NCAA Championship Website

OXFORD, Ohio - While it was another record-setting day at the NCAA Division III Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships Friday at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, with new meet records being established in six of the seven events, it was also business as usual in the team standings. Kenyon College built its lead from 83 points after day one to 134.5 points over second place Amherst. 2008 NESCAC Champion Williams is fourth, while Middlebury currently sits in ninth place.

Williams College’s Amanda Nicholson edged out the defending champion in the 400 IM, Emily Lesher of Nazareth College. Nicholson hit the wall in a Division III record 4:20.31, 0.19 seconds ahead of Lesher.

Amherst College’s Kendra Stern made it four meet records in as many events, while swimming her way to the title in the 200 freestyle with a mark of 1:47.19, nearly two full seconds ahead of the previous record (1:49.02) and three-plus seconds ahead of the runner-up (1:50.34). Stern, just a freshman, also won Thursday’s 500 free in record time (4:52.34).

The fifth championship-meet record of the day came in the 100 backstroke, in which Brittan Sasser of Amherst sprinted to first-place with a time of 53.85, nearly a full second ahead of her own record from the previous year (54.72).

Amherst completed its big day with a win and another national record in the 800 freestyle relay. The lineup consisted of Stern and Sasser, followed by Alex Lee and Meaghan Stern, and they compiled a 7:22.78 to shatter the championship record by about seven seconds (7:29.50).

Despite Amherst’s three wins, the Lord Jeffs were unable to make up any ground on a deep Kenyon squad. The Ladies now have 389.5 points to runner-up Amherst’s 255. Also competing for runner-up honors is Denison, currently with 240 points. 

On Thursday, Tufts senior diver Kendall Swett (Akron, Ohio) won the 1-meter diving competition. Swett's final score of 455.20 edged Maggie Rezac of Lake Forest, who finished with 453.45 points.