2017 NAIA Nationals: Women’s Meet Day 2 Up/Down Report

2017 NAIA National Championships – Women’s Meet

• Dates: Wednesday, March 1 – Saturday, March 4, 2017; prelims 9 am, finals 5 pm
• Location: Columbus Aquatic Center, Columbus, Georgia (Eastern Time Zone)
• Defending Champions: Savannah College of Art and Design (W) / Olivet Nazarene (M) (results)
• Psych Sheet
• Women’s Fan Guide / Men’s Fan Guide
• Live Results: Available here
• Live Video: Available here
• Championship Central

Day Two

Defending champions SCAD Savannah came out swinging on Day 2 of the 2017 NAIA National Championships in Columbus, Georgia. The Bees maintained distance between themselves and 2016 runner-up Olivet Nazarene, even though ONU improved their psych sheet seeding by 54 points. Biola and Brenau are going head-to-head for third, and both had successful mornings.

200 Free Relay – Prelims

Meet Record: * 1:32.15  3/7/2014  Oklahoma Baptist University (Galarza, Forbes-Milne, MacManus, Antonissen)

SCAD’s 1:35.38 was the morning’s top qualifying time in the 4×50 free relay. Senior Julie Woody (23.11) and sophomores Julie Henninger (24.22), Annie Weber Callahan (24.01), and Sara Lacusky (24.04) contributed to the effort. ONU (1:36.31) and Biola (1:36.79) qualified second and third. Biola’s Lisa Tixier had the fastest split, anchoring with 22.75.

The rest of the championship final will consist of Brenau, Cumberlands, The College of Idaho, Lindsey Wilson, and Lindenwood-Belleville.

1. SCAD Savannah 1:35.38
2. Olivet Nazarene 1:36.31
3. Biola 1:36.79

500 Freestyle – Prelims

• Meet Record: * 4:52.24 2011      Alex Peters, Concordia

Three-time defending champion, senior Courtney Hayward of Brenau, is going for the perfect sweep in her signature event. She topped the field in heats with 5:03.01. SCAD sophomore Abigail Richey, who finished third last year, qualified second with 5:03.42. Morningside junior Suzanna Gonzalez earned the third spot for finals with 5:03.62.

ONU managed to place three in the championship final, Sierra Rhodes (5:06.53), Deirdre Gerke (5:07.10), and Hayley Ronci (5:08.64). Gerke dropped 7 and Ronci dropped 11 to make the A final. The championship will also feature Jane Lev of Keiser (5:08.14) and Lara Kaufmann of Union (5:08.16).

Big drops that made the B final included Taylor Karnilaw of SOKA (-5), and ONU’s Meredith Lee (-8.3).

1. Courtney Hayward, Brenau 5:03.01
2. Abigail Richey, SCAD Savannah 5:03.42
3. Suzanna Gonzalez, Morningside 5:03.63

200 Individual Medley – Prelims

• Meet Record: * 2:02.75 3/5/2015  Christine Tixier, BIOLA

Defending champion, senior Tiffany Ray of ONU, cruised to a 2:07.11 to lead the field in the 200 IM. 2016 runner-up, junior Rebecca Justus of SCAD, and her teammate, sophomore Sara Lacusky, qualified second and third with 2:07.81 and 2:08.28, respectively. SCAD picked up a third A finalist: freshman Lydia Reinhardt qualified seventh with 2:09.95.

College of Idaho senior Mckayla Stevens, Cumberlands sophomore Christina Klouda, Biola freshman Rachel Stinchcomb, and Keiser freshman Rachel Munschauer also made the A final.

Notable drops included those from B finalists Allison Smith of SCAD and her teammate Erika Roller, both of whom improved by 4.8 seconds.

College of Idaho freshman Kiera Supple knocked 4 seconds off her seed time and just missed out on a second swim. SCAD freshman Emilia Rittenbach also had a great morning swim, taking 3.8 seconds off her seed time.

1. Tiffany Ray, ONU 2:07.11
2. Rebecca Justus, SCAD 2:07.81
3. Sara Lacusky, SCAD 2:08.28

50 Freestyle – Prelims

• Meet Record: * 22.29 2012      Cheyenne Coffman, Fresno Pacific

SCAD junior Julie Woody led the way with a swift 23.03 morning swim, only 2/100 off her school record. Junior Lisa Tixier of Biola, who was runner-up in 2016, came in second with 23.36. The College of Idaho sophomore Madison Kelly dropped almost 6/10 to qualify third with 23.84.

ONU had a pair of A finalists: Leanne Latocha (23.97) and Andrea Vega (24.15). Latocha dropped over a second to qualify fourth. Lindsey Wilson sophomore Ronni Borders (24.33), Wayland Baptist freshman Andrea Bond (24.40), and Cumberlands junior Brittany Litke (24.46) also made top 8.

Like in the men’s race, there was to be a swim-off for 16th place between SCAD’s Callahan and St. Andrew junior Tarryn Holmes, both of whom went 24.79.

1. Julie Woody, SCAD Savannah 23.03
2. Lisa Tixier, Biola 23.36
3. Madison Kelly, College of Idaho 23.84

400 Medley Relay – Prelims

• Meet Record: * 3:44.56 2012      Fresno Pacific  (Coffman/Malthaner/Moreno/Gjemmestad)

SCAD’s Henninger (58.31), Alle Ragland (1:06.57), Cadie Crow (56.95), and Richey (52.37) put up the fastest 400 medley relay time of 3:54.20, earning lane 4 for tonight’s final. Biola (3:54.68) was just behind, with Brenau (3:56.67) beating out ONU (3:57.49) for lane 3. Other A finalists: Idaho, Columbia College, Lindsey Wilson, and Cumberlands.

1. SCAD Savannah 3:54.20
2. Biola 3:54.68
3. Brenau 3:56.67

Ups/Downs – Day One

Top Ten Predictions

Tonight’s finals session begins at 5 PM Eastern time.

“The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., is a governing body of small athletics programs that are dedicated to character-driven intercollegiate athletics.

In 2000, the NAIA reaffirmed its purpose to enhance the character building aspects of sport. Through Champions of Character, the NAIA seeks to create an environment in which every student-athlete, coach, official and spectator is committed to the true spirit of competition through five core values.”