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Swimmer Delaney Wesolek poses for a portrait in the pool.

General 2/23/2023 11:20:00 AM Alan Babbitt

Ten Swimmers Qualify for NCAA Division III Championships

Junior Delaney Wesolek, pictured

Ten Hope College swimmers have qualified for next month's NCAA Division III Championships.

Senior Alyssa Kerkman, junior Delaney Wesolek, sophomores Greta Gidley, Sara Kraus, Lauren Ryle, and freshmen Katie Hermann, Ashlea Swingewood, Bella Turner, and Laurel Wasiniak will compete for the Flying Dutch.

Junior Ben Catton will represent the Flying Dutchmen.

The NCAA Division III Swim/Dive Championships will be held on Wednesday-Saturday, March 15-18, in Greensboro, N.C.

Three Hope divers are vying for invitational to nationals at this weekend's regional: junior Ewan Tiongson (Portage, Michigan / Portage Northern), junior Sophia Farbarzhevich (Grand Rapids, Michigan / Forest Hills Northern), and sophomore Abby Koops (Grand Rapids, Michigan / Forest Hills Northern).

The two-day diving regional, hosted by the University of Chicago, begins on Friday, Feb. 24, at 5 p.m. Central and on Saturday, Feb. 25, at 3 p.m. Central.

Kraus (Rockford, Michigan / Rockford) posted the second-fastest swim in the nation in the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 1 minute, 57.94 seconds. Kate Augustyn of Massachusetts Institute of Technology was one-tenth of a second faster.

Kraus clocked the fourth-fastest time in the 100 backstroke at 54.97 seconds. Hermann (Canton, Michigan / Mercy) was 14th at 56.08 seconds.

Gidley (Franklin, Michigan / Mercy) recorded the fourth-fastest swim in the nation in the 200 individual medley this season. Kraus was 12th at 2:03.18.

Gidley also is the 12th-fastest in the 100 butterfly at 55.15 and 15th-fastest in the 100 freestyle at 50.94.

Hope ranks in the top 10 in three relays and 11th in the another. The Flying Dutch are 10th in the 400 medley relay at 3:45.85, 10th in the 400 freestyle relay at 3:26.32, 10th in the 800 freestyle relay at 7:28.81, and 11th in the 200 medley relay at 1:43.31.

Kerkman (South Bend, Indiana / Saint Joseph), Ryle (Grand Rapids, Michigan / Catholic Central), Swingewood (Carmel, Indiana / Carmel), Turner (Chelsea, Michigan / Chelsea), Wasiniak (Northville, Michigan / Northville) and Wesolek (Bay City, Michigan / John Glenn) will compete in relays at nationals.

Catton (Holland, Michigan / Holland Christian) swam the 14th-fastest 100 butterfly this season at 47.98 seconds.

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Players Mentioned

Ben Catton: Freestyle; Junior; Business/Economics

Ewan Tiongson: Diving; Junior

Sophia Farbarzhevich: Diving; Junior; Spanish

Alyssa Kerkman: Butterfly/IM; Senior

Abby Koops: Diving; Sophomore; Nursing

Sara Kraus: IM/Back/Breast; Sophomore; Exercise Science

Lauren Ryle: Back/Free; Sophomore; Psychology

Delaney Wesolek: Backstroke/Freestyle; Junior; Nursing

Greta Gidley: Freestyle/IM; Sophomore; Elementary Education PreK-3, 3-6

Katie Hermann: Breaststroke/IM; Freshman; Exercise Science

Ashlea Swingewood: Freestyle/IM/Butterfly; Freshman

Bella Turner: Sprint Freestyle; Freshman

Players Mentioned

Ben Catton
: Junior; Business/Economics
: Freestyle

Ewan Tiongson
: Junior
: Diving

Sophia Farbarzhevich
: Junior; Spanish
: Diving

Alyssa Kerkman
: Senior
: Butterfly/IM

Abby Koops
: Sophomore; Nursing
: Diving

Sara Kraus
: Sophomore; Exercise Science
: IM/Back/Breast

Lauren Ryle
: Sophomore; Psychology
: Back/Free

Delaney Wesolek
: Junior; Nursing
: Backstroke/Freestyle

Greta Gidley
: Sophomore; Elementary Education PreK-3, 3-6
: Freestyle/IM

Katie Hermann
: Freshman; Exercise Science
: Breaststroke/IM

Ashlea Swingewood
: Freshman
: Freestyle/IM/Butterfly

Bella Turner
: Freshman
: Sprint Freestyle