MIAC Swimming & Diving Athletes-of-the-Week

http://www.miac-online.org/news/2012/1/16/MSWIM_0116121554.aspx

 

MIAC Men's Swimming and Diving Athlete-of-the-Week

 

Erik Klontz, Carleton
Bethesda, Md. / Bethesda-Chevy Chase

The Carleton men's swimming and diving team dropped a close 155-143 decision to Saint John's Saturday in a home dual meet, but Knights' swimmer Erik Klontz (Bethesda, Md./Bethesda-Chevy Chase) was at his best, rewriting the Thorpe Pool record books in three of his four of his events. Klontz won two individual events and anchored a two-place relay teams, and three of the four set new pool records en route to their wins. For his record-breaking performances, Klontz has been named the MIAC Men's Swimming and Diving Athlete-of-the-Week for the second consecutive week.

Individually, Klontz won both the 50- and 100-yard freestyle races with new Thorpe Pool records in both events. In the 50, he met the NCAA 'B' standard with his new record time of 20.87 seconds, and his new record time in the 100 was 46.97 seconds. Finally, he swam a 45.26 second final leg of the 400-yard medley relay to help his team secure a first-place finish and a record time of 3:34.10 seconds. Finally, he swam a 45.63 in his anchor leg of the 400-yard freestyle relay to also lead that team to victory. Klontz' second-straight MIAC honor comes just a week after he won three events, met a 'B' standard and set a pool record at Gustavus.

Klontz will try to continue his record-setting season as he and his Carleton teammates will be back in the pool for another dual meet Saturday. The Knights will travel to Winona to face Saint Mary's in a dual starting at 1 p.m. in Jul Gernes Pool. Carleton will be back at Thorpe Pool the following Saturday to host cross-town rival St. Olaf at 2 p.m. on Jan. 28.

MIAC Women's Swimming and Diving Athlete-of-the-Week

 

Emily Punyko, St. Thomas
Duluth, Minn. / East

The St. Thomas women's swimming and diving team scored a dual-meet win against cross-town rival St. Catherine, 139-112, this week, thanks largely to a Tommie first-year phenom. Freshman swimmer Emily Punyko (Duluth, Minn./East) led the way in the win for UST with an individual win and school record in one event and two relay wins, including a historic split in one of the victories. For her record-setting performances and contributions to the team's victory, Punyko has been named the MIAC Women's Swimming and Diving Athlete-of-the-Week.

Punyko led off the Tommies' first-place effort in the 200-yard freestyle relay with a split of 25.06 seconds, and she was even better in her other two events. In the winning 200-yard medley relay, Punyko recorded a split of 29.96, making her the first UST woman to break 30 seconds in a flying-start 50-yard breaststroke. She also claimed first place in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:06.34. That time is a new St. Thomas school record, a new Aquatic center pool record and the fastest time in the MIAC thus far in 2011-12.

The Tommies and their star freshman have a couple more important meets coming up in their home pool in the next two weeks. Saturday, they'll host the Meet of the Saints , which is scheduled for a 1 p.m. start. Next Friday (Jan. 27), St. Thomas will again be home to host defending MIAC champion Gustavus for a dual meet in St. Paul as well.

Courtesy of MIAC