GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - The 15th-ranked Calvin University women's swimming and diving team finished its home schedule against Wayne State University (Mich.) in duel meet action on Saturday at Venema Aquatic Center.
WSU, ranked 14th in NCAA Division II, won the meet 141-132.
The event started with the 200 medley relay, which the Calvin 'A' team of
Sadie Norman (Fulton, Ill./Fulton),
Elise Bajwa (Bethesda, Md./Brookewood School),
Natalie Fisher (Hudsonville, Mich./Hudsonville) and
Anya Hopek (Dewitt, Mich./Dewitt) won the event in a time of 1:46.78.
The 800 freestyle relay followed, with the Calvin 'A' team of
Isabella Gable (Greenville, Ohio/Arcanum-Butler),
Emma Merkel (Wyoming, Mich./Grandville),
Maggie Farrell (Kalamazoo, Mich./Portage Central) and
Sydney Sonday (Portage, Mich./Portage Central) took second in a time of 7:51.32.
Merkel finished first in the 200 backstroke with an NCAA Division III B-cut time of 2:02.49.
Bajwa and Farrell finished first and second, respectively, in the 100 breaststroke. Bajwa won with a time of 1:06.55, followed by Farrell in 1:06.88. Bajwa also won the 200 breaststroke in 2:28.0.
The Knights also finished with the top two in the 50 freestyle, with
Meghan Bengelink (Holland, Mich./Holland Christian) winning in a time of 24.79 followed by Sonday in 24.82.
Gable took first in the 100 freestyle with a time of 53.62, while
Lynda Steen (Schaumburg, Ill./Schaumburg), took third in the 200 butterfly in 2:15.21.
Norman took home a pair of second-place finishes in the 100 backstroke (58.56) and 100 butterfly (59.19), with Sonday taking third in the 100 butterfly in 59.42.
In the diving competitions,
Veronica Skipper (Chicago, Ill./Northside College Prep) finished second in both the one-meter (230.4) and three-meter (234.98) competitions. Leah Schouten (St. Davids, Ontario) took third in the one-meter (144.08) and three-meter (167.03).
The event finished with the 200 freestyle relay, where the 'A' team of Farrell, Sonday, Gable and Bengelink took first in 1:34.93) and the 'B' team of Merkel, Hopek,
Maria Pfundt (Petersburg, Ark./Petersburg) and FIsher took third in 1:39.20.
COACH'S COMMENT: "We are in a tough stretch of competition and we wanted to continue to build some momentum and not throw away some good opportunities," said Calvin head swimming and diving coach
Dan Gelderloos. "We definitely had some good energy on deck and the atmosphere set us up for some great swims."
NEXT UP: Calvin swimming and diving returns to action on Saturday, February 3, when it competes in a duel meet against Hope College.
