Hillsdale swimmers traveled to Grand Rapids, Michigan, for the annual Davenport University invitational meet last weekend. They came home with five NCAA B cut times, a handful of broken records, and even more individual best times.
Earning third overall, the team saw smashing success at its midseason meet — the last chance to race in 2022.
“The meet was a challenge in the first place due to cramming four days of events into two plus days,” head coach Kurt Kirner said”. “We exceeded expectations by having great individual performances and the team still was able to take third place, second place if you discount the diving scores.”
The first big swim of the weekend was sophomore Elise Mason’s third place 1650 yard freestyle (17:13.20). Mason competed in this event at the 2022 NCAA DII national championships.
“The mile was a stressful event for me as I put a lot of pressure on myself to perform as well as last year,” Mason said. “It is also the event I am most likely to get my nationals cuts in. I was very happy with the swim. It just gave me some confidence going into G-MACS.”
She hit the B cut time in the 1650 yard freestyle, and also swam her 1000 yard split so fast that she earned a B cut for the 1000 yard freestyle event as well.
“Elise pretty much duplicated last year’s outstanding 1650 at this very same meet but a bit faster this year. She was in an outside lane which is a disadvantage but that does not seem to stop her,” Kirner said. “Certainly it was another outstanding performance.”
Swimmers who make B cut times may have a chance to race at the NCAA DII National Championship meet in the spring.
“It’s looking promising for NCAA qualifying but each of them knows that they must ensure those performances stick by improving out of the GMAC/MEC championships in February,” Kirner said.
In the 400 yard medley relay, Hillsdale’s team came out on top with a time of 3:50 flat — a new Hillsdale record. Junior Caroline Holmes, sophomores Joanna Burnham and Megan Clifford, and senior Marie Taylor will see their names up on the record board for this win.
“We didn’t have any expectations going into the 400 medley relay, we were all just so eager to finally get to race. It was our first race of the weekend for most of us on that relay, so we were rested and ready to go,” Clifford said. “Relays are always the best part of the meet, and for one of our first relays of the meet to be a school record and a win from an outside lane was so exciting.”
The record is particularly special for Taylor.
“For me it’s really exciting too because I am part of the relay records for all the sprint relays now,” she said.
Burnham had a solid individual performance in the 200 yard individual medley, placing third with a time of 2:08.33.
In a tight 200 yard backstroke race, senior Leah Tunney and Holmes went third and fifth respectively, with times of 2:06.14 and 2:07.48.
Taylor swept the sprint freestyle events and earned B cut times in both, going 52.13 in her first place 100 yard freestyle and 23.48 in the 50 yard freestyle, where she also finished first.
“The 50 free is always such a fun and quick race, and the competition was up to par for sure,” Taylor said. “I knew I had to swim my best in prelims, as with the 50, even if you are a couple tenths of a second off, it can dramatically change your placing going into finals.”
The standout swim of the meet was Clifford’s 200 yard butterfly.
“200 fly is my favorite event, so I was very excited to swim it to see if the training I have been doing would pay off,” she said.
Clifford came first by a seven second margin with a time of 2:03.01. This time was a personal best for the sophomore, as well as a NCAA B cut time, a G-MAC record, and a Hillsdale College record. The previous Hillsdale record had stood for 10 years, since All-American swimmer Linda Okonkowski set it in 2012.
“When I finished, I thought that I might have broken the team record, but I wasn’t sure,” Clifford said. “I went over to talk to my coach, and he told me I had broken it which made that moment after the race very exciting.”
Kirner wasn’t as surprised.
“I would have put money on her accomplishing that based upon her earlier meet performances and the intensity of her workouts leading up to this meet,” Kirner said. “She is an amazingly driven athlete who sets the tone for those around her. Truly a pleasure to coach.”
Clifford followed up this remarkable swim with another first place finish in the 100 yard butterfly (57.24) and a seventh place finish in the 200 yard freestyle with a 1:56.26, just behind Holmes in sixth (1:55.73).
In the 400 yard individual medley — one of the toughest races in the sport — Burnham came third with a time of 4:32.88.
The 400 yard freestyle relay was the last swimming event of the weekend and saw the Chargers place third with a time of 3:33.46, thanks to Holmes, Clifford, Taylor, and freshman Julianna Weir.
Charger swim will race again on Jan. 14 against Ashland University and Saginaw Valley State University.
