Sophomore Brian Field and junior Mike Humphreys won national championships in the one-meter dive and 100 backstroke, respectively, to lead the men's swimming team to a third-place finish in the NCAA Division III National Championships at Emory College in Atlanta on March 22.
Humphreys won his title by setting a Union record of 50.69 while Field scored 445.6
points to capture the first diving championship in Union history. Field also finished
second in the three-meter event.
The third place trophy represents the team's best showing in the national meet; the
team was fourth last year. This year, the team finished at 7-1 in dual meets, also winning
their second consecutive state championship. Along the way, the swimmers tallied 11
College records.
“This team set some very high standards at the beginning of the year,” said
Coach Judy Wolfe. “They should be very proud of what they have accomplished. I
certainly am.”
Junior Kevin Makarowski became the first Union swimmer to place in the top eight in
three individual events: second in the 200 IM, fifth in the 200 butterfly, and eighth in
the 400 IM. (His time for the 200 IM – 1:52.14 – is a College record which eclipsed
Makarowski's first place time for the event last year.)
Makarowski joined with Humphreys, senior Chris Riley and freshman Jeff Hoerle to finish
fourth in the 400 free relay. The 400 medley team of Humphreys, sophomore Mark Anderson,
freshmen Dave Searles and Makarowski took second. The 800 free relay team of Hoerle,
Riley, Searles and Makarowski finished fifth. The 200 medley relay team of Humphreys,
Anderson, Searles and Hoerle placed third while the 200 free relay of Makarowski, Riley,
Hoerle and Humphreys finished ninth.
Humphreys also took second in the 200 back and 11th in the 50 free. Hoerle was fifth in
the 200 free. Anderson finished 12th in the 200 breaststroke and 10th in the 100
breaststroke. Searles was 14th in the 100 butterfly.
Kenyon topped the 84-team field; Denison was second.