By Holly WilsonTo paraphrase Caesar: she came, she saw, she conquered. Kendra Stern of Amherst swept to victory in the 100 free tonight at the NESCAC women’s championship, putting a cap on a spectacular NESCAC career that saw her never lose an individual event in four years of competing at this most competitive of Division III conference championships. She is the greatest short and middle-distance freestyler in Division III history, with one meet left on her collegiate calendar. That meet, of course, is the NCAA DIII championship, being held next month in Knoxville, where the air will be thick with anticipation. Tonight Stern was also named the Swimmer of the Meet as well as the winner of the NESCAC Senior High Point Award. Her 50.43 tonight lowered the pool record she already held in her arch-rival Williams’ home pool. It was a spectacular display of power and grace in a weekend full of great performances.
Despite Stern’s heroics, however, it was host Williams College that swam away with its eleventh straight team championship. Stern and her Lord Jeff teammates finished a distant second with 1,637 points, 324 behind the Ephs. In a close race for third place it was Tufts University, with 1,226 points, nipping Connecticut College (1,148). Bates College finished fifth (917.5).
Diver of the meet was Meggie Meisinger of Amherst, who was also the Senior High Point Award winner. Williams diving coach Kit Koch Callahan was named Diving Coach of the Meet, and Mark Benvenuti, whose Connecticut College Camels swam extremely well all weekend, was deservingly named the Swimming Coach of the Meet.
There were many amazing individual performances. Eph teammates Erin Altenberger and Caroline Wilson staged a duel in the night’s opening event, the 1650, a duel that saw neither of them gain more than a body length lead on the other over the course of the entire 66 lengths. Wilson nipped Altenberger at the touch by .35 seconds in 16:54.11, a new pool and meet record. They each earned an ‘A’ cut, and the next seven swimmers bettered the ‘B’ cut standard.
Hamilton first-year Maggie Rosenbaum swept to a four-second victory in the 200 back in 2:01.72, capping an excellent performance in her first collegiate championship.
The 200 fly presented special drama as host Williams placed five swimmers in the championship final, including defending national champion Logan Todhunter and runner-up Bonnie Patchen. But in a surprise, it was Hamilton senior Sarah Murphy, having the meet of her life, who pulled the upset over the untapered Todhunter and the rest of the field, winning in 2:02.98. The Ephs occupied the next five spots, all under the NCAA ‘A’ time standard. In a meet full of fantastic competition, the 200 fly was quite possibly the most competitive of all.
It was quite a show.
