The six NCAA qualifiers are: front row (l to r): E. Miller, B. DeLaRosby, K. Garvey, L. Decknatel. Back: L. Watkins, S. Pfau.
The Gustavus Adolphus College women’s swimming and diving team will have six student-athletes competing at the NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships. The championships will take place March 10-12 at Hope College in Holland, Michigan. Gustavus has automatically qualified in three relay events and three individual events. The swimmers are Beth DeLaRosby (Senior, Two Harbors, Minn.), Laurie Decknatel (Senior, Apple Valley, Minn.), Katie Garvey (Senior, Fargo, N.D., Eva Miller (Senior, Sartell, Minn.), Sara Pfau (First-year, Bismarck, N.D.), and Laura Watkins (Sophomore, Fargo, N.D.).
Gustavus is seeded in the top three of all three-relay events in which they automatically qualified for. The Gusties hold the fastest time in NCAA Division III in the 200-yard freestyle relay and are the number one seed heading into the championships. The team of Beth DeLaRosby, Katie Garvey, Laurie Decknatel, and Laura Watkins recorded a time of 1:34.00 at the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Swimming and Diving Championships in February. The NCAA automatic qualifying time set a new conference record and a new school record. The same relay team automatically qualified in the 400-yard freestyle relay. Their time of 3:30.62 in the relay set a new conference record and is the third fastest time in Division III this season.
Gustavus is also seeded number three in the 200-yard medley relay with a conference and school record time of 1:47.12. The team consists of Eva Miller, Garvey, DeLaRosby, and Sara Pfau.
Gustavus will have four swimmers that will be competing in individual events. The swimmers include Beth DeLaRosby, Katie Garvey, Eva Miller, and Laura Watkins. DeLaRosby has automatically qualified in the 50-yard freestyle and the 100-yard freestyle. She is seeded number three in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 23.51, and is seeded 13th in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 52.71. DeLaRosby will also be competing in the 200-yard freestyle. The senior is seeded 32nd in the 200 with a time of 1:58.41.
Katie Garvey will be competing in three individual events at the national championships. She has automatically qualified in the 50-yard freestyle. Her time of 24.14 is the 13th fastest time in Division III this season. The senior will also be competing in the 100-yard freestyle and 100-yard butterfly. Garvey is seeded 25th in the freestyle with a time of 52.97 and is seeded 31st in the butterfly with a time of 59.26.
Eva Miller has automatically qualified in the 100-yard breaststroke with a school record time of 1:06.70. Miller is seeded 17th overall in that event. The senior will also be competing in the 50-yard freestyle and the 200-yard breaststroke. She is seeded 26th in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 24.44 and is seeded 27th in the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:27.62.
Laura Watkins will compete in one individual event at the national championships. The sophomore is seeded 24th in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 24.42.
Gustavus was last in action at the MIAC Swimming and Diving Championships February 17-19. The team compiled 652.5 points to place third out of eleven teams, which is its 12th consecutive top five finish at the conference meet. The Gusties hope to equal their performance in last year’s national meet. Coach Jon Carlson’s team scored a school record 82 points and finished 13th overall for the program’s best ever performance at the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships.