Denison Press Release
GRANVILLE, Ohio—Top-ranked Denison returned to competition with a 197-92 dual meet victory over 14th ranked DePauw University on Sunday at the Trumbull Aquatics Center.
The Big Red piled up 13 event wins on the day. The Big Red's trio of divers highlighted the afternoon as they posted 11-dives on the 1-meter and 3-meter boards. On the 1-meter board, Max Levy flirted with Connor Dignan's varsity record of 578.70 by posting an 11-dive score of 550.58. Brian Allen followed in second place with a 497.70. Michael Burke was fourth at 432.53. All three scores were NCAA 'B' cuts. Levy's top scoring dive on the day was a forward 2 ½ somersault pike (105B) with a 2.6 degree of difficulty. He landed a score of 64.35 on the attempt.
On the 3-meter board, Levy, Allen and Burke went 1-2-3, respectively in the final standings. Levy totaled a score of 546.38 and Allen checked in with a score of 481.65. Burke ended with 414.53. Levy and Allen's scores were both NCAA 'B' cuts.
Defending NCAA Division III Swimmer of the Year, Jack Lindell won the 200 backstroke and the 200 butterfly to pace the Big Red swimmers. Lindell touched in 1:52.78 in the 200 back, outdistancing teammate Jason Wesseling by 4.01 seconds. In the 200 fly, Denison went 1-2-3 as Lindell led the way with a 1:54.65. Francis Biagioli was second in 1:55.97 and Blake Kent took third in 1:57.03.
In the 100 backstroke, Wesseling got the win in 51.83. Second-place went to P.J. Desmet in 54.13 while Thomas Locke took third in 55.05.
Kenny Fox was the victor in the 50 free after a time of 21.21. Max Howes touched first in the 100 free with a time of 46.77.
In the 200 freestyle, Ryan Stevenson logged the top time at 1:43.06. He was also the runner-up to Jake Ball (2:09.51) in the 200 breaststroke after a time of 2:10.53.
In the distance freestyle events, Matt Hedman and Jackson Berman went 1-2 in both races. Hedman won the 1,650 free in 16:14.03. Berman covered the mile-long race in 16:15.16. Both were NCAA 'B' cut times, but they were not season-bests for either swimmer. Hedman logged a time of 15:47.47 at the Miami Invitational and Berman posted a 16:00.73 in Oxford on Dec. 3.
In the 500 free, Hedman (4:42.84) edged out Berman at the wall (4:43.00).
First-year Tiernan Foster-Smith logged his NCAA 'B' cut in the 100 breaststroke at the Miami Invitational with a time of 55.64. Today he won the 100 breast in 57.57.
To lead off the meet, Denison's team of Carson Clear, Foster-Smith, Brett Weicht and Zach Wagner won the 200 medley relay in 1:34.43.
GRANVILLE, Ohio—Second-ranked Denison returned to action for the second-straight day. After Saturday's loss to Division I Ohio University, the Big Red rebounded with an 187-95 victory over 22nd ranked DePauw University from the Trumbull Aquatics Center.
The highlight of the day came at the diving well where first-year Allison Fitzgerald set a new 11-dive varsity record on the 1-meter board with a score of 459.23. Her top scoring dive was her last as she posted a score of 55.80 on her inward 1 ½ somersault pike (403B) with a 2.4 degree of difficulty. Fitzgerald won the event and logged a NCAA 'B' cut in the process. Also posting 'B' cuts were Emma Weber (427.05) and Sarah Lopez (397.80) who finished second and third, respectively in the event.
On the 3-meter board, Weber was the winner with an 11-dive score of 441.23. Fitzgerald took second at 423.53 and Naomi Clayton was third at 395.18.
In the pool, first-year's Casey Kirby and Kate Mesaros each posted three event wins. Kirby finished first in the 100 free with a season-best time of 52.99. Gabriella Nutter (53.19) and KT Kustritz ended up taking second and third place, respectively. Kirby also won the 50 free in 24.58.
Meanwhile, Mesaros swept the breaststroke events after a winning time of 2:24.85 in the 200 and 1:06.22 in the 100.
Mesaros and Kirby's third win came in the first event of the meet, the 200 medley relay. The duo teamed with Angela Le and Carly Olsakovsky for a time of 1:46.75.
After performing a beautiful rendition of the Star Spangled Banner to begin the meet, Denison's Hannah Rusinko returned to place second in the 1,650 freestyle with a time of 17:55.81. Caroline Colville checked in third in 18:23.57.
Senior All-American Campbell Costley took first in the 200 freestyle (1:55.13) and the 500 free (5:08.05). Senior Alex Elizeus was the runner-up in the 200 free with a time of 1:57.17.
In the 200 butterfly, Halli Garza logged a 'B' cut time of 2:03.71 to win the event. Garza's season-best time of 2:02.48 in the event came at the Miami Invitational in December.
Le and Carolyn Kane went 1-2 in the 100 backstroke as Le posted a time of 58.71 that rivaled her season-best time of 58.57 set last month. Kane checked in at 1:00.56.
Denison's event wins were rounded out by Erica Hsu in the 200 backstroke after her victorious time of 2:09.60.
