No. 13 Women's Swim/Dive Wins Six Events, Takes Early Lead at West Michigan Invite

The 13th-ranked Hope College women's swimming and diving team won all six events during the first session of the West Michigan Invite on Friday at the Holland Aquatic Center.

The Flying Dutch took a commanding lead after the first session of competition with 470 points, 170 ahead of NCAA Division II Davenport University. Kalamazoo College (181 points) and the University of Olivet (42 points) are also competing in the meet. The competition moves to the Kalamazoo College Natatorium on Saturday for the final two sessions.

Hope opened the night with a victory in the 200 freestyle relay, as senior Greta Gidley (Franklin, Michigan / Mercy HS), junior Bella Turner (Chelsea, Michigan / Chelsea), senior Lauren Ryle (Grand Rapids, Michigan / Catholic Central), and junior Laurel Wasiniak (Northville, Michigan / Northville) combined for a 1:36.47, marking the sixth-best time in Division III this season.

The quartet also dominated the 50 freestyle, taking the top four spots. Turner swam a season-best 24.20 to out-touch Gidley (24.21), while Wasiniak (24.30) and Ryle (24.96) also posted season-best marks to finish third and fourth, respectively.

In the 500 freestyle, junior Ashlea Swingewood (Carmel, Indiana / Carmel) overcame a 1.38-second deficit in the final 50 yards to capture the event, touching the wall in 5:20.51 to win by .09 over Davenport's Ella Wagner.

Senior Norah Martin (Middleton, Wisconsin / Middleton) placed third for Hope with a time of 5:22.63.

In the 200 individual medley, the Flying Dutch took the top two spots, led by senior Sara Kraus (Rockford, Michigan / Rockford), who placed first with the fourth-fastest time in Division III this season at 2:08.17. Junior Katie Hermann (Canton, Michigan / Mercy) finished second with a time of 2:10.07.

In the final event of the evening, the 400 medley relay, the A team of Kraus, sophomore Dillon Horsley (Indianapolis, Indiana / North Central), Gidley, and Wasiniak completed the events sweep, cruising to a win in 3:57.02 – the third-fastest time in NCAA Division III this season.

Kraus opened the race with a season-best 58.76 in the 100 backstroke, putting Hope in the lead by over two seconds as the Dutch never looked back. The B team consisting of Hermann, Turner, freshman Emme D'Errico (Farmington Hills, Michigan / Farmington), and Ryle placed third in 4:04.54.

On the diving board, sophomore Laura Zupancic (Fort Collins, Colorado / Liberty Common) placed first in the one-meter event with a score of 208.90, while freshman Maylie Buist (Jenison, Michigan / Jenison) was third with a score of 201.25.

Hope continues the West Michigan Invite on Saturday, Nov. 2, traveling to Kalamazoo for a morning session at 11 a.m., followed by an afternoon session at 3 p.m.

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