Results
HOLLAND, Mich. – The Calvin University swimming and diving team opened the season with the Be Better; Invitational on Friday at Holland Aquatic Center.
The event featured Calvin and Hope College, as well as Big 10 programs from the University of Michigan and Purdue University. It is the third annual Be Better; Invitational event to celebrate the life of former University of Michigan and Holland Christian High School swimmer Ian Miskelley, who passed in 2020. The meet is meant to shine a spotlight on the Be Better; Foundation, started by the Miskelley family, to promote mental health awareness
The competition was not scored and included both traditional and non-traditional events.
In the traditional relay events, both the 200 Medley Relay and the 400 Freestyle Relay teams took ninth place. The 200 Medley featured
Madi McNearney (Parkville, Mo./Park Hill South),
Eloise Harrison (Fishers, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern),
Maggie Farrell (Kalamazoo, Mich./Portage Central) and
Meghan Bengelink (Holland, Mich./Holland Christian) and finished in a time of 1:50.36. The 400 Freestyle team featured
Emma Merkel (Wyoming, Mich./Grandville),
Zoe Poe (Bridgeville, Pa./South Fayette Twp.),
Maria Heeres (Holland, Mich./Holland Christian) and
Sydney Sonday (Portage, Mich./Portage Central) and finished in a time of 3:39.1.
Some top finishes in the traditional individual events included Poe finishing fifth in the 1000 Freestyle (58.46) and Farrell taking sixth in the 100 Butterfly (57.52).
McNearney finished seventh in the 100 Freestyle (1:00.63), while Merkel took eighth in both the 100 Backstroke (58.18) and 200 Freestyle (1:56.13). Bengelink finished ninth in the 50 Freestyle (24.77), followed by Sonday in 11th place (25.08).
Gracie Ganger (Tipp City, Ohio/Tippecanoe) also finished ninth in the 100 Breaststroke (1:09.7).
In non-traditional events, Farrell took fifth in the 25 Freestyle (13.44) and was followed by Sonday in a tie for ninth (13.90). Sonday and Farrell also teamed with Timothy Hays (Arlington Heights, Ill./Prospect) and Caleb Gemmen (Mentor, Ohio/Homeschool) to finish the Mixed 200 Medley in sixth place (1:40.72).
In the Mixed 200 Freestyle Relay, Bengelink and Elyse Radowski (Grand Rapids, Mich./Jenison) teamed with Addison Van Soelen (Lawrenceville, Ga./Providence Christian Academy) and Dominic Rose (DeWitt, Mich./DeWitt) to finish ninth in 1:34.42.
COACH'S COMMENT: "It was a great meet that has a lot of meaning," Calvin head swimming and diving coach
Dan Gelderloos said. "Being able to bring awareness to mental health with three other teams in this format provided a great environment. For our team, we had some moments that foreshadowed some good things down the road, while we also had some moments that showed we are still very early in the season. Always good to do things in front of a crowd with the scoreboard on, and we will use the experience to get better and be better."
NEXT UP: Calvin swimming and diving will return to action on Saturday, October 12, when it hosts a triangular meet against Grand Valley State University and Saginaw Valley State University at Venema Aquatic Center at 1:00 PM.
