Queens’ Dreesens, Castro Ortega, Set More NCAA D2 Records at BMC Champ

Bluegrass Mountain Conference – Men and Women

• Dates: Wednesday, February 10 – Saturday, February 13
• Location: Rock Hill Aquatic Center, Rock Hill, SC
• Defending Champions: Queens women; Queens men (results)
• Live Results: Available│D1 Final Results│D2 Final Results│D3 Final Results
• Video Recap Day 1│Video Recap Day 2│Video Recap Day 3│Video Recap Day 4
• Championship Central

Queens got things started with a 200 free victory from Kyrie Dobson (23.22), Caroline Arakelian (22.98), Shelly Prayson (22.94), and Shane Knight (23.21). Their 1:32.35 bested Wingate (1:33.48) and Carson-Newman (1:33.74). In the men’s contest it was again Queens. Dion Dreesens (20.54), Ben Taylor (20.55), Zach Phelps (19.98), and Ben Mayes (19.81) combined for 1:20.88, ahead of Carson-Newman (1:21.92) and Wingate (1:22.15).

Patri Castro Ortega broke yet another conference, meet, and NCAA Division II record when she crushed the 400 IM with 4:09.93. Castro Ortega had set the conference record last year with 4:13.59, and the NCAA DII record in December with 4:12.28. Not only did she demolish her previous marks, but she finished 8 seconds ahead of second-place Sofia Petrekno of Wingate (4:17.60) and 14 seconds ahead of third-place Caroline Arakelian of Queens (4:24.07).

Nick Arakelian of Queens won the men’s 400 IM in 3:48.25, 2 seconds off his conference record from the 2015 meet. But the best part about the 400 IM was a three-way tie for second place: Oystein Fjeldberg of Wingate and Queens teammates Inigo Alarcia and Hector Tricas all touched at exactly 3:56.16.

In the women’s 100 fly, Queens’ Hannah Peiffer came from behind to just out-touch Wingate’s Armony Dumur, 53.82 to 53.83, for the win. Dumur had set the meet and conference record in prelims with 53.54. Anna Wisniewski of Johns Hopkins picked up the bronze with her 55.06 finish. The men’s 100 fly final was extremely tight, with seven of the top eight all coming in under 50 seconds. Enzo Pazos of Queens got the win with 49.07, ahead of Denis Schulz of Limestone (49.08) and Niklas Martin of Wingate (49.25).

The 200 free marked the second event in a row on the women’s side where there was a 1/100 margin of victory. McKenzie Stevens of Queens edged Margaret Stansberry of Carson-Newman, 1:49.09-1:49.10 for the title. Third place went to Queens’ Josephina Lorda (1:49.58).

Queens’ Dreesens lowered his own BMC meet record in the men’s 200 free by more than a second, and broke the NCAA DII record by 1/100 while demolishing the field with 1:34.20. Wingate teammates Jerome Heidrich (1:36.94) and Lennart Queiss (1:37.00) place second and third, respectively.

Queens went 1-2 in the women’s 100 breast behind Brittney Phelan (1:02.50) and Prayson (1:02.71). Wingate’s Jessika Weiss (1:02.87) finished third. Phelan was just off her meet-record-setting pace from prelims, 1:01.99. Rost Fedyna (53.96) and Mayes (54.19) gave Queens another 1-2 punch in the men’s 100 breast; Tobias Feigl of Limestone rounded out the podium in 54.30.

Peiffer earned her second win of the night with a 54.25 in the 100 back. Wingate’s Viktoriya Arkhipova finished second with 55.24; SCAD’s Kandes Soapes earned the bronze in 56.80. Defending champion Phelps of Queens won the men’s race with 47.66, ahead of Emile Kuyl from Johns Hopkins (49.04) and Jake Minasi of Limestone (49.60).

Scores After Day Three

Women

1. Queens University of Charlotte 1163
2. Wingate University 859.5
3. Carson-Newman University, SES 718
4. Johns Hopkins University 600.5
5. SCAD Savannah 507.5
6. Limestone Swimming 359
7. Catawba College 241
8. Lenoir Rhyne University 239
9. Fairmont State University 195
10. Davis & Elkins College 179
11. Converse College 176
12. West Virginia Wesleyan College 158.5

Men

1. Queens University of Charlotte 1095.5
2. Wingate University 792.5
3. Limestone Swimming 677
4. Carson-Newman University, SES 585
5. Johns Hopkins University 544
6. SCAD Savannah 406
7. Fairmont State University 323
8. Catawba College 320
9. Lenoir Rhyne University 247
10. Davis & Elkins College 186
11. West Virginia Wesleyan College 162