April 1, 2008

Slug Swimmers Finish Off Season in Ohio

WOOSTER, OH -- After a strong performance at their conference meet in February, seven slugs qualified for the National Championships.  The female qualifiers were Seniors Erin Hunter and Mariko Ikehata, and Junior Meg Crowley.  The men qualified Seniors Troy Marcikic and Kenton Drake, and Sophomores Ben Ferguson and Jamie Johnson. The NCAA qualifiers took part in the Division 3 National Championships at Miami University in Ohio.  The women’s meet took place March 13-15 and the men’s meet took place March 20-22.  The women finished with 5 All-Americans and the men finished with 4.

Senior captain Erin Hunter was a three time All-American at the meet.  She finished 13^th in the 200IM (2:08.01), 7^th in the 400IM (4:29.60), and 4^th in the 200 Breaststroke (2:20.34).  This brings her career total to 7 individual All-Americans, and ranks her 4^th all time in individual All-American performances.  Senior Mariko Ikehata also finished off her career with a bang.  Her time of 58.51 was not only good enough for 14^th and All-American, but it also broke her own school record for the 5^th time this season.  Her time of 53.37 in the 100 freestyle was also a personal best.  Junior Meg Crowley also added herself to the list of slug swimming All-Americans.  Her time of 1:06.50 was enough for 14^th and was just off her own school record of 1:05.98.

For the men, senior Kenton Drake capped of his slug swimming career with 4 All-American performances.  He finished 12^th in the 100 breaststroke with his time of 57.08. He then went on to place 14^th in the 200 breaststroke with the time of 2:04.00.  He also took part on both of the slug relays that placed top 16 at the meet.  The 200 medley relay of Jamie Johnson, Kenton Drake, Ben Ferguson, and Troy Marcikic placed 13^th and achieved a new school record of 1:34.23. Ferguson, Drake, Johnson, and Marcikic also placed 14^th in the 400 freestyle relay.  Despite not making the finals, sophomore Ben Ferguson also turned in a personal best in the 200 freestyle (1:42.40) an moved himself up to 6^th all time in school history.