With another first place finish at the 2012 MIAC Swimming and Diving Championships under their belts, the Gustavus women’s swimming and diving team will send seven athletes to compete at the 2012 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships held at the Indiana University Natatorium on March 21-24 in Indianapolis, Ind. Alissa Tinklenberg (Willmar, Minn.) was the sole individual qualifier and will compete in the 200 backstroke at the meet. The 200 free, 200 medley, 400 free, 400 medley, and 800 free relay teams comprised of Tinklenberg, Kelsey Lucia (St. Cloud, Minn.), Sarah Hund (Willmar, Minn.), Katie Olson (North Oaks, Minn.), McKenna Jones (Faribault, Minn.), Stephanie Korba (Lakeville, Minn.), and Jennifer Strom (Rochester, Minn.) round out the group Gustavus swimmers set to race at the NCAA Championships.
Alissa Tinklenberg comes into the meet ranked fourth in the 200 back with a time of 2:00.99. Tinklenberg was an All-MIAC performer after winning the event. She will also swim the 100 back and 500 free due to her NCAA provisional marks of 56.48 in the 100 (13th) and 4:58.42 in the 500 (13th).
Front Row L to R: Katie Olson, McKenna Jones, and Jennifer Strom. Back Row L to R: Sarah Hund, Stephanie Korba, Kelsey Lucia, and Alissa Tinklenberg.
The 200 free relay team made up of Lucia, Sarah Hund, Katie Olson, and Alissa Tinklenberg enters the championships ranked third with a time of 1:34.05. The 400 free relay, comprised of the same members, goes into the meet ranked tenth with a time of 3:29.74. Lucia, McKenna Jones, Olson, and Tinklenberg will compete in the 800 free relay which is ranked 15th with a time of 7:41.81.
Gustavus will also be swimming both the 200 and 400 medley relays. Both relays will be swam by the group of Tinklenberg, Jennifer Strom, Stephanie Korba, and Lucia. The 200 medley ranks 11th with 1:45.92 and the 400 medley relay team ranks 11th with a time of 3:52.09.
Others set to compete in individual races after hitting provisional marks in their respective races include Katie Olson, Jennifer Strom, and Kelsey Lucia. Strom will swim both breaststroke races, the 100 (11th, 1:04.60) and 200 (29th, 2:23.35), and will also swim the 400 individual medley (26th, 4:39.48). Olson, swimming the 50 free (23.93) and the 200 free (1:53.88), ranks 35th in both events. Lucia will also swim the 50 free (26th, 23.83).
The NCAA Championships will take place in the IU Natatorium and will begin with the 500-free trials on Wednesday, March 21 at 10:00 a.m. Franklin College has been selected as host for the meet.