Division III Recap: WashU Upsets Chicago, MIT Falls to Yale

during an NCAA swimming and diving meet between Saint Louis University and The Wash U Bears at the Millstone Pool on the campus of Washington University in St. Louis. (Photo: Danny Reise/WUSTL Photos)

Photo Courtesy: Danny Reise

This weekend in NCAA Division III action the #11 WashU women upset the #7 University of Chicago women. Both teams also beat #13 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. The #10 Wash U men’s team beat #9 Chicago and #12 CMS.

Denison’s top swimmers continued to improve their national rankings, though the Big Red walked away from the weekend with only one of four potential victories.

Kenyon also started to put together some big swims in a loss to Michigan State, and a number of Johns Hopkins swimmers continue to set season bests weekend to weekend.

CMS Returns West, Win-less

The University of Chicago 200 butterfly men’s pool record went down at the hands of WashU’s Brandon Lum on Saturday. The senior touched in 1:48.30, the fastest time in the country by just over three seconds. That’s his fastest ever dual meet time. Lum won the 100 fly in 49.68.

Wilson Peyton of WashU clocked a 50.80 for the 100 backstroke victory. In the 200 back he went the third fastest time in the country, a 1:51.63. His freshman teammate Nathan Katz won the 400 IM in 4:05.40.

CMS freshman Michael Lee won the 1000 free (9:38.58) ahead of WashU freshman Jack Smithson (9:40.36). Smithson had the upper hand in the 500 freestyle, winning in 4:42.53.

For the women, freshman Alice Ye led a Chicago sweep of the 200 fly, winning with a 2:06.52. She was also 2:05.51 to win the 200 back, the country’s fourth ranked time. Ye nearly picked up a third victory, chasing down CMS’ Augusta Lewis in the 400 IM. Ultimately Lewis was first to the wall in 4:34.60 while Ye settled for second in 4:34.94.

In the 100 breaststroke Grace Wakiyama, a freshman from WashU, out touched Chicago’s Nadia Redza 1:07.66 to 1:07.87.

WashU went one-two in the 50 free behind Grace Carey (24.24) and Mollie Seidner (24.60). In the 100 free CMS’ Natalia Orbach-Mandel got to the wall first in 53.19, ahead of seven 54s.

Team Scores

Women: Chicago 159- WashU 139, Chicago 180.5- CMS 119.5, WashU 159- CMS 139

Men: WashU 197- Chicago 83, Chicago 156- CMS 132, WashU 199 – CMS 95

Full results

Kustritz, Hedman Continue to Lead Denison

Swimming against Ohio State and the University of Akron on Friday night, the Big Red’s highest finish came from breaststroke star KT Kustritz. The junior won the 100 breaststroke in 1:01.44, improving on her nation leading time. She also won the 200 breast in 2:17.41, widening her margin on the rest of the country.

Kustritz’s classmate Kate Meseros improved to a 2:21.87 for the number two time in the 200 breast. Saturday Meseros went a 1:04.86 in the 100, the nation’s third best time.

On Friday night Denison sophomore Maddie Hopkins posted a nation-leading 100 fly time of 56.61.

On Saturday junior Hannah Ruskino jumped to fourth in the country with a 5:09.30 500 freestyle. Natalie Zaravella won the 400 IM in 4:34.59.

For the men Bebe Wang touched third in the 200 back (1:50.32- the nation’s number two time). Wang also went a 1:55.93 in the 200 IM. Matthew Hedman was a 4:37.96 in the 500 free on Friday night.

Saturday the Big Red men beat Xavier by a significant margin, while the women lost 140 to 122. Freshman Noah Housekeeper led a one-two finish in the 200 fly, posting a 1:51.80. Junior teammate Mitch Williams went a 1:52.03. The duo now sit third and fourth in DIII.

Full Results: Denison vs. Ohio State, Akron

Full Results: Denison vs. Xavier

MIT Falls to Yale

The Bulldogs dominated their Division III competition on Saturday.

Highlights for the Engineers included a 1:42.95 200 freestyle from Kevin Fang, the tenth fastest time in Division III this fall. Freshman David He touched third in the 200 fly (1:54.27), just ahead of teammate Bouke Edskes (1:54.68). He makes his collegiate debut with the 10th fastest time in the country.

Sam Ubellacker was runner up in the 50 free in 20.69 and third in the 100 fly (50.76). His teammate Brandon Yue added a second place finish in the 200 breaststroke (2:07.33).

The MIT women were second and third in the 100 backstroke with a pair of 58s from Jenny Yu (58.18) and Laura Rosado (58.90). Rosado was later second in the 200 with a 2:05.65 (fifth in D3). Sara Nicholas was a close third in the 100 breast with a 1:06.81.

Full Results

Sam Senczyszyn is Back

Sam Senczyszyn of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire is back. After originally committing to the University of Arizona in high school, Senczyszyn made an instant impact on Division III as a freshman in 2016, setting the National Record in the 200 breaststroke. At NCAAs in 2016, she won the 100 breaststroke and was runner up in the 200.

At NCAAs in 2017 she defended her 100 breast title before scratching the 200 breaststroke finals after earning the top seed. Senczyszyn appears to have swum in only the first meet of her junior season (2017-2018).

As a senior, she now sits second in Division III in the 100 breast (1:03.86). She also has the nation leading 50 freestyle- a 23.89. Since Senczyszyn last shared an NCAA final with Kustritz, Kustritz has improved dramatically, but we’ll see just Senczyszyn fast she can go in her senior year, and if she can challenge Division III’s latest premiere breaststroker.

Also of Note:

Wellesley College upset the #23 Wheaton (MA) women by a mere point, with a score of 144 to 143 on Saturday. In the NEWMAC preseason poll the Blue was ranked only sixth while the Lyons were the second ranked team.
In her first meet offering individual events, Kenyon sophomore Crile Hart has jumped right back into things, leading the country in the 100 back (55.84) and 200 back (2:00.66).
Kenyon seniors and freestyle relay keys Hannah Orbach-Mandel (52.45, 1:53.13) and Abby Wilson (52.14, 1:53.96) got off to a quick start. The duo posted top-four times in both the 100 and 200 freestyle.
Johns Hopkins’ freshman Maxwell Chen posted a lifetime best, nation leading 100 breaststroke of 54.91.
Emory’s Clio Hancock won the 400 IM in 4:30.05 at the Eagles’ home invite. Her teammate Julia Durmer was third in 4:33.24. Durmer also won the 1650 in 17:29.80.
Pomona-Pitzer’s Lukas Menkhoff posted a 45.78 100 freestyle. That time moves the defending 100 back NCAA champion to number two nationally.

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Michael Cors

5 years ago

How about Lukas Menkhoff of No. 7 Pomona-Pitzer going a 45.78 in the 100 yard Freestyle? Amazing time considering it was their 2nd meet of the season, and setting the 2nd fastest time in the nation.

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Cathleen Pruden

5 years ago

Reply to Michael Cors

Absolutely, sorry I missed that one! There’s a lot of fast swimming happening already. I’ll add that!