MIAA Women's and Men's Swimming and Diving Championships Preview

The Hope College women's and men's swimming and diving teams compete at the MIAA Championship this week at Calvin University.

The Flying Dutch seek their fifth consecutive MIAA women's title and league-best 27th overall.

The Flying Dutchmen aim to unseat the host Knights and claim their 15th MIAA championship.

The four-day MIAA Championships at Calvin's Venema Aquatic Center begin on Wednesday, Feb. 19, at 6:30 p.m. with a single competition session. There will be two sessions daily on Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 20-22: 10 a.m. for preliminaries and 5 p.m. for finals.

Hope has recorded 10 of the MIAA's top performances this season: eight women's and two men's.

Senior Sara Kraus (Rockford, Michigan / Rockford HS) holds two of the MIAA's fastest women's swims: the 100-yard backstroke at 55.78 seconds and the 200 backstroke at 1:59.09.

Kraus looks to become the Flying Dutch's second four-time MIAA champion in both events and the first since Lori Gano '91 accomplished the feat.

Senior Greta Gidley (Franklin, Michigan / Mercy) owns the top swim in the 200 individual medley. The reigning MIAA Women's Most Valuable Swimmer went 2:04.51.

Freshman Emme D'Errico (Farmington Hills, Michigan / Farmington) delivered the fastest 200 butterfly at 2:05.55.

The Flying Dutch also recorded the best swims in three relays: 200 medley at 1:42.17, 400 medley at 3:46.24 and 800 freestyle at 7:44.11.

Senior diver Molly Leonard (Grand Rapids, Michigan / Catholic Central) posted the top score on the 3-meter board with 371.48 points.

In men's swimming, two freshmen lead the Flying Dutchmen: Joe Engle (Holland, Michigan / West Ottawa) and Luke Newcomb (Brighton, Michigan / Brighton).

Engle clocked a 1,650 freestyle time of 16:07.88.

Newcomb set a school record in the 100 breaststroke of 54.54 seconds.

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