(Portions of this story courtesy of Colorado College and Trinity University)
(Photos by Russell Kramer)
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- The 2014 NCAA Swimming and Diving National Championships got underway Wednesday from the IU Natatorium on the campus of IUPUI, and the SCAC was well represented. Results | Championship Website | Live Scoring
Trinity University junior Stephen Culberson earned All-America honors with a fifth-place finish in the men's 50-yard freestyle and Colorado College junior diver Austin Howlett captured fifth-place in the 3-meter board to also earn All-America honors - his second consecutive AA achievement in the event.
Culberson registered a time of 20.37 seconds at the IUPUI Natatorium in the first of four days of competition at the championships. In Wednesday's preliminary round, Culberson qualified for the finals with a fourth-place finish, while clocking in at 20.31 seconds. The winner of the 50 freestyle event was Christian Brindamour of the United States Coast Guard Academy, at 20.06 seconds.
Culberson is the fourth SCAC men's swimmer to earn All-America honors in the 50 free, and the first since 2000. The conference sent student-athletes to the 50 free awards stand for three straight years in 1998 (Joseph Morris of Trinity), 1999 (Sean Valentine of Rose-Hulman) and 2000 (Chuck Seymour of Sewanee).
Culberson will also represent Trinity in the 100 freestyle, along with the 200 and 400 freestyle relays. He was named the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Men's Swimmer of the Meet at last month's SCAC Championships held at Rockwall, Texas.
Earlier, Culberson swam in the men's 200-medley relay prelims, along with Isaac Johnson, Adam Thomas, and Kevin Thomas. The relay team placed 20th with a time of 1:35.25.
Colorado College's Howlett, who was coming off an injury that prevented him from "three-peating" as league champion in the 3-meter diving competition last month, scored 501.50 in Wednesday's event - less than 35 points out of second - and improved three spots from his showing of a year ago. His fifth place finish on the 3-meter board is the second-best finish ever by a SCAC student-athlete in the event (Jon Morris of Sewanee was second in 1999). He is the third SCAC diver to earn multiple All-America honors on the 3-meter board, joining Jon Morris of Sewanee (1997 and 1999) and Ryan Cook of Trinity (2005 and 2006).
"The experience from last year's nationals really paid off," CC diving coach Ellen Walker said of Howlett's performance. "Austin didn't let the nerves take over. He was relaxed and it showed. He dove extremely well all day and was able to move up to fifth after a sixth-place finish in prelims."
Howlett compiled 474.75 points in Wednesday's preliminaries while assuring himself of a top-eight finish again, but was able to pass Denison College sophomore Ben Lewis in the finals and move up a spot. He will shoot to earn All-America accolades on the 1-meter board, where he is two-time reigning champion in the Southern Collegiate Atheltic Conference, for the first time when the diving competition resumes at the IU Natatorium on Friday.
Denison's Connor Dignan, a junior, won the national 3-meter title with a meet-record score of 613. Freshman teammate Max Levy took second with 536.40.
In other action involving SCAC student-athletes, Trinity's Jonathan Hoffman finished in 63rd place in the men's 200 individual medley, with a time of 1:59.26.
The TU Tiger men have amassed 14 points and are tied for 20th place with Colorado College and Connecticut College.
On the women's side, Trinity's Kara Beauchamp began the women's competition and placed 33rd in the 200 individual medley, clocking in at 2:09.40. Colorado College sophomore Olivia Dilorati also swam in the 200 individual medley and finished with a time of 2:12.15. Neither she or Beauchamp qualified for the consolation or championship finals.
The events continue Thursday, which will include the first look at women's diving. Trinity All-Americans Ashley Heline and Katie Sheldon are the Tigers two divers and begin the competition with the 1-meter board.
The 2014 NCAA Championships continue through Saturday.
