Swimming

Category: Swimming

Cardinal garners MWC Swimmer of the Week honors

Hayley Cardinal
Hayley Cardinal

APPLETON, Wis. — Lawrence University star Hayley Cardinal was named the Midwest Conference Swimmer of the Week after her performance on the opening weekend of the season.

Swimming against an elite field that included several NCAA Division I schools, Cardinal (Lombard, Ill./Glenbard East) paced Lawrence at the massive All-Wisconsin Showcase in Brown Deer, Wis., this past Saturday. Cardinal finished in the top 15 in four events and posted a pair of top-10 finishes.

Cardinal took eighth in the 100-yard breaststroke in 1:10.70 and only one Division III competitor finished ahead of her. She was the top Division III finisher in the 200 breaststroke as she took 10th in 2:33.71. She also grabbed 14th in the 200 individual medley in 2:20.48 and was the second Division III finisher in the event. All of Cardinal’s times were the best in the conference during the first weekend of competition.

Cardinal also swam on the 200 medley relay team, which took 14th in 1:56.56.

This is the second time Cardinal has been named Swimmer of the Week. She took the honor for the first time in December 2014.

Cardinals and her Lawrence teammates return to action on Saturday when the Vikings travel to Ripon College for a dual meet with the Red Hawks.

Cardinal paces Vikings at All-Wisconsin Showcase

BROWN DEER, Wis. — The Lawrence University swim teams opened their seasons on Saturday at the All-Wisconsin Showcase at the Schroeder Aquatics Center.

Swimming against dozens from teams from across the state, including multiple Division I programs, senior Hayley Cardinal paced the Vikings by placing in the top 15 in three events. Cardinal was eighth in the 100-yard breaststroke in 1:10.70, took 10th in the 200 breaststroke in 2:33.71 and was 14th in the 200 individual medley in 2:20.48.

Results

More than 150 Lawrence student-athletes named to Academic All-MWC team

APPLETON, Wis. — More than 150 Lawrence University student-athletes have been named to the Academic All-Midwest Conference team.

Lawrence had 153 student-athletes meet the minimum grade point average of 3.33 during the 2014-15 academic year. The top team for the Vikings was women’s indoor track, which had 17 student-athletes honored. Other top performing teams were women’s cross country and women’s soccer with 13 selections apiece, women’s swimming and diving with 12 and men’s soccer and women’s outdoor track with 11 apiece.

A total of 1,859 student-athletes were selected across the conference, and that surpasses the total of 1,752 honored during the 2013-14 academic year.

Complete List

 

 

Winter, women’s swim team honored for academic excellence

Taylor Winter
Taylor Winter

APPLETON, Wis. — Lawrence University star Taylor Winter and the women’s team were both honored by the College Swimming Coaches Association of America for academic excellence.

Winter (Bayside, Wis./Nicolet) received honorable mention on the Scholar All-America team, and the Lawrence women’s squad was chosen as a CSCAA Scholar All-America team.

Winter, a senior who earned a degree in environmental science, was one of nine swimmers chosen from the Midwest Conference. To be eligible for the award, a swimmer had to have a minimum 3.50 grade point average and achieved a “B” qualifying standard.

Winter, who won Lawrence’s Ruth Bateman Award for excellence in scholarship, athletic ability and leadership by a female athlete, was chosen for the first time. The swim team captain, Winter won the 1,650-yard freestyle for the second consecutive year at the 2015 Midwest Conference Championships and also finished third in the 500 freestyle. Winter broke her own school record in the 1,650 freestyle and recorded an NCAA “B” cut in the event. She also broke Hayley Vatch’s school record in the 500 freestyle.

To capture the team award, a team had to have a minimum 3.0 GPA during the spring semester. Lawrence’s 21-member women’s swim team posted an impressive 3.33 team GPA. Lawrence was one of five women’s teams from the Midwest Conference to be honored.

Student-athletes receive awards at Honors Celebration

APPLETON, Wis. — More than a dozen Lawrence University student-athletes recently received awards at the 2015 Honors Celebration.

The awards and winners are as follows.

The Ruth Bateman Award is given for excellence in scholarship, athletic ability and leadership by a female athlete. Senior swimmer Taylor Winter (Bayside, Wis./Nicolet) won the award for a second consecutive year. The swim team captain, Winter won the 1,650-yard freestyle for the second consecutive year at the 2015 Midwest Conference Championships and also finished third in the 500 freestyle. Winter broke her own school record in the 1,650 freestyle and recorded an NCAA “B” cut in the event. She also broke Hayley Vatch’s school record in the 500 freestyle.

The Iden Charles Champion Cup is given for excellence in scholarship, athletic ability, college spirit and loyalty. Senior men’s basketball player Andrew Borresen (West Bend, Wis./Living Word Lutheran) has won the award for the second consecutive year. A member of the Dean’s List and Mortar Board, Borresen has a 3.92 grade point average and will graduate with a degree in history. A member of the Academic All-Midwest Conference team, Borresen is co-chairman of Lawrence’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. He has served as a volunteer at Richmond Elementary School, worked on Habitat for Humanity projects and volunteered with Lawrence’s Food Recovery Network. He also works in Lawrence’s Sports Information Office and Admissions Office.

The Outstanding Freshman Athletic Award for Men is given the freshman man who has made the most outstanding contribution to Lawrence athletics. Sharing the award are tennis player David Jumes (Appleton, Wis./Xavier) and hockey player Brendan Vetter (Phillips, Wis./Phillips). Jumes finished with a 14-7 record in singles and an 8-11 mark in doubles. Jumes, who reached the semifinals at No. 2 singles at the Midwest Conference Championships, was named the team’s Most Valuable Player. Vetter, a defeseman, led the team with seven goals scored and was tied for third on the team with 11 points. Vetter also led the team in plus-minus and has been named an assistant captain for next season.

The Outstanding Freshman Athletic Award for Women is given to the freshman woman who has made the most outstanding contribution to Lawrence athletics. Erin Schrobilgen (Oak Park, Ill./Oak Park River Forest) competed in cross country and indoor and outdoor track and field. Schrobilgen earned All-Midwest Conference honors in cross country after a 12th-place finish at the league championships. During the indoor track season, Schrobilgen broke the school record in the mile that had stood since 1978. She also earned Academic All-America honors from the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

The Ralph V. Landis Award was established by the Lettermen of Lawrence in honor of Dr. Landis, physician to Lawrence students from 1926-78, and is awarded for outstanding contributions to Lawrence athletics by a senior male athlete. Senior men’s basketball player Ryan DePouw (Oconto, Wis./Oconto) was honored after finishing a stellar career. A three-year starter and team captain, DePouw is one of just 22 players in Lawrence basketball history to score 1,000 points. He finished 21st in career scoring with 1,028 points.

The Charles E. Pond Award for Men is given for all-around athletic ability by a senior man in two or more sports and for sportsmanship, school spirit and scholarship. Senior soccer player and swimmer Steve Salansky (Parker, Colo./Legend) was a standout in both sports. On the soccer field, Salansky was a three-year starter and two-year team captain. As a defender, he earned All-Midwest Conference three times and was a two-time All-Wisconsin selection. Salansky, who also served as swim team captain, was the second-leading scorer for the squad.

The Charles E. Pond Award for Women is given for all-around athletic ability by a senior woman in two or more sports and for sportsmanship, school spirit and scholarship. Senior multi-sport athlete Kassidy Rinehart (Hortonville, Wis./Hortonville) starred in three sports and won 12 letters for the Vikings. During the fall, Rinehart ran cross country for the Vikings and helped Lawrence to a third-place finish at the Midwest Conference Championships in 2014. During the winter season, Rinehart was a four-year player for the basketball team. She served as the basketball team captain as a senior and was named the team Defensive Most Valuable Player all four years. During the spring season, Rinehart has won four letters as a sprinter and jumper for the track and field team. Rinehart also is the co-chairperson of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and is a four-year Academic All-Midwest Conference selection.

The Marion Read Award is given for outstanding contributions to Lawrence athletics. The award had two winners this year as seniors Keli Muchowski (Neenah, Wis./Neenah) and Kara Vance (Racine, Wis./Park) shared the honor. Muchowski was the leading scorer for the women’s soccer team and earned All-Midwest Conference honors three times. She scored nine goals and handed out three assists in 2014 for 21 points. Muchowski finished ninth in Lawrence history with 26 goals and is eighth with 65 points. Vance was a standout pitcher for the Vikings and finished with a 28-20 career record. Vance was named Midwest Conference Pitcher of the Week twice during her career and her 28 wins ranks sixth in Lawrence history. She holds the Lawrence record for fewest walks per innings pitched with just 36 bases on balls in 292.2 innings pitched. The softball team captain, Vance also served as a student manager for football and is a leader in the Kids Give campaign.

The Letterwinner Award is presented by the L Club to those outstanding seniors who have earned eight or more letters. The winners are:

Kyle Dockery (Barrington, Ill./Barrington), cross country and track and field

Pat Mangan (Barrington, Ill./Barrington), cross country and track and field

Kassidy Rinehart (Hortonville, Wis./Hortonville), cross country, women’s basketball and outdoor track and field

Savannah Vogel (Deerfield, Wis./Deerfield), cross country and track and field

Winter takes title in 1,650 to lead Lawrence to fourth at MWC Championships

GRINNELL, Iowa — Senior Taylor Winter roared to a dominating victory in the 1,650-yard freestyle on Sunday to pace the Lawrence University swimmers at the Midwest Conference Championships at Grinnell College.

Winter won the 1,650 freestyle for the second consecutive season and did so in impressive fashion in 17:32.68. Winter won by nearly 40 seconds over Lily McCarthy of Lake Forest College. Lawrence’s Emei Thompson grabbed sixth place in the event.

The Lawrence women finished fourth in the team standings with 474 points. Grinnell won the title with 1,074.

Other top finishers for the Lawrence women on Sunday were Paige Witter, who took fourth in the 200 butterfly, Emily Flack, who was fourth in the 200 backstroke and the fifth-place 400 freestyle relay team.

On the men’s side, the 400 freestyle relay team led the way by taking sixth in 3:26.11. Other top placers were Travis Charlow, who was eighth in the 200 backstroke, and Stephen Salansky, who was eighth in the 200 breaststroke.

The Lawrence men were eighth with 190 points. Lake Forest won the title with 1,072 points.

Sunday’s results

Complete results

Lawrence women climb to fourth after second day of MWC Championships

GRINNELL, Iowa — The Lawrence University women’s swimming team climbed to fourth place in the team standings after Saturday’s second day of the Midwest Conference Championships at Grinnell College.

Relays teams posted the best finish for the Lawrence women on Saturday. The 800-yard freestyle relay was third in 7:57.14, and the 200 medley relay team grabbed fourth place in 1:52.41.

Lawrence is fourth in the team standings with 318 points. Grinnell leads with 763.

Emily Flack was the top individual for the Vikings as she grabbed fourth place in the 200 freestyle in 1:57.69 and added a seventh-place finish in the 100 backstroke in 1:00.00.

On the men’s side, Travis Charlow led the Vikings with a pair of top-eight finishes. Charlow was seventh in the 200 freestyle in 1:47.79 and took eighth in the 100 backstroke in 56.04 seconds.

The Lawrence men are in ninth place with 120 points.

Results

Winter, Witter lead Vikings on opening day of MWC Championships

GRINNELL, Iowa — Taylor Winter and Paige Witter led the Lawrence University swim teams on Friday’s opening day of the Midwest Conference Championships at Grinnell College.

Winter and Witter finished back-to-back in the 500-yard freestyle to pace the Vikings. Winter, the defending champion in the event, placed third in 5:07.48 and Witter took fourth in 5:11.84.

The other top finisher for the women was the 400 medley relay team, which placed fourth. The team of Witter, Emily Flack, Rosie Bauer and Eryn Blagg posted a time of 4:05.68.

The women are in sixth place in the team standings with 119 points.

On the men’s side, the top finisher was the 400 medley relay team. The team of Travis Charlow, Stephen Salansky, Christian Bell and Peter Raffel grabbed fourth place in a time of 3:48.50.

The men are in seventh place with 71 points.

Results

Inside LU Athletics: Super Witter a versatile and accomplished athlete

Paige Witter
Paige Witter

APPLETON, Wis. — Paige Witter is a little like Superman.

By day, her Clark Kent persona is a standout swimmer for the Lawrence University Vikings, but her alter ego is a fast-running, horse-riding phenom who is as good with a pistol as she is with a sword.

The modest Witter would likely blush at that sort of comparison, but she has been one of the Midwest Conference’s top swimmers in her two seasons at Lawrence. Witter does have another dimension to her athletic skills that encompass a versatility that extends way beyond the confines of Lawrence’s Boldt Natatorium.

“There were a lot of people when I first told them what I was doing, they thought it was some kind of track and field event,” said Witter, a resident of Denver, Colo.

Witter, who will lead her Lawrence teammates into the MWC Championships this weekend at Grinnell College, also is quite accomplished in the modern pentathlon. The sport combines fencing, freestyle swimming, show jumping and a combined event of pistol shooting and a 3,200-meter run.

“It does encompass a lot, and that was the goal of modern pentathlon when it was created,” said Witter, citing the sport’s creator, Baron Pierre de Coubertin. “He thought he would create a sport that would feature every part of an athlete, both mental and physical. He based the five disciplines off cavalry training.”

Which begs the question, how does a teenager in Colorado get introduced to a sport that isn’t exactly in the mainstream? Witter’s younger brother was fencing in the summer of 2011, and Witter was drawn in.

“I was bored that summer and wanted to try it,” said Witter. “(The coach) learned that I swam so the coach pushed me into doing some competitions and training some more. I just fell in love with the sport.”

Modern pentathlon has been a part of the Olympic Games since 1912, and it was the diversity of the training that attracted Witter. She learned to ride and jump, fence with an epee and shoot the laser pistols used for competition.

A quick study, it was only a year after she started training that Witter was off to Hungary to represent the United States in the Youth World Championships in 2012.

“Based on my background in swimming, that was my strong suit,” Witter said. “Most come from a riding or fencing background. When I was doing it, I had an amazing coach in high school, and she made me improve by leaps and bounds.”

When it came time to look for a college, Witter read the book, Colleges That Change Lives, and she was introduced to Lawrence. She saw Lawrence had a fencing team and was intrigued.

“I initially thought I was going to fence instead of swim,” Witter said. “When I came and visited I felt like I belonged here so I decided to come.”

Witter, who has been swimming competitively since grade school, decided to swim for the Vikings. She will be among the favorites to win the 500-yard freestyle, 100 butterfly and 200 butterfly this weekend. Witter also will be a key performer on Lawrence’s relay teams.

“We’ve had a lot of hard practices and we are now in the taper,” Witter said. “We came back from winter break and just beat ourselves up. Coach (Drew) Fleek really pushes us in practice. … I changed up my taper a bit based on my performance from last year. I feel really good going into the weekend and that’s exciting.”

While Witter is fully focused on her efforts in the pool, somewhere in the back of her mind is the lure of modern pentathlon.

“I really do (miss it). There’s a lot of change and learning about yourself when you’re doing that many things. You have to be in different mindsets for different sports. It was hard to go back to doing one thing,” said Witter, adding that modern pentathlon will be in her future.

“It is definitely something I want to be part of and continue with. If I would be able to be involved in any capacity after college, that is something I would definitely want to do.”

 

Vikings take three titles at Private College Championships

KENOSHA, Wis. — The Lawrence University women’s swim team grabbed three titles at the Wisconsin Private College Championships on Saturday at Carthage College.

Paige Witter led the way for the Vikings with her victory in the 500-yard freestyle in 5:22.49. Witter also grabbed second on the 100 butterfly in 1:03.73 and took third in the 200 butterfly in 2:20.31.

Witter also swam on the 400 freestyle relay team that raced to victory in 3:47.93. The winning team also featured Emily Flack, Emei Thompson and Eryn Blagg. Flack also grabbed second in the 200 backstroke, and Thompson was third in the 500 freestyle.

Foley Van Lieshout took Lawrence’s other title when she won the 200 individual medley in 2:20.05.

The Lawrence women finished third in the team standings and the men were fifth. Lawrence posted a combined team finish of third. Carthage took home all three team titles.

The top finisher on the men’s side was Travis Charlow, who took third in the 100 backstroke and fourth in the 200 backstroke.

Results