Results
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The 19th-ranked Calvin University women's swimming and diving team closed the Calvin Quad Invite with two sessions on Saturday at Venema Aquatic Center and finished in first place at the event.
Calvin closed the meet with 1,411 total points in first place, followed by Carthage College (960 points), Ohio Northern University (319) and Albion College (309).
Saturday morning started with the 200 Medley Relay, where the Calvin 'A' relay of
Emma Merkel (Grandville, Mich./Grandville),
Elise Bajwa (Bethesda, Md./Brookewood School),
Holly VanderWeele (San Antonio, Texas/Great Hearts Monte Vista North) and
Meghan Bengelink (Holland, Mich./Holland Christian) finished first in a time of 1:45.18. The Knights' 'B' relay of
Madi McNearney (Riverside, Mo./Park Hill South),
Gracie Ganger (Tipp City, Ohio/Tippecanoe),
Grace Schutter (Shelby Township, Mich./Dwight D. Eisenhower) and
Ella Andrews (Carmel, Ind./Heritage Christian) took second in 1:49.07.
Individual events started with
Zoe Poe (Bridgeville, Pa./South Fayette) winning the 400 IM in a time of 4:38.91, followed by McNearney and second and
Eden Maring (Grandville, Mich./Calvin Christian) in fifth.
Schutter won the 100 Butterfly in 1:00.15, followed by
Elyse Radawski (Jenison, Mich./Jenison) in third and
Alea Casipit (Midland, Mich./Herbert Henry Dow) in fourth.
Calvin put together a dominant team performance in the 200 Freestyle, where the Knights took home each of the top seven finishes. Merkel led the way in first place in a time of 1:54.45, followed by
Maria Heeres (Holland, Mich./Holland Christian) and Andrews in the top three.
Bajwa (Bethesda, Md./Brookewood School) won the 100 Breaststroke in a time of 1:04.06 that ranks second in NCAA III this season and is an NCAA III 'B' cut qualifying time.. Ganger,
Eloise Harrison (Fishers, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern) and Radawski followed her in the top four.
McNearney won the 100 Backstroke in 1:00.00 flat, with Bengelink following in second place and
Katie Phippen (Macomb, Ill./Calvary Baptist) taking fourth.
The morning session ended with the 800 Freestyle Relay, where the 'A' relay of Poe, Marin,
Avery Russell (Battle Creek, Mich./Battle Creek Lakeview) and Casipit won in a time of 8:07.27 that ranks third in NCAA III this season.
The final diving competition also took place in the morning session, with
Veronica Skipper (Chicago, Ill./Northside College Prep) finishing second off the one-meter board with 445.15 points.
The evening session started strong for Calvin as Poe set the new top time in NCAA III in the 1650 Freestyle in 17:21.78. Russell finished fourth in 18:44.1
Merkel followed with another top time in the nation in the 200 Backstroke, taking first place with an NCAA III-best 2:02.41 that also registered as a 'B' cut qualifying time. McNearney finished second in that event, followed by
Tori Beigle (Petoskey, Mich./Petoskey) in fifth.
Ganger was up next with another top time to win the 200 Breaststroke, taking first place in 2:23.76 that marks the sixth-best NCAA III time this season. Bajwa, Harrison and Radawski followed to give Calvin a sweep of the top four places in the event.
The final event of the day was the 200 Butterfly, where
Elizabeth Dylewski (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Bloomfield Hills) took second in 2:19.14, followed by
Vivian Rizer (Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich./Grosse Pointe Farms) in third and Schutter in fourth.
NEXT UP: Calvin swimming and diving will return to action on Saturday, November 8, when it competes at Wheaton College (Ill.) in a dual meet starting at 1:00 PM (CT).
