MIAC Swimming & Diving Athletes-of-the-Week

http://www.miac-online.org/news/2012/1/9/MSWIM_0109121141.aspx

 

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

 

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

The Carleton swimming and diving team got back in the pool Saturday after a break for the Holidays, and though the Knights lost a 186-112 decision to Gustavus, junior Erik Klontz (Bethesda, Md./Bethesda-Chevy Chase) continued his stellar season with three first-place finishes, a Lund Pool record and an NCAA 'B' qualifying standard. Lund claimed individual victory in both the 50- and 100-yard freestyle, while anchoring Carleton's 200-yard medley relay to a win as well. For his performance, Klontz has been named the MIAC Men's Swimming and Diving Athlete-of-the-Week.

Thanks partly to Klontz, the Knights' 200 medley relay finished with a first-place time of 20.15 seconds, and Klotz also swam to victory in the 100 free with a winning time of 47.62 seconds. However, it was his performance in the 50 free that really turned heads in Saturday's dual. Klontz finished first with a time of 20.80 seconds, which tied the Lund Pool record and met the NCAA's 'B' standard to qualify for the Division III swimming and diving championships. This season, Klontz has the top time in the MIAC in both the 50 (20.65) and 100 free (45.83).

The Knights will return to their Northfield this weekend for their first meet in their home pool in the 2012 calendar year. Klontz and Carleton will welcome Saint John's to its campus for a dual meet on Saturday as both teams start working towards the 2012 MIAC Championships, which will be held Feb. 16-18 at the University of Minnesota's Aquatic Center in Minneapolis. Saturday's dual will be held at noon in Thorpe Pool on the Carleton campus.

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

 

Renee Jordan, Macalester
Anchorage, Alaska / Steller Secondary

The Macalester women's swimming and diving team split its double dual meet Saturday at St. Olaf, losing to the host Oles 93-30 but defeating Hamline, 81-37. However, the big story for the Scots was the performance of diver Renee Jordan (Anchorage, Alaska/Steller Secondary). The sophomore rewrote the Macalester 1-meter diving record books, setting new school and pool records and besting the national qualifying standards for both six and 11 dives off the 1-meter board while finishing first in each event. For her record-setting performance, Jordan has been named the MIAC Women's Swimming and Diving Athlete-of-the-Week.

Because the facility was lacking a 3-meter board, the two different 1-meter competitions were held instead, and that worked just fine for Jordan. She won the 1-meter, six-dive event with a score of 280.40, and she added a victory in the 1-meter, 11-dive event with a score of 459.75. Both of those scores are new Macalester school records, and they set a new standard for St. Olaf's pool as well. In addition, both met the national standard, and qualified Jordan for the Division III swimming and diving national championships in each event. Jordan now ranks first in the MIAC in 1 meter, 11 dives, and she ranks second in 1 meter, six dives behind St. Catherine's Sarah Moody, last year's MIAC Diver-of-the-Year.

The Scots are currently enjoying an eight-day break. They will return to the water next Monday, Jan. 16, to host UW-River Falls in a nonconference dual meet at the Leonard Center at noon. it will be Macalester's first home competition of the 2012 calendar year, and their first home meet in almost two full months. The Scots will swim five more times in January and February as they prepare for the 2012 MIAC Championships, which will be held Feb. 16-18 at the University of Minnesota's Aquatic Center in Minneapolis.

Courtesy of MIAC