With the conclusion of day three at the 2015 Summit League Swimming and Diving Championships, the Denver men's and women's teams extended their lead in the team standings. The night began with a short ceremony honoring all Summit League senior student-athletes and soon after the fun began. A grand total of six Summit League individual and relay records fell Friday night at the IU Natatorium on the campus of IUPUI.
The Denver Pioneer women 400 medley relay team of Johanna Roas, Amanda Sanders, Sam Corea and Drew Matthews started things off by setting a new all-time league record with a time of 3:36.15. Breaking a mark their team set at last year’s Summit League Swimming & Diving Championships. Finishing in second was the team from IUPUI with South Dakota State finishing third.
The 400 individual medley medal stand came up all Pioneers on both the men’s and women’s sides. Maddie Myers out-touched teammates Bridgette McNally and Clara Jenck. Myers (4:13.14) broke McNally’s record in the event that she set at last year’s Summit League championships. All three swimmers earned NCAA provisional qualifying times with their efforts. Jeremiah Zgliczynski successfully defended his title in the event with a new Summit League Championship meet record of 3:48.42. He was followed by teammates Lane Bretschneider and Ben Severino.
Denver swimmer Sam Corea broke her own Summit League record in the morning prelims in the 100 butterfly with a time of 52.47. However, that wasn’t good enough for the senior. In the finals of the event later in the evening, she shattered that mark by touching in at 51.70 and automatically qualifying for the NCAA Championships in the process.
Chris Neaveill almost gave Western Illinois their first gold medal in the meet, but was narrowly out-touched by Denver’s Andrew Torres in the 100 butterfly final. Denver’s Ben Ussery finished third in the event.
Morgan Mullenix successfully defended her crown in the 200 freestyle final, out-stretching Samantha Schuttinger of South Dakota by .23 seconds for the gold. Her male counterpart Ray Bornman broke the all-time Summit League mark in the morning’s preliminary heat with a time of 1:35.35. However, Bornman wanted to outdo himself and he beat that mark by clocking in at 1:34.42 in the evening’s final. He was joined on the medal stand with teammates Dylan Bunch and Scott Bergstrom.
Pioneer teammates Amanda Sanders (1:00.89) and Tim Cottam (54.16) both set new Summit League records in the morning 100 fly preliminaries. Cottam’s time only stood for a few hours, as he then went on to better his mark with a time of 53.00. Both Sanders and Cottam earned NCAA provisional qualifying times. Sanders was joined on the medal stand by Emily Campbell of South Dakota State and Jenny Oleksiak of IUPUI while Cottam was joined by teammates Travis Greenwald and Patrick Guillory.
Denver swept the medal stand again in both the men’s and women’s 100 yard backstroke. For the women, Sam Corea finished first with Johanna Roas finishing second and Zoe Huddleston third. Corea was only .01 from breaking her Summit League record she set in last year’s championship meet. On the men’s side, Anton Loncar took gold, William Van Dehy silver and Jared Smith bronze.
In the nightcap, South Dakota’s Greysen Hertting defended her one-meter diving championship by scoring 293.00 in the event. Melissa Berger of IUPUI finished second with 271.55 and Omaha’s Miranda Knipfer came in third with a score of 261.70.
The 2015 Summit League Swimming and Diving Championships will wrap up Saturday, with preliminary heats beginning at 11 a.m. and finals starting at 6 p.m. at the IU Natatorium.
News & Notes
Denver's Samantha Corea set a new Summit League record with a time of 51.70, automatically qualifying for NCAA championships.
Ray Bornman broke a six-year old Summit League record in the 200 free with a time of 1:34.42.
Tim Cottam of Denver broke the 100 breaststroke record with a time of 53.00, an NCAA B-cut mark.
Denver women’s 400 medley relay team set a new league-best time with 3:36.15.
Maddie Myers broke teammate’s Bridgette McNally’s record in the 400IM with a time of 4:13.14.
Jeremiah Zgliczynski set a new Summit League Championship meet record of 3:48.42
Four Denver men clocked in with NCAA provisional times in the 200 free: Ray Bornman, Dylan Bunch, Luke Williams and Scott Bergstrom.
Amanda Sanders (Denver) set a new all-time league mark during prelims in the 100 fly (1:00.89).
A total of 35 NCAA provisional qualifying times were posted by Summit League swimmers Friday.
Team Standings
Men's
1. Denver – 729
2. IUPUI – 415
3. South Dakota State – 341
4. South Dakota – 235
5. Western Illinois – 210
6. Eastern Illinois – 146
Women's
1. Denver – 673
2. IUPUI – 441
3. South Dakota State – 403
4. Omaha – 297
5. South Dakota – 292
6. Western Illinois – 148
7. Eastern Illinois – 116
