NCAC Weekly Release (3-26-12) - 2012 NCAA Div. III Swimming & Diving Championships

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The NCAC continued its dominance at the 2012 NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships as the Denison University men captured their second straight national title by a 600-519 margin, outdueling Kenyon in the team standings for the second year in a row. On the women’s side, Denison finished third (420) and Kenyon finished fourth (420). Individuals from Allegheny, DePauw, Oberlin, Wittenberg and Wooster also competed at the 2012 national meet.

Men's Notes:

DENISON earned its second straight men’s swimming & diving national championship after accounting for six event titles, six national records and eight other top-3 finishes. The Big Red accumulated 600 total points in the team standings to out duel Kenyon (519) for the second year in a row. Sophomore Al Weik (Lebanon, PA/Cedar Creek) and senior Robert Barry (Richmond, VA/St. Christopher’s School) were both key contributors in the national title defense as they both won a pair of individual event titles. Weik opened the 2012 meet by finishing first and setting the national record in the 500 freestyle (4:21.79) and then returned on Saturday night to break the NCAA time standard in the 1,650 free after touching first with a time of 15:04.85. Barry dominated the backstroke events over the four-day meet after he touched first in the 100 back for the second year in a row with an NCAA record time of 47.76 and then topped the field in the 200 back with another NCAA record clocking of 1:46.23. In addition, the Big Red also captured event titles in the 800 free relay (6:30.40) and the 400 medley relay (3:43.49), both in NCAA record-setting times. Weik was joined on the 800 free relay squad by sophomore Sean Chabot (Washington, MI/Stoney Creek), sophomore Carlos Maciel (Recife, Brazil/Colegio Marista Sao Luis) and sophomore Spencer Fronk (Greenwood Village, CO/Cherry Creek), while Barry and Fronk were joined on the winning 400 medley relay by freshman Damon Rosenburg (Leesburg, VA/Heritage) and senior Michael Barczak (Beverly Hills, MI/Brothers Rice). The Big Red also gained a big advantage over the Lords in the diving well as junior Gabe Dixson (New Albany, OH/New Albany) and freshman Connor Dignan (Phoenix, AZ/Desert Vista) earned All-American laurels on both the one- and three-meter boards, while senior Phil Meyer (River Forest, IL/Oak Park-River Forest) earned an All-American certificate in the one-meter competition. Finally, DU head coach Gregg Parini was named the 2012 NCAA Men’s Swimming Coach of the Year for the second year in a row.

KENYON was paced at the meet by senior Zach Turk (Strongsville, OH/St. Edwards) who was named the 2012 NCAA Div. III Swimmer of the Meet after finishing first in two individual events and swimming key legs on two national championship relay squads. Turk opened the meet on Wednesday evening with a first-place showing in the 50 free (19.52), and then broke his own national record after touching first in the 100 free with a time of 43.16. In addition, Turk’s preliminary swim of 19.38 in the 50 free set the national time standard in the event. The Lords also captured relay event titles in the 400 free (2:53.59) and the 200 free (1:18.22), setting the national record in both events along the way. Turk was joined on both record-setting relay squads by senior David Somers (North Potomac, MD/Quince Orchard), junior Curtis Ramsey (Wilmington, DE/Charter School of Wilmington) and sophomore Ian Richardson (Mt. Vernon, OH/Mt. Vernon).

DEPAUW was 19th overall in the team standings with 44 points, led by freshman Casey Hooker (Rennselaer, IN/Central) who earned his first collegiate individual event All-American certificate after finishing 15th overall in the 200 free (1:40.42). In addition, four DePauw relay squads also logged All-American swims at the meet: 400 medley in 12th (3:23.90), 200 medley in 16th (1:33.63), the 800 freestyle in ninth (6:44.38) and the 400 free in 11th (3:02.93).

OBERLIN finished 30th overall in the team standings, led by freshman Chris McLauchlan (East Lansing, MI/Haslett) who finished in fourth on the one-meter board with 484.30 points and seventh on the three-meter board with 480.00 points.

ALLEGHENY was 46th in the team standings as both Gator swimmers at the event logged All-American swims. Senior Brandon Intrieri (Erie, PA/McDowell) was 13th in the 50 free with a school record time of 20.67, while senior Mirno Pasquali (Laconia, NH/Laconia) was 16th (1:50.80) in the 200 backstroke.

Women's Notes:

DENISON was third at the national meet with 420 total points, finishing behind three-time defending national champion Emory (639) and Williams (453). The Big Red women’s squad has now captured five-straight top-3 finishes and 16 overall at the national meet. Senior Hilary Callen (Oswego, NY/Oswego) closed out an impressive career at the 2012 meet after finishing second in the 1,650 free with a school record time of 16:42.61 and third-place showings in both the 200 (1:50.68) and 500 (4:52.17) freestyle events. Senior Emily Schroeder (Fishers, IN/Hamilton Southeastern) was also dominate at the meet as she finished second overall in the 200 backstroke (1:58.98) and third in both the 200 IM (2:03.67) and 400 IM (4:20.25).

KENYON was fourth in the team standings with 360 points, led by senior Alisa Vershcahagin (Solon, OH/Solon) who captured the NCAC’s lone individual event championship at the meet after touching first in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:02.43. Vereshchagin also earned individual All-American accolades with a fourth-place finish in the 200 breaststroke (2:16.62) and a 10th-place finish in the 200 IM (2:04.22). The Ladies earned All-American laurels in every relay event, finishing third in the 200 free (1:33.88), second in the 400 medley (3:43.49), third in the 800 free (7:25.64) and third in the 400 free (3:24.39).

WOOSTER was 18th overall in the team standings with 39 points, led by the 400 free relay squad consisting of junior Kate Hunt (Columbia, MO/Rock Bridge), freshman Morgan Hughes (Chico, CA/Chico), junior Clare Walsh (Riverside, IL/Brookfield) and senior Melissa Haug (Charlotte, NC/Nebraska-Lincoln Independent) that finished eighth overall with a time of 3:30.03. Individually, Hunt and Haug also collected All-American honors in the 200 butterfly, finishing 15th (2:05.10) and 16th (2:05.66), respectively. The Fighting Scots earned All-American certificates in two other relay events, including a 12th-place finish in the 200 free (1:36.12) and a 15th-place showing in the 800 freestyle (7:43.27).

DEPAUW tied for 39th in the team standings with 12 total points, led by senior Catie Baker (Cedar Rapids, IA/Kennedy) who earned two All-American certificates after finishing eighth in the 100 breast (1:04.59) and 16th in the 200 breast (2:22.49).

WITTENBERG rounded out NCAC women’s squads at the 2012 national meet in a three-way tie for 44th-place with eight team points after its 200 medley relay team finished 13th overall with a time of 1:46.73. The four member 200 medley relay squad included junior Ward McNulty (Glencoe, Ill./New Trier), sophomore Sarah Wilson (Centennial, Colo./Arapahoe), sophomore Molly Gustafson (West Hartford, Conn./Conard) and senior Keaton Hannon (Peachtree City, Ga./McIntosh).