MINNEAPOLIS–– Senior Kale Zicafoose (Omaha, Neb./Westside) won her second individual event, taking the 200-yard backstroke in a MIAC Championships record and NCAA “A” cut time of 2:02.28, winning Swimmer of the Meet honors in leading Carleton College to its 16th consecutive top-three finish at the 2011 MIAC Championships.
Zicafoose, who also won Friday’s 100-yard backstroke and set a school and MIAC Championships mark in the 100 backstroke in leading off Thursday’s 400-yard medley relay, helped the Knights to a 484 team total. Gustavus Adolphus College won its fourth title in five years––a streak interrupted by the Knights with their 2009 crown––with 792 points. St. Olaf College was second at 668, with University of St. Thomas just behind the Knights at 454.5 points.
Carleton’s MIAC Championships Swimmers of the Meet
2002 Marie Marsman
2003 Marie Marsman
2005 Marie Marsman
2007 Kate Alexander
2008 Kate Alexander
2009 Maggie Alexander
2011 Kale Zicafoose
Zicafoose’s 200 back time was 1.58 seconds under the NCAA “A” standard, as she topped defending champion Carley Mosher of Gustavus by more than two seconds. Teammate Annie Metcalf (Jr./Bath, Maine/Morse) finished fifth in the event at 2:07.54, a NCAA “B” time.
The 400-yard freestyle relay of Milana Socha (Fy./Chesterton, Ind.), Louise Buckler (Sr./Blaine, Minn./St. Paul Academy), Sophie Pilhofer (So./Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Visitation) and Zicafoose just missed All-MIAC honors, finishing fourth in 3:33.46, a NCAA “B” standard.
Other top finishes by the Knights on the final night of competition included Molly Spence (So./Tacoma, Wash./Woodrow Wilson) avenging a disappointing 500-yard freestyle performance by finishing second in the 1,650-yard freestyle, earning All-MIAC honors in 17:50.42, while diver Sydney Weydemeyer (Sr./Santa Fe, N.M.) grabbed fourth place on the one-meter board with 344.55 points.
Anna Gallagher (Sr./Burlington, Vt.) finished seventh in the 200-yard butterfly and Pilhofer and Socha tied for sixth in 53.12 in the 100-yard freestyle.
Carleton’s All-MIAC Performances—2011 MIAC Championships
1,650-yard freestyle
2. Molly Spence (So., Carleton) 17:50.42
200-yard backstroke
1. Kale Zicafoose (Sr., Carleton) 2:02.28 (A)-MIAC Championships/Carleton record
3-meter Diving
2. Sydney Weydemeyer (Sr., Carleton) 409.00
200-yard medley relay
3. Carleton (1:48.99)
Kale Zicafoose, Sophie Pilhofer, Louise Buckler, Erin McDuffie
100-yard butterfly
2. Kale Zicafoose (Sr., Carleton) 58.04 (B)
100-yard backstroke
1. Kale Zicafoose (Sr., Carleton) 56.29 (A)
800-yard freestyle relay
3. Carleton (7:49.50)
Molly Spence, Kale Zicafoose, Erin McDuffie, Milana Socha
200-yard freestyle relay
3. Carleton (1:36.94)
Sophie Pilhofer , Erin McDuffie, Louise Buckler, Milana Socha
