ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Today the Calvin University women's swimming and diving team opened the 2025 season when they competed in the fourth annual Be Better; Invitational. 
 
The event featured Calvin and Hope College as well as Big 10 programs from the University of Michigan and Purdue University. The event celebrates the life of former University of Michigan and Holland Christian High School swimmer Ian Miskelley, who passed away in 2020. The meet shines 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 and was not officially scored.
 
The day kicked off with the 200-medley relay where the Knights took ninth place. The team made up of junior Emma Merkel (Wyoming, Mich./Grandville), sophomore Gracie Granger (Tipp City, Ohio/Tippercanoe), sophomore Grace Schutter (Shelby Township, Mich./Dwight D. Eisenhower), and senior Meghan Benglink (Holland, Mich./Holland Christian) finished with a time of 1:50.58.
 
Merkel continued her day in the 100 backstroke where she finished in tenth with a time of 58.50 while Granger took ninth in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:09.33.
 
Sophomore Zoe Poe (Bridgeville, Pa./South Fayette Twp.) rounded out the Knights top ten finishes when she took ninth in the 500 freestyle when she finished at 5:19.68.
 
At the end of the meet the teams participated in some non-traditional events including 25 yards mystery shootout, 50-yard underwater with fins, and 400-yard mixed relay.
 
COACHES COMMENTS: "This was a great meet highlighting mental health," said head coach Dan Gelderloos. "It was good to hear the cheers again."
 
UP NEXT: The Knights will be back in action on Saturday, October 18th when they take on Grand Valley State and Saginaw Valley State at Venema Aquatic Center at 1PM.