the session," head coach Jake Taber said. "Colin took us out with the best swim of his life. He handed it off to Jack, who's a school record-holder and an All-American on the medley relay. My goodness, Ben just exploded in that butterfly; I don't think there are too many 46 splits. Those guys doing what they did electrified the guys."

Heading into Friday's 10 a.m. preliminaries and 5 p.m. finals, Hope sits in second place with 335 points. Calvin University leads with 374 points. Albion College is in third with 247 points and followed by Kalamazoo College with 163, Olivet College with 152, and Alma College with 101.

Kalkman (Holland, Michigan / Holland Christian HS) opened the medley relay with the backstroke. Muller (Queensland, Australia / Meridian State) was second with the breaststroke. Catton (Holland, Michigan / Holland Christian) then swam the butterfly. Halberg (Novi, Michigan / Northville) finished with the freestyle.

Hope won the consolation race in the medley relay as well. Dallas Fisher, Christian Dunaitis, Conor East, and Jackson Uyl went 3:22.87.

The Flying Dutchmen went 1-2-3 in the 500 freestyle.

Halberg, a freshman, won the MIAA crown with a swim of 4:32.64. Bailey Smith placed second at 4:37.58, while Joey Grasman took third at 4:38.71.

"That was fun to watch," Taber said.

In the consolation final, Theo Duong finished 13th at 4:38.71. Alex Boersema was 14th at 4:48.07.

In the 200 individual medey, East clocked a runner-up swim of 1:52.34.

Four of East's teammates also claimed points in the event. Kalkman and Muller joined East in the championship final, placing third and eighth, respectively, at 1:53.38 and 1:57.63. Dallas Fisher won the consolation final in 1:54.36; Dunaitis was 10th at 1:55.32.

The Flying Dutchmen finished third in the 200 freestyle relay. East, Halberg, Grasman, and Kalkman posted a time of 1:24.45.

Hope also won the relay's consolation final. Uyl, Boersema, JT Nissen, and Joel Cummins went 1:23.82.

Three Hope swimmers placed in the 50 freestyle: Cummins in sixth at 21.19, Uyl in seventh at 21.49, and Nissen in ninth at 21.38.

In 1-meter diving, two Flying Dutchmen scored. Ewan Tiongson finished fifth with 413.90 points. Joey Gillengerten was 10th with 265.80.