Calvin College, hosting the men’s and women’s conference championships for the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA), has jumped out to early team leads. They stand atop the men’s standings by 46 points and are tied for the women’s lead with Kalamazoo.
With only 7 events in the books for each gender, three conference records have already fallen. Calvin’s men broke the MIAA record in the opening 800 free relay while touching out Albion by .12. The team of Andrew Mitchell, Aaron Venema, Mitch Schroeder and Alex Baumann went 6:45.68, more than two seconds under the old record.
The Calvin women picked up a record on Thursday when Erika Waugh led off the prelims 400 medley relay in 57.52 – that broke one of the conference’s oldest records, set in 1994 by Susan Looman. The record was also tied in 2009 by Brittaney Reest Delo of Hope. Waugh then reset the record again at finals by going 57.44. She’ll swim the open 100 back on Friday.
Finally, Kalamazoo’s Tristyn Edsall broke the conference 50 free record in Thursday prelims, going 23.31 to just get under the old record of 23.34. In finals, coming off a leg of the 200 free relay, Edsall was just slower, going 23.65 but still winning the conference title handily.
Edsall’s effort helped key a big team push by Kalamazoo, which sits tied with host Calvin at 188 points for the team lead. Kalamazoo’s Lauren Seroka also won a conference title, going 5:02.80 in the 500 free.
Calvin College won the other individual swimming race, the 200 IM, with Michaela Rookus‘s 2:07.62. They also took home the 800 free relay, the only swimming event on Wednesday night.
Hope College also had a strong first two days on the women’s side, winning the 200 free relay (1:35.32), 400 medley relay (3:51.54) and 3-meter diving (Sarah Sheridan, 480.85). They sit 5 points back of Kalamazoo and Calvin.
The Calvin men have been on fire. In addition to that record-setting 800 free relay, Calvin also won the 400 medley relay (3:21.96) and two individual races. Aaron Venema won the 500 free in 4:34.00, while Travis Vincent took the 200 IM in 1:53.64.
Albion won the 200 free relay in 1:22.74, powered by a huge leadoff swim from Brian Fiorillo. Fiorillo then came back to win the open 50 free, going 20.60.
Kalamazoo diver Elliot Littman triumphed on 1-meter, scoring 499.25 points.
The meet will continue Friday and Saturday at Calvin College. Live results are available here.