Story Highlights
The Hope College women’s swimming and diving team, currently ranked 12th, made a strong statement at the MIAA Championships on Thursday by showcasing remarkable performances at Calvin University. The Flying Dutch triumphed in three events and set two MIAA meet records, accumulating an impressive total of 436 points, which extended their lead to 106 points.
The four-day event will continue on Friday, February 21, starting with preliminaries at 10 a.m. and finals at 5 p.m. Hope is aiming for its fifth consecutive league title, a feat it has achieved only twice in its history.
Record-Breaking Performances
The Flying Dutch set the MIAA meet record in both the opening event, the 200-yard freestyle relay, and the final event of the day, the 400 medley relay. Head coach Jake Taber expressed his satisfaction: “I feel like the day couldn’t have gone a whole lot better. We set the stage in the morning and embraced the opportunity to go out and race tonight. We did a great job; things fell right into place.”
Highlights from Individual Events
Senior Greta Gidley (Franklin, Michigan / Mercy HS) achieved a remarkable three-peat in the 200 individual medley, finishing first with a time of 2:01.59. This marked Hope’s eighth consecutive victory in this event.
Junior Katie Hermann (Canton, Michigan / Mercy) secured a second-place finish at 2:04.24. Sophomore Anna Stolle (Fishers, Indiana / Hamilton Southeastern) claimed fifth with a time of 2:08.22, while Madi Remenschneider (Holland, Michigan / West Ottawa) finished sixth at 2:11.28. Dillon Horsley (Indianapolis, Indiana / North Central) followed closely in seventh at 2:11.68.
Relays and Record-Breaking Leadoff
In the 200 freestyle relay, the team delivered an impressive performance, clocking in the second-fastest swim in NCAA Division III this season. Gidley, along with seniors Lauren Ryle (Grand Rapids, Michigan / Catholic Central) and junior Bella Turner (Chelsea, Michigan / Chelsea), and junior Laurel Wasiniak (Northville, Michigan / Northville) shattered both MIAA and school records with a phenomenal time of 1:31.75.
This relay time surpassed the previous MIAA and Hope record of 1:33.26, set by Ryle, Delaney Wesolek, Wasiniak, and Sara Kraus (Rockford, Michigan / Rockford) last season. Gidley’s leadoff time of 23.09 seconds ranks as the fifth-fastest 50 free in Division III this season, breaking the school record previously held by Libby Westrate.
The Flying Dutch also excelled with their B relay, finishing strong in the 200 free B relay to secure additional points, with Kraus, sophomore Paige Potter (Lake Orion, Michigan / Lake Orion), Horsley, and freshman Emmy Sower (Midland, Michigan / H.H. Dow) completing the event in 1:38.88.
400 Medley Relay and Diving Success
In the 400 medley relay, the team of Kraus, Ryle, Gidley, and Turner finished at 3:44.43, surpassing the prior record set by Hermann, Ryle, Gidley, and Wesolek at 3:36.11. This also marked their sixth consecutive relay title in this event.
In the diving competition, Laura Zupancic (Fort Collins, Colorado / Liberty Common) notably placed second in the 1-meter diving event with 404.95 points. Senior Molly Leonard (Grand Rapids, Michigan / Catholic Central) and senior Hope Weeda (Grandville, Michigan / Calvin Christian) also contributed, finishing fourth with 370.30 and sixth with 358.90 points respectively.
Outstanding Finishes in Additional Events
In the 50 free, Wasiniak finished as the runner-up with a time of 23.16, followed closely by Turner in third at 23.50 and Ryle in fourth at 23.56. Sower placed seventh, clocking in at 24.03.
The team excelled in the 500 free, with five participants qualifying for the A final. Freshman Emme D’Errico (Farmington Hills, Michigan / Farmington) led the group with a third-place finish in 5:06.39, closely followed by senior Norah Martin in fourth at 5:07.38, and senior Grace Wesley in fifth at 5:11.49.
As the championship continues, Calvin currently holds second place with 330 points, followed by Albion College with 204 points, Alma College at 158 points, Kalamazoo College at 55 points, and The University of Olivet at 90 points.
