2009 NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships web site
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- The final day of racing at the 2009 NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships saw Kale Zicafoose (So./Omaha, Neb./Westside) grab All-American distinction with her seventh-place finish in the 200-yard backstroke. She also participated in the Knights’ 400-yard freestyle relay that placed 15th to secure All-America Honorable Mention.
Carleton concluded the weekend with 49 points, good for 17th out of 58 programs to tally points during the four-day competition at the University of Minnesota Aquatics Center. The Kenyon College women won their third consecutive team title and 23 overall.
Knights Online Video Highlights
Day One -- Day Two -- Day Three -- Day Four
For Recaps of Days 1-3, see links at right
Zicafoose broke the school record during the preliminary round of the 200-yard backstroke, qualifying for the evening swim with a time of 2:02.58. She bested that during the championship heat, touching the wall seventh at 2:02.21, establishing a new MIAC record as well. She matched national champion Carolyn Barer of Kenyon with the fastest final 50-yard split in the heat.
Joining her on the 400-yard freestyle relay were Becky Alexander (Sr./Tigard, Ore./Tualatin); Kaarin Taylor (Sr./Gainesville, Fla.); and Maggie Alexander (Fy./Tigard, Ore./Tualatin). The quartet posted the 15th-best time during the prelims with at time of 3:34.07. The Knights re-arranged the order of the participants at night and shaved more than 1.3 seconds of time off during the finals, finishing at 3:32.75.
Maggie Alexander also captured individual All-American Honorable Mention with a 12th-place showing in the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 2:04.02. In her first trip to nationals, she earned honorable mention in all three of her individual events.
In other action on Saturday, Becky Alexander finished 33rd in the 100 freestyle with a collegiate-best time of 52.57. Kate Alexander (Jr./Tigard, Ore./Tualatin) was 27th in the 200-yard breaststroke.
For the weekend, all five Carleton women swimmers earned All-America or All-American Honorable Mention at least two times, with Zicafooe leading the way with five such swims. Seniors Becky Alexander and Kaarin Taylor capped their careers with four honors.
All-America
Kale Zicafoose -- 7th in 200 backstroke
All-American Honorable Mention
Maggie Alexander -- 9th in 200 freestyle, 12th in 200 backstroke and 16th in 500 freestyle
200 Medley Relay (13th) -- Kale Zicafoose, Kate Alexander, Kaarin Taylor, and Becky Alexander
400 Medley Relay (14th) -- Kale Zicafoose, Kate Alexander, Kaarin Taylor, and Becky Alexander
400 Freestyle Relay (15th) -- Becky Alexander, Kale Zicafoose, Kaarin Taylor, and Maggie Alexander
800 Freestyle Relay (15th) -- Maggie Alexander, Kale Zicafoose, Kaarin Taylor and Becky Alexander
