2016 NCAA Division III Championships – Day 1 Finals Live Recap

Division III Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships

• March 16-19, 2016
• Greensboro Aquatic Center, Greensboro, North Carolina
• Prelims 10 AM, Finals 6 PM – U.S. Eastern Time Zone (GMT -4 currently)
• Event schedule
• Meet program
• Real-time results – diving
• Real-time results – swimming
• Video link
• Championship Central

Men’s 500-yard Freestyle – Finals

• NCAA DIII Record: 4:20.60 3/18/2015 Andrew Greenhalgh, Johns Hopkins

2015 champion and NCAA record-holder Andrew Greenhalgh of Johns Hopkins successfully defended his title, winning the men’s 500 free in 4:21.83. Junior Arthur Conover of Kenyan, who was runner-up to Greenhalgh last year, was out first at the 100 and held the lead through the 300. Greenhalgh pulled even at the 350 and outsplit Conover over the last 150. Conover finished second again with 4:22.69. Third place went to Emory junior Christian Baker (4:23.46). The trio finished in the same order last year as well.

Top 8:

1. Andrew Greenhalgh, Johns Hopkins 4:21.83
2. Arthur Conover, Kenyon 4:22.69
3. Christian Baker, Emory 4:23.46
4. Thomas Gordon, Emory 4:26.92
5. Joshua Graves, MIT 4:27.76
6. Austin Palmer, NYU 4:27.89
7. Griffith Otazu, Johns Hopkins 4:29.68
8. Stuart Hohm, Denison 4:28.86

Women’s 500-yard Freestyle – Finals

• NCAA DIII Record: 4:43.37 3/23/2011 Kendra Stern, Amherst

Kenyon freshman Marysol Arce wowed the crowd with a big win in the women’s 500 free over 2015 bronze medalist Rebecca Upton of Emory. Arce, who a year ago was a 4:55 500 freestyler, went a lifetime best 4:50.93 in prelims to qualify second behind Upton but wasted no time getting out ahead of the field. Nearly a body length in front at the 100, she extended her lead to about 5 meters at the 200 wall. Upton began her descent at the 250 and closed the gap to just over a second by the 300, and to .2 at the 400. She took over the lead at the 450 and looked poised to claim her first national title when Arce came back with a vengeance and outsplit her by nearly a second over the final 50. Arce touched in 4:48.52 to Upton’s 4:48.64 in a thrilling finish.

Denison junior Campbell Costley improved on her fifth-place finish of 2015 to take third in 4:51.36.

Top 8:

1. Marysol Arce, Kenyon 4:48.52
2. Rebecca Upton, Emory 4:49.42
3. Campbell Costley, Denison 4:51.36
4. Angela Newlon, DePauw 4:52.30
5. Isabel Wyer, Middlebury 4:53.36
6. Taylor Johns, Denison 4:53.54
7. Lauren Jones, Williams 4:53.83
8. Mariah Williamson, Kenyon 4:54.59

Men’s 200-yard Individual Medley – Finals

• NCAA DIII Record: 1:46.07 3/16/2016 Jackson Lindell, Denison

For the second time in one day Denison junior Jackson Lindell broke the NCAA Division III record in the 200 IM. The championship final lived up to its hype and gave the crowd an absolutely thrilling race between Lindell and Johns Hopkins junior Evan Holder. For a while it looked as if it would be a three-man contest, as Kenyon’s Ian Reardon held steady with the two leaders going into the final 50, but it was all Lindell and Holder down the stretch, with Lindell outsplitting Holder to get the win. Their final times were 1:46.00 for Lindell, 1:46.40 for Holder, and 1:47.32 to Reardon.

Top 8:

1. Jackson Lindell, Denison 1:46.00*
2. Evan Holder, Johns Hopkins 1:46.40
3. Ian Reardon, Kenyon 1:47.32
4. Trevor Manz, Kenyon 1:48.70
5. Chandler Lichtefeld, Emory 1:49.94
6. Joe Brunk, Denison 1:50.38
7. Wes Walton Whitworth 1:50.63
8. Michael Lagieski, Wash U 1:52.32

Women’s 200-yard Individual Medley – Finals

• NCAA DIII Record: 1:58.81 3/20/2013 Caroline Wilson, Williams

Senior Emily Hyde of Amherst, the bronze medalist in this event in 2015, earned the championship title with 2:01.15. The next five finishers all came in together in a wave, with Bates junior Sara Daher just getting the touch ahead of Samantha Senczyszyn of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, 2:02.62 to 2:02.67. Emma Waddell of Williams was just behind, coming to the wall in 2:02.83 ahead of Samantha Pierce of Connecticut (2:02.92) and Allelise Kowalsky of Emory (2:03.18).

Top 8:

1. Emily Hyde, Amherst 2:01.15
2. Sara Daher, Bates 2:02.62
3. Samantha Senczyszyn, U W-Eau Claire 2:02.67
4. Emma Waddell, Williams 2:02.83
5. Samantha Pierce, Connecticut 2:02.92
6. Annelise Kowalsky, Emory 2:03.18
7. Katie Kaestner, Kenyon 2:04.28
8. Julia Wilson, Kenyon 2:04.82

Men’s 50-yard Freestyle – Finals

• NCAA DIII Record: 19.38 3/21/2012 Zach Turk, Kenyon

Oliver Smith of Emory, who placed 12th in this event last year, edged Thomas Thetford of Washington & Lee and defending champion Jesse Novak of Rowan to win the 2016 title. Smith clocked a 19.55 to out-touch Thetford (19.65), while Novak took third in 19.89. Thetford and Novak had tied in prelims.

Thomas Meek of Chicago and Ryan Funk of Kenyon tied for fourth place with 20.23.

Top 8:

1. Oliver Smith, Emory 19.55
2. Thomas Thetford, W & L 19.65
3. Jesse Novak, Rowan University 19.89
4. T4 Ryan Funk, Kenyon 20.23
5. T4 Thomas Meek, Chicago 20.23
6. Connor Mergler, Buffalo St. 20.45
7. Joshua Tomazin, M I T 20.50
8. Blake Lehmann, DePauw 20.52

Women’s 50-yard Freestyle – Finals

• NCAA DIII Record: 22.66 2/14/2013 Kirsten Nitz, Wheaton (IL)
• Meet Record: 22.71 3/18/2009 Elizabeth Carlton, Kenyon

St. Thomas junior Emma Paulson improved on her fifth place finish of 2015 to win the 50 free in 22.77, only .06 off the meet record. Paulson went exactly the same time in finals as she had in prelims, but it was all she needed to grab her first national title. Fiona Muir of Emory finished second in 22.88, ahead of Denison junior Carolyn Kane (23.09).

Top 8:

1. Emma Paulson, St. Thomas 22.77
2. Fiona Muir, Emory 22.88
3. Carolyn Kane, Denison 23.09
4. T4 Marissa Bergh, Emory 23.14
5. T4 Allie Hable, U W-Eau Claire 23.14
6. Hannah Lobb, Kenyon 23.19
7. Alison Bartlett, Keene St. 23.21
8. Jenner McLeod, Kenyon 23.31

3-meter Diving (M) – Finals

• NCAA DIII Record: 613.90 3/19/2014 Connor Dignan, Denison

SUNY Geneseo sophomore Samuel Randall had a strong final round of diving to rise to the top of the standings on the 3-meter board. He finished first with 533.75 points in a close contest against Denison teammates Benjamin Lewis (529.55), Brian Allen (524.35) and 2015 champion Max Levy (520.65). The Big Red nevertheless went 2-3-4 to add 48 points to the team tally.

Top 8:

1. Samuel Randall, SUNY Geneseo 533.75
2. Benjamin Lewis, Denison 529.55
3. Brian Allen, Denison 524.35
4. Max Levy, Denison 520.65
5. Arron Carlson, SUNY Fredonia 511.00
6. William Porter, US Merchant Marine Academy, 483.15
7. Matthew Rohrer, Tufts 479.85
8. Matthew Edkins, St. Lawrence 455.40

Men’s 200-yard Medley Relay – Finals

• NCAA DIII Record: 1:27.54 3/18/2015, Kenyon (Curley, W. Manz, Magee, W. Manz)

Williams held onto their top seeding and finished first in the men’s 200 medley relay, .40 off the NCAA record with 1:27.94. Junior Benjamin Lin (21.60), senior Jake Tamposi (24.44), sophomore Timothy Kostolansky (21.49), and senior Alex McCarter (20.41) contributed to the team effort.

Kenyon (Percy Gates, Trevor Manz, Christian Josephson, and Ryan Funk) finished second with 1:28.81, touching out Emory by .17.

Top 8:

1. Williams 1:27.94
2. Kenyon 1:28.81
3. Emory 1:28.98
4. Wash U 1:29.33
5. Denison 1:29.37
6. Johns Hopkins 1:29.38
7. TCNJ 1:29.52
8. MIT 1:30.16

Women’s 200-yard Medley Relay – Finals

NCAA DIII Record: 1:40.58 3/18/2015, Kenyon (Oberholzer, Duncan, Cooper, McLeod)

The final event of the evening was a full reshuffling of the deck from prelims. Emory improved their seed time by 1.9 seconds to overcome Denison (1:41.94), Kenyon (1:42.48), and Williams (1:42.66), who battled for second through fourth.

The next four teams came in nearly together, separated by only .45. NYU and Amherst remained fourth and seventh but Pomona-Pitzer and Wheaton swapped postions at sixth and eighth.

Top 8:

1. Emory 1:40.77
2. Denison 1:41.94
3. Kenyon 1:42.48
4. Williams 1:42.66
5. NYU 1:43.24
6. Pomona-Pitzer 1:43.51
7. Amherst 1:43.57
8. Wheaton IL 1:43.69

Men’s Team Standings – Day One

1. Denison 131
2. Kenyon 117.5
3. Emory 105
4. Johns Hopkins 79
5. M I T 48
6. Williams 47
7. Wash U. MO 41
8. Rowan 35
9. T C N J 31
10. Claremont MS 29.5

Women’s Team Standings – Day One

1. Emory 127
2. Kenyon 119
3. Denison 79
4. Williams 64
5. U W-Eau Claire 46
6. Amherst 44
7. Bates 36
8. Pomona-Pitzer 29
9. N Y U 29
10. M I T 25