BISMARCK, N.D. – With both an individual (Ella Johnson) and relay champion (400 medley), the No. 16 University of Sioux Falls Swimming Team continued its impressive showing at the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Swimming and Diving Championships.   

As a result, USF had a big day with two champions, two second place results plus a sixth and seventh place finish among three individual events and two relays. The Cougars, which placed two teams in the top eight of both the 200 free and 400 medley relays, stand third overall in the team standings with 387 points and just six away from second place Minnesota State with 393. St. Cloud State, which dominated one-meter diving, leads the way with 439 points through 10 events. After the top three, Augustana is fourth at 275 with U-Mary in fifth at 221; Minnesota State Moorhead, sixth, 159; Northern State, seventh, 80; and SMSU, eighth, 40.

"We had a lot of ups and downs today but I was really proud of getting two wins and two second place finishes in the finals tonight. We really raced well again tonight," said USF Head Swimming Coach Chris Hamstra, who had two relay squads earn All-NSIC honors. "Now, we just have to turn around and swim great again in the morning so we can have those opportunities again tomorrow in the finals," he said.
 

For the second time at the NSIC Championships, USF had an individual champion crowned as sophomore Ella Johnson defended her 100 fly title with an NCAA B standard of 55.14. Johnson also earned All-NSIC honors. Also in the 100 fly, freshmen Valerie Childs finished fifth (58:03) and Ursula Demarquet, 12th (58.41).

USF captured its first relay crown of the meet as they won the title in the 400 medley relay in a near record of 3:45.27, which was also an NCAA DII provisional mark. USF, which included team members Elizabeth Spaans, Chantal Kasch, Johnson and Jenna Krahn, won the relay by nearly eight seconds (3:53.08, MSU Mankato) and missed its own record of 3:45.23 from a year ago. Both Johnson and Spaans have an individual and relay crown to their credit through two days of competition. Also in the 400 medley relay, USF's "B" squad finished eighth in 3:57.78 with relay members of Julia Zanto, Abigail Ford, Valerie Childs and Leah Eagleton.

In the 200 free relay, the Cougars again show depth and strength by capturing two of the top six spots. In the 200 free relay, the "A" squad (Jenna Krahn, Leah Eagleton, Elizabeth Spaans, Kyjana Webber) clocked 1:34.26 for second. USF's "B" squad (Giulia Fazza Marcon, Tori Bailey, Valerie Childs, and Ursula Demarquet) finished sixth with a clocking of 1:36.99.  

In her first NSIC championship, USF had an All-NSIC performance from freshman Makenzy Kennedy, who stepped up with a second place finish in the 400 IM by clocking a 4:32.55 or :2.34 seconds faster than her prelim time. In the 200 free, junior Giulia Fazza Marcon was seventh in 1:54.23 as she bettered her prelims time by .73.

Day three on Friday (Feb. 14), the NSIC Championships begins with trials at 10 am with the finals again at 5:30 pm.