Women's Swim/Dive Wins Three Events, Sets Meet Record on Day 2 of MIAA Championships

The dynamic duo of Sara Kraus and Emma Schaefer brought the best out of each other to highlight a Day 2 surge for the Hope College women's swimming and diving team at the MIAA Championships.

Kraus and Schaefer delivered a thrilling 200-yard individual medley final, then led off a record-setting 400 medley relay on Thursday at the Holland Aquatic Center.

Hope also claimed the 3-meter diving crown, giving the Flying Dutch the lead in the six-team meet with 375.5 points. Calvin University is second with 320 and followed by Albion College (256.5), Kalamazoo College (207), Olivet College (122), and Alma College (87).

Friday's meet begins at 10 a.m. for preliminaries and 5 p.m. for the finals.

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Sara Kraus poses for a headshot Emma Schaefer poses for a portrait. "Training partners all year long, and two of the best IMers this conference has ever seen," head coach Jake Taber said of Kraus, a freshman, and Schaefer, a fifth-year senior. "They get to work with each other day in and day out and make each other better.

"They set the tone for the medley relay. It was a really exciting way to end Day 2, an exclamation point."

Hope's 400 medley relay capped Day 2 with a meet-record and school-record time of 3 minutes, 46.56 seconds.

The Flying Dutch also won the relay's consolation final. Norah Martin, Aubrey East, Rachel Gamm, and Madeline Tessin went 3:57.30.

Kraus (Rockford, Michigan / Rockford HS) swam the backstroke first. Schaefer (DeWitt, Michigan / Saint John's) then followed with the breaststroke. Alyssa Kerkman swam the butterfly. Wesolek closed with the freestyle.

The relay eclipsed Calvin's 2009 MIAA meet record of 3:50.34 and Hope's 2006 school record of 3:50.41 held by Molly Meyer, Jorgie Watson, Chloe Palajac, and Klare Northuis.

Earlier in the meet, Kraus edged Schaefer in a thrilling 200 IM final, touching the wall first 2:04.04 to deny the fifth-year senior a fourth MIAA crown in the event. Schaefer finished at 2:04.66. They each finished five seconds ahead of the field.

Hope also claimed 200 IM points from Alyssa Kerkman in fifth at 2:09.41 and Maddie Kievit in 11th at 2;18.23.

Kraus swam the third leg of the third-place 200 freestyle relay. Lauren Ryle, Kraus, Tessin, and Delaney Wesolek clocked a time of 1:35.38.

Hope also scored in the 200 free relay ' B' final as Maggie Hoerner, Katie Weedon, Grace Wesley, and Gamm were runner-up in the race at 1:39.32.

Abby Koops poses for a headshot The Flying Dutch's Abby Koops, pictured right, won the 3-meter diving crown.

The freshman from Grand Rapids, Michigan (Forest Hills Northern) posted a season-best total of 474.50 points.

Koops was one of five Hope divers who earned points in the event.

Sophia Farbarzhevich placed third with a score of 420.95 and was followed by Michaela Sander in ninth at 363.30, Allie Graver in 11th at 338.85, and Molly Leonard in ninth at 323.65.

Taber praised diving coach Becca Garza and his crew for a sensational performance on 3-meter.

"We were good on the high board. That really gave us a nice lift," Taber said. "They put us in position to be really excited about where we are after Thursday."

In the 500 freestyle, Martin clocked a fourth-place swim of 5:11.22 while Katie Weedon took sixth at 5:14.18.

The consolation final saw three Flying Dutch deliver points: Lindsey Case in ninth at 5:15.35; Abigail LaDuke in 11th at 5:17.65; and Maggie Hoerner in 13th at 5:19.06.

Tessin led a group of three Hope swimmers who earned points in the 500 freestyle with a fourth-place effort of 24.39. Ryle was fourth at 24.44. Wesolek tied for sixth at 24.49.