November 15, 2011
Taylor Winter - Lawrence University
Freshman - Bayside, Wis.
Taylor Winter won multiple events in Lawrence’s three dual meets thus far this season. In her collegiate debut against Beloit on Oct. 29, Winter won the 500-yard freestyle in 5:30.17, won the mixed 1,000 freestyle in 11:12.96 and swam on the winning 200 freestyle relay team. The Vikings won the meet 114-71. In a dual meet with UW-River Falls on Nov. 4 that ended in a tie, Winter won the 100 butterfly in 1:05.47, took first in the 500 freestyle in 5:24.98 and won the 1,000 freestyle in 11:03.19 and was part of the winning 200 freestyle relay team. In a loss at UW-Whitewater on Nov. 12, Winter won the 500 freestyle in 5:24.87 and took first in the 1,650 freestyle in 18:38.31.
November 22, 2011
Kelly Bruce - Grinnell College
Senior - Middleton, Wis.
Bruce earned an NCAA Division III National Championships “B” cut in one-meter diving during Saturday’s dual meet against Loras College with a score of 256.80 en route to winning the event. She also took first in three-meter diving with a score of 249.05. Both scores are tops in the Midwest Conference this season.
December 6, 2011
Jordan Barclay - Carroll University
Senior - Renton, Wash.
Jordan Barclay won two events and finished second in another to lead the Carroll University women’s swimming team at the Grinnell College Invitational over the weekend. Barclay, a senior from Renton, Wash (Kentridge), claimed first-place finishes in the 200 IM (2:17) and 200 breaststroke (2:32.15) while finishing second in the 400 IM (4:57.68).
January 10, 2012
Becky Shaak - Lake Forest College
Junior - Vienna, Va.
Shaak helped the Foresters start their double-dual sweep of Willamette University and host Soka University on Saturday with a victory in the 200-medley relay. She then placed first on her own in the 100-butterfly (1:06.86) and 100-breaststroke (1:11.34).
January 17, 2012
Erin Willhite - Monmouth College
Freshman - East Moline, Ill.
Willhite picked up eight firsts last Friday and Saturday as Monmouth won dual meets against Illinois College and Knox. The freshman opened the two-day stretch on Friday by swimming the anchor leg of the winning 200 medley relay which logged a 2:01.48. She ended the meet anchoring the 200 free relay team with a winning time of 1:49.22. Willhite also won both her backstroke events, touching first in the 100 in 1:07.69 and swimming a personal-best 2:28.52 in the 200 back. She had similar results in her home pool Saturday, swimming the anchor leg on the winning 400 medley relay and the 400 free relay. The team clocked a 4:21.13 in the medley which ranks third in the conference and won the free with a mark of 3:56.22. She also won the 50 free in 26.68 and the 100 free with a time of 57.83.
January 24, 2012
Elisha Nelson - Illinois College
Sophomore - Jacksonville, Ill.
Nelson won four individual events and helped an Illinois College relay team win another in meets at Eureka College and Millikin University over the past week. Nelson was tops in both the 50-yard freestyle (27.79) and 200-yard breaststroke (2:44.65) at Millikin. She also anchored the 200-yard freestyle relay team (1:56.65) that won at Millikin. Nelson won two more events at Eureka, claiming first in both the 50-yard breaststroke (33.55) and 100-yard breaststroke (1:13.89).
January 31, 2012
Beth Gillig - Grinnell College
Freshman - Frankfort, Ky.
Gillig was a perfect 4-of-4 in the Pioneers’ dual meet victory at Macalester College on Saturday. She won individual titles in the 100-yard backstroke (1:04.28), 100 freestyle (56.91) and 400 individual medley (4:57.65). The latter two times each rank fourth in the MWC. She also swam on the winning 800 freestyle relay team which had a time of 8:36.89.
February 7, 2012
Kelly Bruce - Grinnell College
Senior - Middleton, Wis.
Bruce set a school record in one-meter diving and set two pool records as the Grinnell women’s team won a 169-116 dual meet at Coe College Saturday. Bruce had a score of 277.50 while winning the one-meter event, breaking the previous Pioneer best of 275.60 set by Jo Schaalman in 1998. She also won three-meter diving with a score of 287.02. Both performances are tops in the MWC this season for the league’s three-time Women’s Diver of the Year.