BISMARCK, N.D. – With a strong four-day performance at the NSIC Swimming and Diving Championships, the No. 16 University of Sioux Falls Swimming Team's 2019-20 season continues to be memorable and historic.
As the NSIC Swimming and Diving Championships wrapped up Saturday (Feb. 15), the Cougars put together its best performance in its four years as a program by finishing third with 797 points or 192 more than a year ago (605.5, 2019).
The Cougars, which had eight individuals or relays crowned champions at the 2020 NSIC Championships, finished third for a third consecutive year but with 797 points the team finished just 8.5 points from second place and Minnesota State at 805.5 points. SCSU defended its NSIC Swimming and Diving team title with 893.5 points. After the top three, Augustana was fourth at 621 while host school U-Mary was fifth at 464 and followed by Minnesota State Moorhead, sixth, 303; Northern State, seventh, 157; and Southwest Minnesota State, eighth, 106.
Counting individual (top three finishers) and relays (top two finishers), USF had 34 total All-NSIC performers while putting together 12 total NCAA "B" standards performances. Of the eight championships, USF had six individual titlists including
Ella Johnson (200 fly, 2:01.61, "B" standard; 100 fly, 55.14, "B" standard);
Elizabeth Spaans (100 back, 55.81 "B" standard; 200 IM, 2:05.47; and
Chantal Kasch (100 breast, 1:02.30, "B" standard; 200 breast, 2:16.43, "B" standard). USF also won the 800 Free Relay with an NSIC record of 7:35.36 and the 400 medley relay in 3:45.27, also a "B" standard. In all five relays, USF finished first or second and placed two teams in the top eight of each of those relays.
"I am really pleased with our performance this week," said second-year USF Head Coach
Chris Hamstra. "I think to walk out of this meet with eight titles, a third place team finish with our highest point total ever, numerous 'B' standards and 30 some All-NSIC honors shows the tremendous strides this team has made. I look forward to seeing how we will perform in a few weeks at the NCAA DII Championships," added Hamstra, whose program has earned back-to-back top-21 finishes at the NCAA DII Championships.
On the final night of competition (Saturday, Feb. 15), the Cougars had a champion in junior
Chantal Kasch, who won the 200 breast for her second individual title. She had a clocking of 2:16.43 which was also an NCAA "B" standard. In fact, she dominated by winning by more than five seconds.
In the final event of the meet, the Cougars placed two relays in the top eight of the 400 free relay. The team of
Jenna Krahn, Ursula Demarquet,
Leah Eagleton and
Kyjana Webber clocked a 3:27.38 and was just edged out by a St. Cloud State team at 3:26.61. USF also placed seventh at 3:33.47 with a team of Giulia Marcon,
Abigail Ford,
Valerie Childs and
Evelyn VanDeMark.
Also on Saturday, the Cougars placed three in the top eight of the "A" Final of the 1650 free. Junior
Nina Groene (17:26.25) was third with junior
Evelyn VanDeMark (17:52.21) taking sixth and freshman
Makenzy Kennedy (17:55.73) grabbing 7th.
Spaans capped off a strong meet by capturing third place in both the 100 IM (58.62) and the 200 back (2:09.50). As a result, she finished the meet with two individual wins (200 IM, 2:05.47), 100 back, 55.81 "B" standard), two third-place finishes, swam on the winning 400 medley relay and was on both the runner up 200 med relay and 200 free relay squads. As a result, she had a team-high seven All-NSIC honors.
Also Saturday, the Cougars captured six of the top 12 spots in the 100 free. Those individuals included
Jenna Krahn who was sixth in 52.23 and followed by
Leah Eagleton, seventh in 52.29; Ursula Demarquet, eighth, 52.97;
Kyjana Webber, ninth, 52.39;
Ella Johnson, 11
th, 52.64 and Guilia Marcon, 12
th in 52.84.
With the NSIC Championships concluded, teams and announces will await the announcement by the NCAA, who will announce the DII field for the NCAA Championships on Wednesday, Feb 26. The NCAA Championships will be held on March 11-14 at SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio.
