Women's Swimming & Diving

Championship Preview: 2019 MWC Women's Swimming & Diving

Contact: Jenna McElroy, Sports Info & Social Media Intern, mcelroy@midwestconference.org
 
Men's Preview

GRINNELL, Iowa – The Grinnell College women’s swimming and diving team is in pursuit of its seventh consecutive Midwest Conference (MWC) Championship, 19th in the last 20 seasons and 29th overall. The Pioneers host the other eight conference teams for the 2019 conference meet on February 15-17.
 
The meet schedule, live video link, and daily heat sheets and results can be found at the championship page.
 
Grinnell looks to continue its dynasty led by freshman Nikki Schlegel and November Brown and the sophomore trio of McKynley Larson, Madeline Peak, and Marguerite Devine Mraz. Schlegel ranks first in the conference in five events and holds 12 top-ten times. She holds the top time in the 100 IM (1:02.61), 200 IM (2:14.35), and 400 IM (4:48.68) as well as the 100 (1:01.18) and 200 backstroke (2:12.81).
 
Larson has significant advantages in the distance events as she has the fastest 500 freestyle time by four seconds (5:22.43) and a massive ten seconds in the 1650 freestyle (18:39.40). She also is second behind Schlegel in the 200 backstroke (2:13.95). Brown sits in the top three in the 100 (1:10.61) and 200 breaststroke (2:33.59) as well as ranking in the top ten in five other events.
 
The Pioneers also have two divers in Sophie Wojdylo and Celeste Kaspar who have qualified for the NCAA Division III Regional. The pair will be going against Lake Forest College’s Lizzie Johns who is the defending 1-meter champion and runner-up on the 3-meter board. She enters the 2019 conference meet after recording career-best scores for six-dives on both boards.
 
Johns headlines a Forester team that looks to capture its first MWC Championship since 2012. Lake Forest swimmers have the fastest conference time in three events led by sophomore Susan Guo. Guo has the best time in the 100 freestyle (55.32) and the 200 freestyle (1:59.41) while freshman Kerry Mullen holds the top spot in the 50 free (25.11).
 
Guo also ranks second in the 500 freestyle (5:26.67) and the 100 butterfly (1:00.39) in which she is the defending champion. Junior Rachel Trevillian competed in the A-Final in the 200 butterfly, 200 IM, and 400 IM in 2018 and currently ranks second in all three events this season.
 
Lawrence University finished third last year behind three top-four finishes from then freshman Erin Lengel. In her sophomore season, Lengel has been named MWC Performer of the Week three times as she ranks in the top-five in nearly every stroke. She ranks second in the 100 free (55.38), 200 free (1:59.95), and 100 backstroke (1:01.61) along with third in the 50 free (25.39) and 100 butterfly (1:01.20).
 
Lengel will get help from fellow Performer of the Week honorees and freshmen Mizuki Ohama and Maddy Smith. Ohama has been crushing the competition in the butterfly events as she is the lone MWC swimmer to break a minute in the 100 with her time of 59.84 as well as having the fastest time in the 200 (2:11.68). Smith will look to add points in the diving events as she has already qualified for the NCAA DIII Diving Regional.
 
At the 2018 MWC Championship, just 58 points separated fourth through sixth. Ripon College grabbed the fourth spot behind three top-15 finishes from Laryssa Vaclavik. Vaclavik finished 13th in the 1650 freestyle last year and currently ranks eighth in the event (20:25.05) just ahead of freshman Abby Anderson (20:28.27). Vaclavik also finished in 11th in both the 100 and 200 breaststroke.
 
Beloit College finished 42 points back of the Red Hawks in fifth and only 16 up on sixth place Illinois College. In 2019, freshman Eliana Ritt who ranks in the top ten of seven different events will lead the Buccaneers. Ritt is fifth in both the 200 free (2:03.00) and 200 IM (2:20.46), eighth in the 100 butterfly (1:02.48) and 400 IM (5:09.21), and tenth in the 100 (1:04.91) and 200 backstrokes (2:23.39). As far as returning swimmers, Kohn had top ten finishes in the 100 and 200 backstroke events at last year’s conference meet while Kaylie Williams is the Bucs top returner in the freestyle events.
 
The Lady Blues will turn to Hannah Marks and Marcella Jacquemain to move up the standings in 2019. Marks is the defending 100 breaststroke champion and currently holds the fastest time in 2019 at 1:09.29. The junior also won the 200 breaststroke last season and her 2019 time of 2:34.88 is third in the conference.
 
Senior Marcella Jacquemain finished seventh in the 200 butterfly and currently as the tenth fastest time in the conference rankings. The Lady Blues also hope freshman diver Donna Jenkins can score points as she has broken the school records on both the 1-meter and 3-meter boards multiple times this season.
 
Monmouth College and Knox College rounded out the standings at the 2018 MWC Championship. The Scots’ top swimmer is Miranda Pasky who is seventh in the 100 breaststroke (1:14.11) and 200 breaststroke (2:45.07) after finishing fifth in both events at last year’s conference meet. The sophomore also has a top seven time in the 100 IM (1:07.26). The Prairie Fire will be led by the senior duo of Sosy Fleming and Halle Gerash. Fleming had top-20 finishes in the 100 butterfly and 200 IM in 2018 while Gerash was 17th in the 1650 freestyle.
 
Joining the mix in 2019 is St. Norbert College as the Green Knights program returns after a decade hiatus. The trio of Miranda Wilson, Kirsten Williams, and Allison White have a combined five top-ten times in the conference rankings entering the conference meet. Wilson holds three of the five as she is seventh in the 100 (1:04.46) and 200 backstroke (2:21.64) and tenth in the 100 breaststroke (1:15.46). Williams ranks just ahead of Wilson in 100 breaststroke with her time of 1:15.15 while White is also ninth in the 1000 freestyle (12:04.80).
 
Find all the information for the 2019 conference meet at the championship page.