INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Thirteen Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference swimmers & divers have earned invitations to the NCAA Division III Swimming & Diving Championships in Shenandoah, Texas. Official Men's Invitees | Official Women's Invitees
On the men's side, the 2015 SCAC Men's Swimmer of the Meet and defending 100 Freestyle national champion, Stephen Culberson of Trinity University will compete in at least two individual events. On the unofficial psych sheet, Culberson's time of 20.21 in the 50 free ranks fourth among all swimmers and just 11 hundredths of a second out of the top spot. In the 100 free, Culberson is entering the meet with the sixth-best time (44.59).
The Trinity men will also be represented in two relays, beginning with the 200 medley relay, made up of Culberson, Jah Johnson, Thomas Jones and Adam Thomas. The Tigers just made the cut to qualify in the event, posting a time of 1:31.36, tied for 15th heading into the competition. Culberson, Johnson, Adam Thomas and Kevin Thomas have also qualified in the 200 free relay with a time of 1:21.37, the sixth-best time among qualifiers.
Colorado College will be represented by the 2015 SCAC Diver of the Meet, Austin Howlett. At the 2015 SCAC Swimming & Diving Championships, Howlett shattered the conference's 3-meter record, posting a score of 595.05, defeating the previous record of 535.45 set in 1999.
For the women, two teams will be sending swimmers to the national meet.
Colorado College's Olivia Dilorati will compete for her second consecutive season, qualifying in the 100 fly with a time of 56.28.
Trinity University's Lydia Jones, the 2015 SCAC Women's Swimmer of the Meet, earned invitations in the 50 free, posting a time of 23.45, the 13th best time on the unofficial psych sheet. Jones also posted a time of 51.14, sixth-best heading into the championship.
The Trinity women also qualified in the 200 free relay, made up of Jones, Lauren Cuda, Lindsay Hagmann and Bethany Rysak, with a time of 1:35.03.
The Tigers will send a pair of divers to the championship as well, as Danielle Freund qualified on the 3-meter board and Sarah Kate Mrkonich placed second on the 1-meter board at the NCAA Division III Region 2 Zone Diving Championship. The two TU divers will be able to compete on both boards, however as the NCAA rules state that if a diver qualifies on one board, they are permitted to compete in both events.
According to NCAA rules, if a swimmer qualifies in an individual event, they are allowed to choose any two other individual events to swim, as long as they remain under the maximum of seven events. If a swimmer qualifies in a relay only, but posted an NCAA "B" cut time during the season in an event, they can compete this event.
