Women’s swimming and diving team is runner-up at Washington University Thanksgiving Invitational

The Olivet College women's swimming and diving team was the runner-up of six schools at the 2008 Washington University Thanksgiving Invitational held Nov. 22-23 at the Millstone Pool in St. Louis, Mo. The host Bears won the team championship with 733 points. The Comets edged Lindenwood University by one point, 678-677. Albion College was fourth (589), followed by Ohio Wesleyan University (453).

The Comets posted 36 Top 10 finishes. Leading the way was senior Amy Johnson (Gaylord). In a field of 32 swimmers in each event, she won both the 50 and 100 freestyle. In the 50, she edged the second-place swimmer from WashU by .01 seconds, :24.58-:24.59, and her time in the 100 was :53.07. Johnson also finished seventh in the 200 freestyle (2:03.00). She also swam the leadoff leg of the first-place 200 freestyle relay. Joining her on the winning relay were freshman Caitlin Lohr (Holland/Hamilton), freshman Emily LaPorta (Hamilton) and senior Kalee Redder (Jenison) and their time was 1:40.29.

Freshman Jessica Howard (Fort Wayne, Ind./Homestead) and senior Lisa Egelkraut (Battle Creek/Central) were sixth (5:27.31) and seventh (5:30.33), respectively, in the 500 freestyle. Howard also placed ninth in the 200 freestyle (2:03.53). In the 1,650 freestyle, Howard touched the wall in 18:54.19 to finish fourth, and Egelkraut touched the wall in 19:50.06 to finish seventh.

LaPorta was eighth in the 100 freestyle (:57.97) and ninth in the 50 freestyle (:26.39). Sophomore Jami Lingbeek (Plainwell) recorded Top 10 finishes in each of her four individual events: sixth in the 100 backstroke (1:04.62), eighth in the 200 individual medley (2:25.63) and 200 backstroke (200 backstroke), and 10th in the 100 butterfly (1:05.43).

Lohr placed ninth in the 200 individual medley (2:25.89). Senior Heather Michalsen (Plymouth/Salem) posted season-best times and finished in the Top 6 in her fourth events. She was third in the 200 butterfly (2:20.43), fourth in the 100 butterfly (1:02.75) and sixth in both the 200 (2:21.56) and 400 (5:04.10) individual medley.

Redder clocked-in with a third-place time in the 200 individual medley (2:21.20) and fourth-place time in the 50 freestyle (:25.66). Senior Lauren Siedlik (Livonia/ Churchill) was fourth (2:39.01) and seventh (1:13.22) in the 200 and 100 breaststroke, respectively. She was also 12th in the 1,650 freestyle (19:59.99). Junior Jackie Taylor (Plainwell) placed third in the 200 backstroke (2:18.11) and fourth in the 100 backstroke (1:03.59).

On the one-meter diving board, freshman Megan Waschak (Battle Creek/Central) captured the top spot with 397.60 points. Freshman Kelly Morgan (Albion) was third with 344.35 points and sophomore Sara Griffith (Brighton) was fifth with 319.95 points. On the three-meter board, Waschak placed second (390.85), Griffith in third (316.00) and Morgan in fourth (296.15)

The 400 freestyle relay team of Johnson, Taylor, Lingbeek and Redder finished third with a time of 3:45.93. Taylor, Siedlik, Lingbeek and Johnson swam to a third-place finish in the 200 medley relay (1:55.37). The same quartet was a part of the fourth-place 400 medley relay (4:16.82).

Olivet is now idle until Saturday, Jan. 17, 2009, when it resumes Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association dual meet action with a dual meet at Alma College at 1 p.m.