Knights Claim Third MIAC Championship of the Decade

The Carleton women’s swimming team won the 2009 MIAC Championships in convincing fashion, dethroning two-time defending champion Gustavus Adolphus by a 101.5 point margin. This was the Knights third conference championship this decade and first since winning back-to-back titles in 2000-01. Maggie Alexander (Fy./Tigard, Ore./Tualatin) earned MIAC co-Swimmer of the Year honors.

The Knights used their team dept to conclude the weekend with 721 points. Gustavus was next with 619.5 followed by St. Thomas (496) and St. Olaf (479). Only three schools won team titles this decade: Gustavus (4), Carleton (3) and St. Olaf (3).

In tonight’s final session Alexander broke the conference record as she posted a NCAA automatic qualifying time of 2:03.04 in winning the 200 backstroke. Her stellar weekend also included a victory in the 500 freestyle on Thursday, a second-place showing in the 200 freestyle on Friday, and participation in a pair of All-MIAC relays.

Kaarin Taylor (Sr./Gainesville, Fla.) captured Carleton’s other individual crown on the final day, winning the 200 butterfly for her second individual title of the championships.

Annalisa Andre (Jr./Minneapolis/Blake) and Lauren Knoche (Sr./Madison, Wis./West) got Carleton on the board early in day three as they took 10th and 13th respectively in the 1650 yard freestyle.

The Knights entered the final day of action with a 60-point lead over Gustavus, and the second event of the session proved to be the difference maker.

With Maggie Alexander leading the way, Carleton earned four of the top five spots in the 200 backstroke, scoring 66 team points in the event. That gave the Knights a huge momentum burst early in the evening and helped propel Carleton to an insurmountable advantage in the team competition.

Kale Zicafoose (So./Omaha, Neb./Westside) also notched a NCAA automatic qualifier (2:03.95) in the 200 backstroke. She set the conference record by going 2:05.00 in the preliminaries, only to see Maggie Alexander and herself improve upon that time in the finals. Caitlin Clements-Green (Sr./Northfield, Minn.) and Annie Metcalf (Fy./Bath, Maine/Morse) boosted Carleton’s point total by finishing fourth and fifth.

Becky Alexander (Sr./Tigard, Ore./Tualatin) recorded a NCAA qualifying “B” standard of 52.60 while earning All-MIAC honors with a third-place finish in the 100 freestyle. Louise Buckler (So./Blaine, Minn./St. Paul Academy) also swam in the championship heat, placing eighth. Kelsey Sloan (Jr./Cumberland, Maine/Greely) added a 10th-place performance in the consolation heat.

Kate Alexander (Jr./Tigard, Ore./Tualatin) notched another NCAA “B” cut time while earning All-MIAC honors with a second-place finish in the 200 breaststroke. She was fifth after the first split but moved up one slot on each subsequent 50-yard split. Mia Zutz (Jr./Middleton, Wis.) also swam in the finals and earned eighth place.

Carleton sealed its team victory with another strong performance in the 200 butterfly, again showcasing the depth of this year’s squad. Taylor completed a sweep of the butterfly events at this year’s conference meet as she touched the wall first with a time of 2:11.76, making her the second-fastest swimmer in Carleton history for this event. Joining Taylor in the championship heat were Kelsey Ihinger (Jr./Eden Prairie, Minn.) and Mallory Pernell (Austin, Texas/Westlake) who placed fourth and seventh. Anna Gallagher (So./Bulington, Vt.) chipped in with a 10th place performance.

All three divers advanced to the semifinals in the 1-meter competition with Erin Heydinger (So./St. Paul/St. Paul Academy) and Irene Dennison (Jr./Carlisle, Mass./Concord-Carlisle Regional) earning points in the team standings by virtue of their respective 10th and 16th place finishes.

The weekend and championship concluded with an All-MIAC performance in the 400 freestyle relay. Buckler, Magie Alexander, Zicafoose and Becky Alexander notched a NCAA “B” cut time of 3:31.42, the third-fast showing in Carleton history.

Carleton Men Place Fourth At MIAC
The Carleton men’s swimming & diving team recorded a 14th consecutive top-four finish at the MIAC Championships, holding off Saint John’s on the final day to earn fourth place. Senior Ted Marschall (Burnsville, Minn.) posted his third NCAA automatic qualifier of the championships as his time of 2:02.60 was second overall in the 200 breaststroke.

St. Olaf won its record 27th team title with 851 points, followed by Gutavus (738) and St. Thomas (487). The Knights entered the final day fourth in the team standings and maintained their hold on that spot throughout the evening session to edge the Johnnies 441-431.

John Knapp (Sr./Sturgeon Bay, Wis.) got Carleton’s night started off right as he earned All-MIAC honors after finishing second on the 3-meter board. Eric Brenner (So./Plymouth, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong) placed fourth overall.

While diving was going on, Kevin Hallman (Fy./Oak Park, Ill./Oak Park River Forest) earned a 12th–place finish in the 1650 freestyle.

Andrew Mering (So./Baraboo, Wis.) grabbed sixth place in the 200 backstroke. His time of 1:56.09 is third-fastest on Carleton’s all-time Top 10. Senior Ryan Terrien (Bloomington, Minn./Kennedy) finished 12th during the consolation final.

Seniors Elliot Bartis (McLean, Va./Langley) and Jared Plotz (Hutchinson, Minn.) finished ninth and 11th respectively in the 100 freestyle.

Marschall posted his third NCAA automatic qualifier of the championships as his time of 2:02.60 was second overall and within 0.11 seconds of his school record. Djem Kissiov (Fy./Madison, Wis./West) and Eugene Nishi (Jr./Yokohama, Japan/Zushi-Kaisei) recorded 11th and 12th place finishes in the same event.

A trio of Knights raced in the consolation finals of the 200 butterfly. Brian Kilgour (So./Wichita, Kan./East) won the heat and finished ninth overall, improving his preliminary time by more than 1.2 seconds. David Nonberg (Sr./Pacific Palisades, Calif./Palisades Charter) concluded his collegiate career by finishing third in this race and 11th overall. Rookie Casey Andree (Bloomington, Ind./North) contributed a 14th-place showing.

Carleton had a 14-point lead over Saint John’s for fourth heading into the final event and Bartis, Marschall, Plotz and Kissiov made it stand up. The foursome broke the school record with their time of 3:09.52, which was good enough for fifth in a very competitive race.