Women's Swim/Dive Uses Morning Surge to Bolster Lead at the MIAA Championships

Rise and shine, the Hope College women's swimming and diving team certainly did on Friday.

Riding a morning blitz at the Holland Aquatic Center, the Flying Dutch set themselves up to bolster their pursuit of back-to-back MIAA Championships.

Hope extended its lead over Calvin University after three days of the league meet. The Flying Dutch have 671.5 points heading into the final day of Saturday, Feb. 19 — 71.5 more than the Knights.

During the morning's preliminaries, Hope recorded a stunning 16 of 18 swims that qualified them for the championship races in the evening.

"It was an unbelievable morning for the women," head coach Jake Taber said. " When you're putting up numbers like we did in a big meet, really good things are going to happen. I think the score is reflective of the morning we had. We've been talking about what we do in the morning creates the opportunities for the evening. The women did a good job of embracing that."

Sara Kraus poses for a headshot Freshman Sara Kraus (Rockford, Michigan / Rockford HS), pictured left, recorded the Flying Dutch's winning performance of the day with a 100-yard backstroke swim of 56.15 seconds.

It was the second individual MIAA title of the meet for Kraus. She was MIAA champ in the 200 individual medley on Thursday.

Freshman Norah Marton touched the wall at 58.00 for second place in the 100 backstroke. Two more Hope swimmers scored in the event with sophomore Rachel Gamm in seventh at 59.44 and freshman Lauren Ryle in 11th at 1:00.74.

Hope placed second in four more events.

In the 200 medley relay, the Flying Dutch set a school record as Kraus, senior Emma Schaefer, junior Alyssa Kerkman, and sophomore Madeline Tessin posted a time of 1:43.70. They surpassed the 2019 record of 1:44.61 held by Alli Eppinga, Schaefer, Betsy Craig, and Meg Peel.

Albion College edged the Flying Dutch at the wall with a meet-record time of 1:43.65.

Grace Wesley swims the breaststroke. Hope also earned points by winning the consolation race as Martin, joined sophomore Maddie Kievit, Gamm, and Ryle for a ninth-place effort of 1:48.51.

Four Flying Dutch swimmers apiece scored in the 400 individual medley and the 200 freestyle.

In the 400 IM, freshman Grace Wesley, pictured right, clocked a runner-up swim of 4:37.56. She was followed by senior Aubrey East in fifth at 4:43.73, sophomore Lindsey Case in eighth at 4:46.17, and senior Abigail LaDyke in 10th at 4:57.04.

In the 200 free, freshman Katie Weedon recorded a runner-up effort of 1:55.82. She was followed by sophomore Delaney Wesolek in fourth at 1:56.94, Tessin in seventh at 1:57.54, and sophomore Maggie Hoerner in eighth at 1:59.27.

Schaefer finished as the 100 breaststroke runner-up with a time of 1:04.14. Kievit placed fifth at 1:08.08. East was sixth at 1:08.16.

Kerkman placed third in the 100 butterfly with a swim of 56.65. Gamm finished fourth, while junior Macey Meyer was seventh at 59.58.

Albion is in third with 465.5 points and followed by Kalamazoo College (325), Olivet College (174), and Alma College (159).

Friday's preliminaries start at 10 a.m. The finals begin at 5 p.m.