For the last six months, DePauw University's swimming squads have been competing in meets all across the Midwest. The grueling season ended with the NCAA Division III Swimming and DIving Championships on March 22 in Indianapolis. Both the men and women earned 15th place finishes and closed out their seasons on a high note.
Women's 400-yard relay glides to record-breaking time
The women's meet was highlighted by a strong performance from the 400-yard freestyle relay. Sophomores Caroline Bridges and Erin Horne, junior Emily Weber and first-year Kirsten Olson broke DePauw's record time with a swim of 3:27.89 in the preliminary round with their collective performance.
The four Tigers weren't done, however. The squad improved their record by 47 seconds in the final round with a time of 3:27.42, finishing 10th in the event.
"It was a great feeling because it was the last swim of the NCAA's," said Weber. "Of course breaking a record is wonderful, but that wasn't our motivation. We wanted to make it back to finals as high as we possibly could, and in doing so, we were setting ourselves up for a successful relay time in the end."
Bridges, Weber and Olson would come together again in the 800-yard freestyle relay, along with first-year Angela Newlon. The four would complete the event in just under seven and a half minutes, a time good for fifth place overall.
"Knowing that you would be competing with the best Division III athletes and representing our school is such an honor," said Weber. "Standing on the podium for the 800 free relay with my three other teammates was such a wonderful experience that we will always carry."
After competing in the 800-yard free relay, Olson broke her own school record in the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 2:03.15 that earned an 18th place finish.
DePauw earned 62 points overall. Emory University easily captured the national title with 595.50 points, over 100 points clear of their nearest challenger, Kenyon College.
The women improved significantly on their 27th place finish from last year's championship and look to improve even more as they head into next season.
Men's swimming "hungry" for next season
It was another record-breaking 400-yard freestyle relay on the men's side that helped the Tigers finish in 15th place at the meet. The team, made up of juniors Casey Hooker and Alex Alfonso and sophomores Blake Lehmann and Alex Grissom, broke the three-minute barrier in the finals of the event. Their time of 2:59.78 not only broke a school record, but was good enough to earn a fourth place finish.
"Well, after finishing seventh in the morning, with a few slow splits, we knew that we could only get faster," said Hooker. "It was incredible to see Alex Grissom bring home our relay for the fourth place finish. I have never been more excited to represent DePauw than I was after that race."
Competing in his final collegiate event, senior Matt Gleason finished 22nd in the 200-yard breaststroke with a time just over two minutes.
The Tigers finished 380 points behind NCAC rival Kenyon, who took home the national title. However, over the past seven seasons, the Tigers have been the model of consistency. This 15th place finish marked the sixth time in the past seven seasons that the Tigers have finished in the top 20 at the NCAA meet.
"While finishing 15th in the country is exciting, we know that we are capable of much more," said Hooker looking forward to next season. "This has left us very hungry for next year."