Swimming & Diving

Dec 11, 2007
Wagoner, Baer, Dowswell, Smolczyk & Welch Earn Swimming & Diving Honors

Ashley Baer

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Erin Wagoner of South Dakota and Ashley Baer & Benjamin Dowswell of Minnesota State have been named the NCC Swimmers of the Week while Jill Smolczyk of South Dakota and Brian Welch of Minnesota State have been honored as the NCC Divers of the Week.

Wagoner, a junior from Newcastle, Wyo., broke pool and school records in the 100 fly and was part of a record-setting relay to help South Dakota win duals against Minnesota State, Moorhead and Northern State Friday. The Coyote 400 medley relay, of which Wagoner was a member, won and set both pool (meter) and school (meter) records with a time of 4:30.67. USD bettered the school's record of 4:32.36 (USD, 2007) and the pool record of 4:33.82 (Truman State, 2004). Wagoner also set school (meters) and pool (meters) records in the 100 butterfly with a clocking of 1:04.80. Wagoner, who swam exhibition, broke the USD pool (meters) record of 1:05.56 set in 2004 by Rocha of Truman State. She also broke the school's (meters) record held by Abby Heinz in 2004.

Baer, a junior from Eden Prairie, Minn., won the 200 individual medley with a school record time of 2:11.05, good for a "B" cut for the NCAA Division II Swimming and Diving Championships in a dual with St. Cloud State. In the same dual she won the 200 freestyle with a pool record and "B" cut time of 1:57.13. She was also on the 200 medley relay team that broke the Highland Center Pool record twice last week (1:48.58 and 1:48.49) as well as the 200 freestyle relay that established a new pool mark (1:57.13).

Dowswell, a junior from Coquitlam, B.C., had an impressive run of races in duals with Luther and St. Cloud State. He was part of a 200 medley relay team that set a new pool record with a time of 1:36.77 against Luther and also placed first in the dual against St. Cloud State with a 1:40.79 clocking. He set an individual pool record and had a NCAA Division II "B" cut time of :51.18 in the 100 butterfly. He also won the 50 freestyle twice (:21.73 & :21.72) for the week and finished second in the 100 freestyle with a time of :47.58 against St. Cloud State.

Smolczyk, a senior from Omaha, Neb., broke her own school record (259.85 points, 2007) in winning the one-meter diving competition with 274.60 points during a double dual with Minnesota State Moorhead and Northern State at the DakotaDome Friday. She was a double winner by also capturing the 3-meter diving competition with a score 257.80 points.

Welch, a junior from Forest Lake, Minn., finished second on the one-meter board against Luther (261.95) and first against St. Cloud State (275.08, automatic qualifier for NCAA Division II championship). He also had a pair of third place finishes on the three-meter board with a score of 208.95 against Luther and 192.90 against St. Cloud State.

Other swimmers nominated: Male: Isaiah Fuller, St. Cloud State. Female: Caitlin Digney, St. Cloud State; Amy Roness, Minnesota State Moorhead; Ashley Baer, Minnesota State.

Other divers nominated: Male: None. Female: Kelsey Berkeland, St. Cloud State; Janel Duffy, Minnesota State.