Elkhart, Ind. – The AQ women's swim and dive team competed at the Elkhart Aquatic Center this past weekend (Feb. 8-10) for an exciting run at the KCAC Championships. Nine women's teams competed in the KCAC meet this year. This season, the women's team took fourth place overall with 385 points - only 18 points away from a third-place finish. This is a significant improvement from the 2023 meet, where they finished in seventh place.
 
Among countless personal best performances, the women set five new individual event records and four new relay team records throughout the meet. After the morning preliminary sessions, only the top 8 finishers are invited to compete in the A-final and can move up within the heat, while the 9th through 16th-place finishers compete in the B-final consolation heat and cannot place higher than 9th overall regardless of finishing time. All evening swimmers and divers score points.
 
Day One Highlights:

• The women's 200 freestyle relay of Chloe Boivin, Kennedy Pierce, Claire Hines, and Amelia Edens placed 5th with a school-record time of 1:40.06. Boivin's lead-off time in the 50 freestyle earned her a school record with a 24.74 and an NAIA provisional time.
• Sophomore Ella Althaver earned an evening swim in the consolation finals, placing 12th with a 5:35.93.
• Freshman Meghan Hincher kicked off her KCAC debut with an 11th-place finish in the 200 IM with a 2:22.83.
• Freshman Boivin continued the charge in sprint freestyle events throughout the meet, finishing in 10th with a 24.82. Freshman Pierce finished in 15th place with a 25.51.
• Diving duo Ashley McNamara and Sarah Colvin ripped their dives on the 1M boards, finishing in 2nd and 3rd place respectively. Both divers have qualified for the NAIA nationals in Columbus, Georgia in March.
• The 400 medley relay of Edens, Pierce, Hines and Boivin finished in 7th place.

Day Two highlights:

• The 200 medley relay of Edens, Pierce, Hines, and Boivin kicked off the evening session with a 5th-place finish, clocking a school record of 1:51.64.
• The 400 IM was the highest-scoring individual event of the entire meet for the Saints, with freshmen Hincher and Emma Hale earning top-8 finals swims, and freshman Izzy Feltch and sophomore Lily Heath scoring in the consolation heat. Hincher finished in 5th, setting a new school record of 5:00.30. Hale set a massive personal record, finishing 7th with a 5:09.62. Heath also set a new personal record of 5:17.70, finishing in 10th overall. Feltch finished 12th with a 5:28.44.
• Edens earned a 5th-place finish in the 100 fly with a time of 58.81. Hines clocked a 1:01.66 for a 9th-place finish in the consolation heat.
• Boivin continued her freestyle streak, finishing in 8th place with a new personal best time in the 200 freestyle (1:59.23).
• Pierce moved up in the evening rankings for the 100 breaststroke, finishing in 14th with a time of 1:15.50.
• Edens earned a bronze medal in the 100 backstroke with a time of 58.99. Hale won the consolation final and set a new personal record, finishing 9th with a 1:02.46.
• Colvin competed on the 3M board, placing 2nd overall and scoring valuable team points.
• The 800 freestyle relay of Boivin, Hines, Hincher, and Edens finished in 4th place with an 8:12.32, smashing the previous school record.

Day Three Highlights:

• Heath moved up in the rankings to finish 9th in the 1650 freestyle, setting a new personal record by over 15 seconds. Althaver finished in 11th place with a 19:51.30.
• Edens asserted her dominance in the 200 backstroke, clocking a new school record of 2:07.30, lowering her previous record and provisional cut time. Hale finished in 12th place with a 2:19.25.
• Boivin continued her freestyle scoring streak in the 100, finishing in 7th place with a personal best and school-record time of 54.38. Pierce finished 16th with a 56.44.
• Heath finished 15th in the 200 breaststroke, breaking the school record in the morning preliminary heat with a 2:49.15. Freshman Elisabeth Zubal scored in 16th place.
• Althaver earned a podium finish in the 200 butterfly with a 2:25.53, placing 8th overall. Hincher won the consolation heat with a 2:23.16, finishing 9th overall. Lauren Mezeske earned a 15th-place finish in the event.
• The 400 freestyle relay of Boivin, Pierce, Hines, and Edens clocked a massive school record of 4:39.36, finishing 4th in the last event of the meet.

"This was only our second time competing at the KCAC championship meet, but our young women's team stepped up to the plate. They have improved leaps and bounds from last season, and I believe we really showed what we're capable of this year," stated coach Hepp about her team. "In one season, we moved from seventh to fourth place. Most of our top podium finishers were freshmen, so we can only build from here for the future! Divers Sarah Colvin and Ashley McNamara automatically qualified for nationals next month, and freshman Amelia Edens should be invited as our first female swimmer to compete at the national meet.
 
"Aside from times and points, it was obvious that our team had the most positive energy and fun on deck. That's what it's all about: loving the sport, enjoying the experience, and putting your all on the line for your teammates and yourself. I couldn't have asked for more and am so proud of them!"

Up Next
 
Next on the agenda for the swim and dive team are the NAIA Championships in Columbus, Georgia. This event will take place from March 6th through the 9th.