FARGO, N.D. – For the fourth consecutive year, the University of Sioux Falls Swimming Team has finished third at the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Swimming and Diving Championships. And, the Cougars accomplished the feat with a mixture of veterans and newcomers.
At this year's championships, USF recorded seven titles, including five individual titles and two relays. In fact, USF finished first or second in all five contested relays. Two individuals
Elizabeth Spaans (200 IM, 100 back) and
Chantal Kasch (100 breast, 200 breast) were double winners in individual events. Senior
Jenna Krahn also won her first NSIC title in the 500 free. Kasch defended her NSIC titles in the 100 and 200 breast and has eight NSIC titles in her stellar career. Spaans defended her title in the 100 back.
With four more All-NSIC performances on Saturday, USF had 18 in the four days with 36 total student-athletes earning All-NSIC honors. It is a total that surpassed the 34 of a year ago. In addition, USF has nine NCAA DII "B" cuts including four by Kasch, two by Krahn, two by Spaans and one by freshman
Ilinde du Plessis.
In addition, USF's team total of 767.5 points was just 30 off the school record total of 797 of a year ago. Minnesota State claimed the team championship with 1033.5 points as they finished ahead of St. Cloud State at 858.5 and USF at 767.5. U-Mary was fourth at 514.5 followed by Augustana at 358; Northern State, 209; MSUM, 198; SMSU, 150 and Concordia St. Paul, four.
USF Head Swimming Coach
Chris Hamstra was pleased with the phenomenal efforts of a team that has battled a pandemic while competing and excelling in the classroom.
"I'm super proud of our young women. They showed a lot of persistence over the course of this meet and this season," said Hamstra, who is in his third year at USF. "Each session we cheered harder, swam a little better and had more fun. It is really a wonderful accomplishment," he said.
USF also had the NSIC Freshman of the Year in
Paulina Ruelas, who had four top-5 finishes - 2nd, 200 fly; 3rd, 400 IM' 4th, 200 IM; and 5th, 200 breast.
"Huge congratulations to Paulina for earning that honor. She has really battled this year and showed that she is definitely a big meet swimmer," Hamstra added.
On the final day of competition, USF had three individual All-NSIC honor and the 400 free relay won a title to earn All-NSIC honors. One of the two titles today was by Kasch, who defended her 200 breast title at the NSIC championships. Today, she had two NCAA DII provisional marks (prelims, 2:18.29; finals, 2:18.51) in claiming the 200 breast title. Ruelas finished fifth (2:26.29) and
Abigail Ford, 13
th (2:29.09).
In the 400 free relay, the team of Krahn,
Valerie Childs,
Ursula Demarquet and Spaans clocked a 3:28.46 and beat their seed time by over seven seconds. USF also placed eighth in 3:35.67 or nearly 15 seconds faster than their seed times. The eighth place relay included Solano,
Evelyn VanDeMark, Ruelas and
Kaylee Tringali.
Ilinde du Plessis clocked an NCAA DII Provisional mark and finished 2nd in the 200 back with a clocking of 2:02.65. USF placed four in the top 10 with Spaans, 5
th (2:05.79);
Domenica Solano, ninth (2:06.15); and
Gigi Bario, 10
th (2:08.84).
In the 100 free, USF had three place in the top nine with Demarquet, fourth in 52.74; Childs, eighth in 53.21; and Krahn won the "B" final in 52.08 which was an NCAA "B" cut and would have placed second in the "A" final.
In the 1,650 free, senior
Nina Groene was third and All-NSIC in 17:44.16 while VanDeMark was sixth in 18:05.66.
The NCAA will announce the field for the NCAA Championships on Saturday, March 6. The NCAA Championships will be held on March 17-20 at the CrossPlex in Birmingham, Alabama.
