Men's Swimming and Diving Headlines

Coach Milliken named NCAA III Men's Coach of the Year
Kalamazoo College head coach Kathy Milliken was voted as the 2010 NCAA Division III Men's Coach of the Year following the Hornets' fourth place finish at the national championships held March 17-20 in Minneapolis. It was the best finish in Kalamazoo College history, and marks the first time in Division III men's swimming history that a woman has been awarded this honor for leading a men’s team.

Men's Swimming finishes fourth at NCAA III Championships
The Kalamazoo College men's swimming and diving team finished fourth at the 2010 NCAA III Championships, the best finish in the history of the program. Kalamazoo had finished sixth four times previously. Kalamazoo finished fourth with 244 points, behind Kenyon (696), Denison (272) and Emory (259.5). On Saturday, March 20, Craig Fleming earned individual All-American honors for the third time with a seventh place finish in the 100 freestyle (:45.07). Brian Bazzell finished 11th with a time of :45.77. In the 200 backstroke, Paul Ellis finished ninth and set a school record with a time of 1:48.18. In the 200 breaststroke, Alfonso Espinosa finished 25th (2:08.50) while Chris Manning finished 27th (2:09.60). Kalamazoo wrapped up the evening with a second place finish in the 400 Free Relay (Bazzell, Ellis, Manning, Fleming - 3:00.58). Championship Web Site - Live Results

Paul Ellis wins NCAA III championship in 100 backstroke
Hornets remain in fourth after third day at NCAA III Championships
Paul Ellis won an NCAA III championship in the 100 backstroke with a time of :48.36 just a day after setting the NCAA III record in the same event. Ellis was fourth in the morning prelims, but took home the championship by 23/100ths of a second. The Hornets remain in fourth place overall with 183 points, just two points ahead of NJIT. The Hornets are 29 points out of third place and 39.5 points out of second entering the final day of competition. The 800 Free Relay (Bazzell, Benmark, Manning, Fleming) finished sixth overall with a school-record time of 6:44.14. Alfonso Espinosa earned honorable mention All-American honors with a ninth-place finish in the 100 breaststroke (:56.24). Chris Manning finished 22nd (:57.54). Alex Armstrong finished 25th in the 100 backstroke earlier in the day. The championships conclude Saturday evening. Championship Web Site - Live Results

Men's Swimming in fourth place after second day at NCAA III Championships
The Kalamazoo College men's swimming and diving team fell one spot to fourth place after the second of four days at the NCAA III Championships in Minneapolis on Thursday, March 18. Kalamazoo has 128 points, trailing Denison (137) by just nine and Emory (140.5) by 12.5. Kenyon continues to lead with 366 points.

The Hornets had a disappointing start to the evening with a disqualification in the 200 Free Relay after posting the second-best time in prelims. Paul Ellis finished ninth in the 100 butterfly to earn honorable mention All-American honors with a time of :49.92. In the 200 freestyle, Craig Fleming (1:41.10) and Brian Bazzell (1:42.16) earned All-American honors by finishing seventh and eighth, respectively. Tyler Benmark finished 43rd (1:43.41).

A highlight of the evening was the Hornets second place finish in the 400 Medley Relay (3:18.72 - Ellis, Espinosa, Mueller, Fleming). Not only was the relay finish a school record, but Paul Ellis set a school record and an NCAA III record with a time of :48.22 in the 100 backstroke, the opening leg of the relay. Championship Web Site - Live Results

Kalamazoo Men's Swimming in third place after first day at NCAA III Championships
The Kalamazoo College men's swimming and diving team is in third place after the first of four days of competition at the 2010 NCAA III Championships in Minneapolis. The Hornets have 62 team points, just one point ahead of Denison. Kalamazoo trails Emory (70.5) for second place while Kenyon leads the event with 173 points. The Hornets' 200 Medley Relay (Ellis, Espinosa, Mueller, Bazzell) capped off the evening by finishing second with a school-record time of 1:29.59. The Hornets had the fastest time in prelims, but were beat out in the finals by Kenyon's NCAA record-setting finish (1:27.74). Craig Fleming and Brian Bazzell both earned All-American honors in the 50 freestyle. Fleming finished third with a school-record time of :20.30. Bazzell finished seventh with a time of :20.58. Earlier in the day in prelims, Chris Manning finished 21st in the 200 IM with a time of 1:53.70. Competition resumes Thursday with prelims at 10 a.m. followed by finals at 6 p.m. Championship Web Site - Live Results

Kalamazoo swimmers head to NCAA III Championships
Nine members of the Kalamazoo College men's and women's swimming and diving teams are heading to the 2010 NCAA III Championships at the University of Minnesota. The participants are leaving Kalamazoo Monday evening and begin competition on Wednesday, March 17. The Kalamazoo men are positioned for a strong championship meet, and are featured prominently in a preview article on CollegeSwimming.com. There is also a championship preview in Tuesday's edition of the Kalamazoo Gazette and a feature on Paul Ellis in the Oakland Press.

Kalamazoo to send eight Men's Swimmers to NCAA III Championships
The Kalamazoo College men's swimming and diving team will send eight swimmers to the 2010 NCAA III Championships March 17-20 in Minneapolis. All five of Kalamazoo's relay teams will compete in the event, and all five are seeded in the top four, with the 400 Medley Relay entering as the top seed. Eight individuals will also compete, highlighted by Craig Fleming's top seed in the 100 freestyle and Paul Ellis' two seed in the 100 backstroke. Other participants include: Alex Armstrong, Brian Bazzell, Tyler Benmark, Alfonso Espinosa, Chris Manning and Barret Mueller. Kalamazoo College finished 12th at the 2009 NCAA III Championships. The Hornets have finished sixth four times. Championships Web Site

2009-10 NCAA Participants (Event, Seed) Alex Armstrong (100 back) Brian Bazzell (50 free, 5th / 100 free, 14th / 200 free, 14th) Tyler Benmark (200 free) Paul Ellis (100 back, 2nd / 200 back, 8th / 100 fly, 6th) Alfonso Espinosa (100 breast, 7th) Craig Fleming (50 free, 3rd / 100 free, 1st / 200 free, 7th) Chris Manning (100 breast, 10th / 200 breast, 11th / 200 IM, 6th) Barret Mueller 200 Medley (Ellis, Espinosa, Greiner, Bazzell, 2nd) 400 Medley (Ellis, Espinosa, Mueller, Fleming, 1st) 200 Free (Bazzell, Ellis, Armstrong, Fleming, 2nd) 400 Free (Bazzell, Ellis, Manning, Fleming, 3rd) 800 Free (Bazzell, Benmark, Manning, Fleming, 4th)

Five Men's Swimmers earn All-MIAA honors
Five members of the Kalamazoo College men's swimming and diving teams received All-MIAA honors on Wednesday, Feb. 17: Brian Bazzell, Paul Ellis, Alfonso Espinosa, Craig Fleming, and Chris Manning. Brian Bazzell, a junior from Berkley (Berkley HS), earned All-MIAA honors for the second consecutive year. At the MIAA championships he finished second in both the 50 freestyle and 200 freestyle and third in the 100 freestyle. Bazzell was also a member of four MIAA championship relay teams. Paul Ellis, a senior from Bloomfield Hills (Lahser), earned All-MIAA honors for the fourth consecutive year and was named league MVP for the second straight year. Ellis captured MIAA championships in the 100 butterfly, 100 backstroke and 200 backstroke, and was also a member of four championship relay teams. Alfonso Espinosa, a senior from the Dominican Republic (Colegio Santa Teresa), earned All-MIAA honors for thie third time. Espinosa was a member of two MIAA championship relay teams. Craig Fleming, a junior from Clinton Township (Warren DeLaSalle HS), earned All-MIAA honors for the third consecutive year. Fleming won MIAA championships in the 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle and 200 freestyle, and was also a member of four MIAA championship relay teams. Chris Manning, a sophomore from York, Pa. (York Suburban HS), earned All-MIAA honors for the second consecutive year. Manning won MIAA championships in the 100 breaststroke, 200 breaststroke, and 200 IM, and was also a member of two MIAA championship relay teams. The Kalamazoo College men's swimming and diving team finished second at the 2010 MIAA championships, just 25 points out of first place.

Paul Ellis named MIAA Men's Most Valuable Swimmer
Paul Ellis, a senior from Bloomfield Hills (Lahser HS), was selected as the MIAA Men's Most Valuable Swimmer on Saturday, Feb. 13. Ellis was named league MVP for the second consecutive year. Ellis won three individual events (100 Fly, 100 Back, 200 Back) and was a member of four championship relay teams (200 Medley, 400 Medley, 200 Free, 400 Free) at this year's MIAA Championships. Over his career, Ellis has been a member of 11 MIAA championship relay teams while winning seven individual events.

Men finish second, Women third at MIAA Swimming/Diving Championships
Saturday: Men win four events; Katy Knoechel wins 200 Butterfly
The men's swimming and diving team fell just 25 points short of an MIAA championship, finishing second with 853 points while Hope won the event with 878 points. On the women's side, Kalamazoo finished third with 442 points. On Saturday, Kalamazoo claimed three individual championships on the men's side: Paul Ellis (200 Backstroke), Craig Fleming (100 Freestyle), and Chris Manning (200 Breaststroke). The Men's 400 Free Relay (Bazzell, Ellis, Manning, Fleming) also won the title, giving Kalamazoo championships in all five relay events. Ellis, Fleming and Manning finished with three individual championships each. Bazzell also finished third in the 100 Freestyle on Saturday. On the women's side, Katy Knoechel won the 200 Butterfly on Saturday, giving her league championships in two events. Katie Grue finished second. The 400 Free Relay (Weber, Knoechel, Edsall, Grue) finished third. The teams will now begin preparations for the NCAA III Championships March 17-20 in Minneapolis, Minn. Results

Second Day of MIAA Swimming/Diving Championships
Men's Swimmers win six events; Katy Knoechel wins 100 Butterfly
The The men's swimming and diving team won six events on the second day of competition at the 2010 MIAA Championships hosted by Calvin. The Hornets won two more relays on Friday, making it 4-for-4 overall. Kalamazoo won the 200 Medley (Ellis, Espinosa, Greiner, Bazzell) and the 800 Free (Bazzell, Benmark, Manning, Fleming) on Friday. Paul Ellis won two events, the 100 Butterfly and the 100 Backstroke. Chris Manning won the championship in the 100 Breaststroke. Craig Fleming won the title in the 200 Freestyle as the Hornets went 1-2-3 in the event (Brian Bazzell was second, Tyler Benmark, third). Kevin Lodewyk finished third in the 400 IM. The Hornets remain in second place with 562 points, but are now just 37 behind the leader, Hope. The Kalamazoo women's team remains in third place overall. Katy Knoechel captured a league championship in the 100 Butterfly while Loren Weber finished third. The 800 Free Relay team also finished third (Bresnahan, Bair, Lewis, Grue). The championship meet wraps up Saturday evening. Friday's Results

Opening Day of MIAA Swimming/Diving Championships
Men's Swimmers win four events; Women break two school records
The men's swimming and diving team won four events on the opening day of the 2010 MIAA Championships hosted by Calvin. Kalamazoo won both relays, the 200 Free (Bazzell, Ellis, Armstrong, Fleming) and the 400 Medley (Ellis, Espinosa, Mueller, Fleming). The Hornets also took first place in the 200 IM (Chris Manning) and the 50 Freestyle (Craig Fleming). Brian Bazzell finished second in the 50 Freestyle. The men's team is currently in second place with 254 points, 51 behind Hope. The Kalamazoo women's team is currently in third place with 132 points. Both Kalamazoo relays finished second, the 200 Free (Weber, Baumann, Grue, Edsall) and the 400 Medley (Weeks, Edsall, Knoechel, Weber). The 400 Medley team broke the school record, and Weeks' opening 100 backstroke also set a school record. Taryn Edsall broke the school record in the 50 Freestyle and finished third. Thursday's Results

Swim teams win dual meets at Alma
The men's and women's swimming and diving teams wrapped up the dual meet portion of the season with wins at Alma on Saturday, Jan. 30. The Hornet men won 180-64 while the women won 145-97. Winning events for the women's team: 200 Medley Relay (Weeks, Edsall, Weber, Lewis), Kelly Bresnahan (200 freestyle), Kaitlin Weeks (100 backstroke), Kate Chamberlain (100 breaststroke, 200 IM), Taryn Edsall (50 freestyle), Lindsay Gaston (1M & 3M Diving), Emily Bair (500 freestyle), and Katy Knoechel (100 butterfly). Winning events for the men's team: 200 Medley Relay (Armstrong, Bazzell, Mueller, Fleming), Kenny Heidel (1000 freestyle, 200 butterfly), Steve Brower (100 backstroke, 500 freestyle), Alfonso Espinosa (100 breaststroke, 200 IM), Craig Fleming (50 freestyle), Dustin Hennigar (1M & 3M Diving), Brian Bazzell (100 freestyle), Chris Manning (200 backstroke), Colin Dueweke (200 breaststroke), Tyler Benmark (100 butterfly), and the 200 Free Relay (Ellis, Lodewyk, Greiner, Brower). The teams will spend the next week and a half in preparation for the MIAA Championships held Feb. 11-13 at Calvin. Results

Swim teams host dual meet with Calvin
The men's and women's swimming and diving teams competed against Calvin at home on Saturday, Jan. 23. The Kalamazoo men defeated Calvin 153-121 while the women's team fell 187-113. The men's 200 medley relay (Armstrong, Manning, Greiner, Bazzell) was victorious while the 200 free relay (Bazzell, Robinson, Armstrong, Smith) also posted the top time. The Hornets went 1-2-3 in the 50 freestyle and the 100 freestyle with Craig Fleming winning both events. Other event winners included: Jay Daniels (1000 freestyle), Tyler Benmark (200 freestyle, 200 backstroke), Steve Brower (100 backstroke), Alfonso Espinosa (100 breaststroke), Kevin Lodewyk (200 butterfly, 200 breaststroke) and Colin Mervak (1M Diving). The Kalamazoo women went 1-2-3 in the 200 butterfly led by Katie Grue. Other event winners included: Kaitlin Weeks (100 backstroke), Taryn Edsall (50 freestyle), Erin Campbell (1M Diving) and Katy Knoechel (100 butterfly). The swim teams return to action next Saturday, Jan. 30 at Alma. Results

Men's Swimming wins Wheaton Quad Meet
The men's swimming and diving team won the Wheaton Quad Meet on Saturday, Jan. 16. The Hornets scored 546 points, just two more than conference rival Hope. The Kalamazoo women's team finished fourth. Kalamazoo won both men's relays: 400 Medley (Ellis, Espinosa, Mueller, Bazzell) and 400 Freestyle (Bazzell, Ellis, Benmark, Fleming). Other event winners included Craig Fleming (200 freestyle, 100 freestyle), Brian Bazzell (50 freestyle), Chris Manning (400 IM), and Paul Ellis (200 backstroke). Taryn Edsall had the best finish for the women's team, finishing second in the 50 freestyle. The Hornets host Calvin on Saturday, Jan. 23 at 1 p.m. in the final home meet of the season. Results

Paul Ellis named National Swimmer of the Week
Kalamazoo College senior Paul Ellis was named Division III Men's National Swimmer of the Week by CollegeSwimming.com on Tuesday, Jan. 12. Ellis won the 100 backstroke (51.86, NCAA "B" time) and swam to a second place in the 100 butterfly (52.90) in the Hope meet. The All-American won the 100 backstroke (51.31, NCAA "B" time) in the Carthage/Chicago dual. Ellis also assisted on two winning relays versus Hope and Carthage/Chicago respectively, the 200 medley (1:34.53 and 1:35.17) and 200 freestyle (1:25.22 and 1:25.68). The Kalamazoo College swimming/diving teams return to action on Saturday, Jan. 16 at Wheaton.

Swim teams compete in Chicago
The men's and women's swimming and diving teams traveled to the University of Chicago on Saturday, Jan. 9, the day after an exciting dual meet with Hope. At Chicago, the Kalamazoo men defeated Carthage (134 - 84), but lost to Chicago (148 - 92). On the women's side, Carthage defeated Kalamazoo (129.5 - 101.5) and Chicago defeated Kalamazoo (187 - 56). The Kalamazoo men won both relay events, the 200 Medley (Ellis, Espinosa, Greiner, Bazzell) and the 200 Freestyle (Bazzell, Ellis, Manning, Fleming). Other event winners for the Hornet men included Craig Fleming (50 freestyle, 100 freestyle), Paul Ellis (100 backstroke), and Alfonso Espinosa (100 breaststroke). Top performances by the women's team included second place finishes by Taryn Edsall (50 freestyle), Erin Campbell (1M & 3M Diving), Katy Knoechel (100 butterfly), and Kaitlin Weeks (100 backstroke). The swim teams return to action next Saturday, Jan. 16 in a quad meet at Wheaton College. Complete Results

Swim teams edged at home by Hope
The men's and women's swimming and diving teams both lost close dual meets at home to Hope on Friday, Jan. 8. The men lost by just nine points (148-139) while the women fell 162-120. On the men's side, Kalamazoo took first place in both relays; the 200 medley relay (Ellis, Espinosa, Greiner, Bazzell) and the 200 freestyle relay (Bazzell, Ellis, Benmark, Fleming). Also finishing first for the Hornets were Paul Ellis (100 backstroke), Alfonso Espinosa (100 breaststroke), Brian Bazzell (50 freestyle), and Craig Fleming (100 freestyle). On the women's side, Erin Campbell won the 1M and 3M diving events, Katy Knoechel won the 100 butterfly and the 200 IM, and Kalamazoo won the 200 freestyle relay (Edsall, Weber, Baumann, Grue). Both teams travel to Chicago on Saturday, Jan. 9 to face Chicago and Carthage. Complete Results

Kalamazoo Men's Swimming Team, Coach Milliken featured on CollegeSwimming.com
The Kalamazoo College men's swiming and diving team is one of two men's teams ranked in the top five in the CollegeSwimming.com poll who are coached by a woman. With Kalamazoo ranked second and MIT ranked fifth, it is the first time that two men's teams, coached by women, have been ranked in the top five of the same poll in any NCAA sport. Read the story and see the poll at: http://www.collegeswimming.com/news/2010/jan/06/emory-women-kenyon-men-lead-historic-division-iii-/ . Kalamazoo returns to action on Friday, Jan. 8 at home against #11 Hope at 6 p.m.

Men's Swimming/Diving ranked second in CollegeSwimming.com Top 25 Poll
The Kalamazoo College men's swimming and diving team is ranked second in the nation in the latest (Dec. 27) CollegeSwimming.com/CSCAA Division III Team Poll. The Hornets received 441 total votes and one first place vote, and trail only Kenyon, recipient of 474 total votes and 18 first place votes. Top 25 Poll

Men's Swimmers among national leaders
Several members of the Kalamazoo College men's swimming and diving team rank among the national leaders in Division III following mid-season tapers. In addition, every Kalamazoo relay has one of the top three times in the country. As of Dec. 15, the 200 and 400 medley relays both have the top times. The 800 and 400 free relays each have the second-best times. The 200 free relay holds the third-best time. Individually, Craig Fleming holds the top time in the 100 freestyle, is sixth in the 50 freestyle and eighth in the 200 freestyle. Paul Ellis ranks first in the 100 backstroke and 10th in the 100 butterfly. Alfonso Espinosa is first in the 100 breaststroke. Chris Manning is first in the 200 IM, second in the 200 breaststroke, third in the 100 breaststroke and eighth in the 400 IM. Brian Bazzell ranks second in the 50 freestyle, sixth in the 100 freestyle and seventh in the 200 freestyle. The swim teams return to competition at home on Friday, Jan. 8 against Hope at 6 p.m.

Swim teams wrap up weekend at Calvin Invitational
Men finish second, Women fifth
The men's and women's swimming and diving teams wrapped up the three-day Calvin Winter Invitational on Saturday, Dec. 5. The men's team maintained second place throughout the event, finishing only behind Grand Valley State University. The women's team was fifth throughout. The only Division III school to finish ahead of the Hornets was Calvin. Saturday's highlights included more pool records. The men's 200 Medley Relay started things off by taking first place and setting a pool record with a time of 1:30.72 (Ellis, Espinosa, Greiner, Bazzell). The Hornets also had a team place third in the event (Armstrong, Stetson, Mueller, Smith). The Hornets also took first and third in the 200 Breaststroke with Chris Manning setting a pool record (2:04.13). Alfonso Espinosa finished third. The Hornets took first and second in the 100 Freestyle as Craig Fleming set a pool record (44.90) with Brian Bazzell finishing second. Chris Manning set a pool record and won the 200 IM (1:52.08). Paul Ellis finished second int he 100 Butterfly (:51.03). Tyler Benmark finished third in the 500 Freestyle (4:43.80). On the women's side, Katy Knoechel finished fifth in the 100 Butterfly. The 200 Medley Relay team also finished fifth (Weeks, Edsall, Knoechel, Weber). Complete Meet Results

Swimmers set pool records in Friday action at Calvin
The men's swimming/diving team remained in second place while the women's team is in fifth after Friday's action at the Calvin Winter Invitational. The Kalamazoo men took first place and set a pool record with a "B" cut time of 1:22.90 in the 200 Free Relay (Bazzell, Ellis, Armstrong, Fleming). The Hornets went one-two-three in the 200 Freestyle with Brian Bazzell taking first with a pool record 1:42.00. Craig Fleming finished second and Tyler Benmark finished third as all had "B" cuts. The Hornets went one-two-three in the 50 Freestyle as well as Bazzell set another pool record with a time of :20.99. Fleming finished second and Paul Ellis came in third as Bazzell and Fleming both had "B" cuts. Ellis had the only "A" cut of the night, finishing second in the 100 Backstroke with a time of :49.07. The Hornets had two more "B" cuts in the 100 Breaststroke as Alfonso Espinosa finished second (:56.44) and Chris Manning finished third. Other "B" cut performances were turned in by the 400 Medley Relay, Chris Manning in the 400 IM, and Alex Armstrong and Steve Brower in the 100 Backstroke. Competition concludes on Saturday. Friday's Results - Compelte results can be followed live each day at: http://www.calvin.edu/swimscoreboard/

Swimming competes on opening night at Calvin Invitational
The men's and women's swimming and diving teams began competition at the three-day Calvin Winter Invitational on Thursday, Dec. 3. With just four scored events Thursday night, the Kalamazoo men are in second place behind Grand Valley State University. The women's team is currently fifth and trails only Calvin among Division III opponents. Highlighting the performances on Thursday was a first place finish by the men's 800 Free Relay team (Bazzell, Benmark, Manning, Fleming) with a time of 6:44.26. The 800 Free Relay team set Kalamazoo College and MIAA records and was a National "B" cut. Thursday's Results - Compelte results can be followed live each day at: http://www.calvin.edu/swimscoreboard/

Swim teams remain undefeated with wins at Olivet
The men's and women's swimming and diving teams remained perfect with wins at Olivet on Saturday, Nov. 14. The men's team defeated Olivet 172-106 while the women's team won 185.5-97.5. Winning results for the men were: 400 Medley Relay (Ellis, Espinosa, Mueller, Fleming), Kenny Heidel (1000 freestyle), Brian Bazzell (200 freestyle, 50 freestyle), Alfonso Espinosa (100 breaststroke), Colin Mervak (1M, 3M), Steve Brower (200 backstroke), Chris Manning (200 breaststroke, 200 IM), 200 Free Relay (Bazzell, Ellis, Smith, Fleming). Winning for the women were: 400 Medley Relay (Weeks, Edsall, Knoechel, Grue), Katy Knoechel (200 freestyle, 100 butterfly), Kaitlin Weeks (100 backstroke), Katie Grue (200 butterfly, 200 backstroke), Taryn Edsall (50 freestyle), Christine Lewis (100 freestyle), Kate Chamberlain (200 breaststroke), Erin Campbell (3M), Kelly Bresnahan (200 IM), and the 200 Free Relay (Edsall, Knoechel, Weeks, Baumann). Men's Results - Women's Results

Men's and Women's Swimming/Diving teams defeat Albion
The men's and women's swimming and diving teams defeated Albion at home on Saturday, Nov. 7. The men's team won 166.5-114.5 while the women's team won 160-135. Winning events for the women's team were: 200 Medley Relay (Weeks, Chamberlain, Knoechel, Edsall), Katie Grue (200 freestyle), Kaitlin Weeks (100 backstroke, 200 backstroke), Taryn Edsall (100 breaststroke), Katy Knoechel (200 butterfly, 100 freestyle, 200 IM), Loren Weber (100 butterfly), and the 400 Freestyle Relay (Edsall, Chamberlain, Baumann, Grue). Winning events for the men were: 200 Medley Relay (Armstrong, Espinosa, Mueller, Smith), Kenny Heidel (1000 freestyle), Chris Manning (200 freestyle, 200 IM), Steve Brower (100 backstroke, 200 backstroke), Alfonso Espinosa (100 breaststroke, 200 breaststroke), David Scasny (200 butterfly), Paul Ellis (50 freestyle, 100 butterfly), Nick Smith (100 freestyle), Jay Daniels (500 freestyle), and the 400 Freestyle Relay (Hennigar, Janes, benmark, Fleming). Kalamazoo's next meet is Saturday, Nov. 14 at Olivet. Results

Swim teams win season's first dual meets
The Kalamazoo College swimming and diving teams got off to a good start as the women's team defeated Saint Mary's 180-107 and the men's team defeated Wabash 170-126 at Notre Dame on Friday, Oct. 30. Winning events for the women's team were: 200 Medley Relay (Weeks, Chamberlain, Knoechel, Edsall), Katie Grue (200 freestyle, 200 butterfly), Kate Chamberlain (100 breaststroke), Taryn Edsall (50 freestyle, 100 freestyle), Erin Campbell (1m diving, 3m diving), Kaitlin Weeks (200 backstroke) and the 200 Freestyle Relay (Edsall, Baumann, Chamberlain, Grue). Winning events for the men were: 400 Medley Relay (Ellis, Espinosa, Mueller, Bazzell), Paul Ellis (100 backstroke), Alfonso Espinosa (100 breaststroke), Brian Bazzell (50 freestyle), Craig Fleming (100 freestyle), Steve Brower (200 backstroke), Chris Manning (200 breaststroke), Barret Mueller (100 butterfly), Colin Mervak (3m diving) and the 400 Freestyle Relay (Bazzell, Ellis, Espinosa, Fleming). The swimming and diving teams have their first home meet of the season next Saturday, Nov. 7 at 1 p.m. against Albion. Complete Results

2009-10 Swimming/Diving Season Preview
Despite losing 12 seniors to graduation, the men and women’s swimming and diving teams have gained 19 freshmen and aren’t looking to go anywhere but up.

On the men’s side, seventh-year head coach Kathy Milliken wants an MIAA conference title and at least a top ten, if not top five, finish in the country.

“The returners have done a really good job of training in the off-season, and have addressed some of the weaknesses they had,” she said.

With the addition of 13 freshmen, the largest men’s class Milliken has brought in to date, she isn’t worried about having graduated two of her national qualifiers.

Seniors Alfonso Espinosa and David Greiner, both of whom qualified for nationals in their freshmen and sophomore seasons, return after a year abroad, and Milliken added that senior captains Colin Dueweke, Paul Ellis, and Barret Mueller have “stepped up and done a wonderful job.”

The Hornets also return junior MIAA champions and record-holders Brian Bazzell and Craig Fleming, both of whom competed at nationals last spring, as well as sophomore MIAA champion and national competitor Chris Manning. Ellis also competed at nationals last spring.

Milliken cited the strength of the team as being its all-around sprinting dominance, and said that the team’s biggest MIAA competition will be Hope, who finished first in the conference last season.

The women’s team, though, has both Hope and Calvin to look out for.

Led by senior captain Katy Knoechel and junior captains Kandice Keen and Kaitlin Weeks, and with the addition of six freshmen, Milliken hopes to close the gap between her team and the top two MIAA powerhouses.

“It would be great to finally get Kalamazoo some relays at nationals, and continue to gain on those two teams,” she said.

Knoechel and sophomore Katie Grue return after receiving All-MIAA honors and competing at Nationals last spring. Sophomore diver Erin Campbell was close to qualifying as well, and is expected to make contributions this year, as is Weeks.

“We had some holes last year,” said Milliken, “but this year I don’t think we have any big weaknesses, and that’s our strength.”

Both teams competed at the MIAA Relays hosted by Calvin on Saturday, Oct. 24, and Milliken is excited after seeing her team in action.

“We saw some speed out of people that we hadn’t seen yet, which was great,” she said.

The teams open dual meet competition at Notre Dame on Friday, Oct. 30. The women will compete against MIAA foe Saint Mary’s, while the men take on Wabash. Kalamazoo will host its first home meet on Saturday, Nov. 7 in a conference match-up with Albion.

Swim teams compete at MIAA Relays
The men's and women's swim teams competed at the MIAA Relays hosted by Calvin on Saturday, Oct. 24. The Kalamazoo men won five relays, including the 200 medley, 200 backstroke, 200 breaststroke, 500 freestyle and 200 butterfly. The Kalamazoo women took second place in three relays, the 200 medley, 200 backstroke and 200 breaststroke. The teams open dual meet competition next Friday, Oct. 30 at Notre Dame. The women's team goes against Saint Mary's while the men compete against Wabash. MIAA Relays

Tim Kearney selected as assistant coach of men's and women's swimming
Kalamazoo College announced the hiring of Tim Kearney as assistant men’s and women’s swimming coach on Thursday, Sept. 10. 

Kathy Milliken, Head Coach of the Hornets, commented, “The team and athletic department are very excited that Tim will be joining our staff.  It became very apparent during the interview process that Tim is a highly intelligent and organized individual who has a great passion for swimming and an effective communication style.  He truly cares about helping his athletes excel in every aspect of their lives.” 

Kearney is a 2007 graduate of Hamilton College where he was a four-year letter winner and a team captain while majoring in philosophy.

Kearney remained at Hamilton as an assistant coach for the 2007-08 season and worked with all areas of the program, including the management of recruiting efforts. 

Most recently, Kearney served as head coach of the Bellevue (Wash.) High School  boys’ swimming and diving teams, as well as aquatics director and head coach for Overlake Golf & Country Club. At Bellevue, Kearney led the squad to a 7-2 dual meet record, a sixth-place finish at the conference championships, a third-place finish at districts and a seventh-place finish at the state championships. His team more than doubled the number of individual state qualifiers from the previous season.  At Overlake, Kearney compiled a 4-1 record and led the Otters to their first Division III A-Dual Meet Championship in eight years.

In addition to his collegiate and high school coaching experience, Kearney has served as a club coach, masters’ coach, summer aquatics director and as a coach at various swim camps.

Kalamazoo swimmers earn Scholar All-American honors
Several members of the Kalamazoo College men's and women's swimming and diving teams have been recognized by the College Swimming Coaches Association of America. Katie Stefl, Katy Knoechel, Ryan Booms, Bobby Dekker, Brian Bazzell and Craig Fleming have been named CSCAA Scholar All-Americans. Erin Campbell, Kaitlin Weeks and Danielle Williams have been recognized as CSCAA Honorable Mention Scholar All-Americans. In addition, the men's and women's teams have been recognized as CSCAA Scholar All-American teams as the men's team had a 3.24 cumulative GPA and the women's team had a 3.33 cumulative GPA.

Bobby Dekker, Ryan Booms earn CoSIDA Academic All-District honors
Kalamazoo College swimmers Bobby Dekker and Ryan Booms have been selected to the 2008-09 CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District IV Men's At-Large First Team. To be nominated, a student-athlete must be a starter or important reserve with at least a 3.30 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) at his/her current institution. Academic All-District honorees are selected by sports information directors at colleges and universities within the district. Academic All-District First Team selections automatically advance to the national ballot for Academic All-America consideration. The At-Large program features candidates from 12 different sports. Bobby Dekker, a senior from Rochester Hills, Mich. (Rochester HS), earned All-MIAA honors all four years as a Hornet. He won MIAA championships in 12 individual and relay events during his career. Dekker set MIAA records in the 200 IM and as a member of four relay teams. He earned All-American honors as a member of two relay teams as well as Honorable Mention All-American honors six other times. The biology major was also recently awarded a prestigous NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. Ryan Booms, a senior English major from Commerce Township (Walled Lake Central HS), earned All-MIAA honors the past three seasons. He won MIAA championships in the 200 breaststroke the past two seasons, and was MIAA champion in the 100 breaststroke this season. In addition, Booms was a member of the MIAA champion and record-setting 400 Medley Relay team. That same 400 Medley Relay team earned All-American honors by finishing sixth at this year's NCAA Division III Championships. Booms earned Honorable Mention All-American honors as a member of the 200 medley relay team that finished ninth.

Bobby Dekker receives NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship
Bobby Dekker, a senior on the Kalamazoo College Men's Swimming and Diving Team, was awarded an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship on Monday. A total of 58 winter sport student-athletes at all levels (29 men and 29 women) will each receive a one-time, nonrenewable grant of $7,500 to be used toward postgraduate studies. The program was created in 1964 to promote and encourage postgraduate education by rewarding the NCAA's most accomplished student-athletes through their participation in championship and/or emerging sports. Dekker earned All-MIAA honors all four years and captured 12 league championships in individual and relay events. He earned All-American honors as a part of two relay teams and Honorable Mention All-American honors six other times. Dekker is the 70th MIAA student-athlete and the 20th from Kalamazoo College to earn an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. List of NCAA Winter Postgraduate Scholars

Men's Swimming finishes 12th in the nation; Women finish 33rd
The Kalamazoo College men's swimming and diving team finished 12th at the NCAA III Championships March 18-21 in Minneapolis, Minn. The Hornets' finish was the best of any MIAA team, and the best Kalamazoo finish since 2004. On Saturday, the Men's 400 Free Relay (Bazzell, Ellis, Dekker, Fleming) earned honorable mention All-America honors with a ninth place finish (3:01.36). Craig Fleming also earned honorable mention All-America honors by finishing 14th in the 100 Freestyle (:45.25). Brian Bazzell finished 22nd (:45.56). Ryan Booms broke a school record and finished 18th in the 200 Breaststroke (2:04.06). Paul Ellis finished 35th in the 200 Backstroke (1:54.78). The Kalamazoo women's team finished 33rd overall. On Saturday, Katie Grue broke a school record while finishing 36th in the 200 Backstroke (2:09.88). Championships Web Site - Complete Results