Davis and Johnson win events and help Olivet to third-place standing after first day of 2009 MIAA Swimming and Diving Championships

After the first day of competition at the 2009 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) Swimming and Diving Championships, the Olivet College women and men each stand in third-place. The women have collected 142 points, and the men have 177 points. Calvin is first in the women's standings with 299.5 points, while Hope sits on top of the men's standings with 284.5 points. Saint Mary's College is hosting the championships at the University of Notre Dame's Rolfs Aquatic Center in South Bend, Indiana.

Highlighting the day's action was senior Amy Johnson (Gaylord), who broke the school record and meet record and recorded a NCAA Championships automatic qualifying time of 23.63 seconds to capture the league championship in the 50 freestyle. She is just the second female in school history to win an individual MIAA event. Freshman Caitlin Lohr (Holland/Hamilton) and senior Kalee Redder (Grandville/Jenison) placed seventh (:24.77) and eighth (:24.82), respectively.

The 200 freestyle team of Johnon, Lohr, Redder and freshman Emily LaPorta (Hamilton) finished in third-place with a time of 1:37.45. During the morning prelims, the quartet shaved 2.5 seconds off the school record, clocking-in with a NCAA Championships "B" cut time of 1:36.87.

Senior Lisa Egelkraut (Battle Creek/Central) placed 10th in the 500 freestyle, posting a lifetime best time of 5:17.75. Freshman Jessica Howard (Fort Wayne, Ind./Homestead) was 13th (5:22.67) and senior Erin Tramper (Jenison) was 16th (5:29.04).

In the 3-meter diving, freshman Megan Waschak (Battle Creek/Central) took fifth-place with 348.70 points. Freshman Kelly Morgan (Albion) and sophomore Sara Griffith (Brighton) placed 10th (304.25) and 11th (280.10), respectively.

The 400 medley relay team of junior Jackie Taylor (Plainwell), senior Lauren Siedlik (Livonia/Churchill), senior Heather Michalsen (Plymouth/Salem) and Johnson finished in fifth-place with a season-best time of 4:04.92.

The top moment of the first day of action for the men's team happened in the 500 freestyle. In the championship finals, senior Steven Davis (Davidsville, Md./DeMatha) edged Hope's Jeffrey Shade for first-place honors in the 500 freestyle. Davis beat Shade by less than one second, 4:39.11 to 4:39.80. Davis' time also eclipsed the school record. In the consolation finals, freshman Michael Conger (Plymouth) sneaked past Calvin's Ross Battoclette, 4:44.08 to 4:44.60, for the win to place ninth overall. Sophomore Rick Kinsey (Chelsea) finished in 13th-place (4:47.63) and freshman Marshall Bouwman (Zeeland) was 16th (4:54.04).

Sophomore Mike Harden (St. Johns), senior Brad Voss (Lansing/Holt), freshman Jon Bachman (Battle Creek/Lakeview) and sophomore Kellen Beckwith (Farmington Hills/North Farmington) placed third in the 200 freestyle relay with time of 1:23.37. During the prelims, Harden, Voss, freshman Austin Munn (Pinckney) and Beckwith broke the school record and qualified provisionally for the NCAA Championships with a time of 1:23.22. In addition, Harden set the school record in the leadoff 50 freestyle leg of the relay with a time of 20.84 seconds.

Sophomore Rafe Maxwell (Bay City/Western) also recorded a close finish for the top spot in the consolation finals of the 200 individual medley, beating Hope's Mitch Ruch by .16 seconds, 1:59.69 to 1:59.85.

In the 50 free, Voss was sixth in 20.99 seconds to set a NCAA championships provisional qualifying time. Harden placed seventh at 21.16 seconds. Beckwith and Hope's Bryan Parker swam to a tie for first in the consolation finals of the 50 freestyle at 21.52 seconds. Bachman placed 14th at 21.96 seconds, followed by Munn in 16th-place at 22.26 seconds.

In the 1-meter diving, the Comets went 2-3. Senior Shawn Bergman (Chelsea) finished in second-place with 391.95 points. Senior Andrew Wasson (Grand Ledge) was a close second with 374.05 points.

The 400 medley relay quartet of Beckwith, freshman Matt Marquette (Kalamazoo/Loy Norrix), Maxwell and Voss touched the wall third in a NCAA Championships "B" cut time of 3:28.11. Beckwith's backstroke leadoff leg time of 50.32 seconds broke the school record and was a NCAA championships automatic qualifying time.

Action resumes Friday morning at 10 a.m. with preliminaries in 15 events. Finals in those events will begin at 6 p.m.