Mustangs push for national qualifying times at KCAC Women's Swimming Championship

FREMONT, NEB. – Morningside swimmers traveled to Dillon Family Aquatics Center in Fremont, Neb. to compete in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Swimming Championships. With the last chance to qualify for the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics national championships looming, the pressure was on to surpass qualifying standards.

In the first evening of finals, Mackenzie Campbell, Josie Dike, Makenna Laher, and Grace Holzerland swam a time of 1:42.29 in the 200-yard freestyle relay, good for a sixth place spot on the podium.

In the individual events Kirstin Verplanke swam her way to the consolation finals in the 500-yard freestyle, placing 12th overall with a time of 5:29.21.

In the 200-yard individual medley Holzerland placed 14th in the consolation finals with a time of 2:22.35.

Continuing to the 50-yard freestyle sprint, Laher and Dike placed 14th and 15th, with times of 25.61 and 25.71.

To conclude the first day of finals, Maddy Slaughter, Holzerland, Campbell, and Dike had a seventh place spot on the podium in the 400-yard freestyle relay with a time of 4:14.79.

Moving ahead to the finals on day two of the meet, Sydney Lueth was the top Mustang in the consolation finals for the 400-yard individual medley, placing ninth with a time of 5:15.42. Payton Miller and Amber Westerberg placed 11th and 12th in the same event.

Haley Snawerdt was the top Mustang for the 200-yard freestyle, swimming her way to the consolation finals and placing 16th with a time of 2:04.63.

In the 100-yard backstroke event, Slaughter and Lueth placed ninth and 12th in the consolation finals with times of 1:02.81 and 1:05.47.

Finishing the second evening of finals, Verplanke, Snawerdt, Holzerland, and Dike touched the wall in 8:18.92 for a sixth place spot on the podium for the 800-yard freestyle relay.

For the third and final evening of finals, Verplanke went the distance and swam to the seventh place spot on the podium for the 1650-yard freestyle with a time of 19:08.49.

In the 100-yard freestyle event Dike and Campbell placed 12th and 16th with times of 55.77 and 57.09.

Holzerland swam a time of 2:38.59 in the 200-yard breaststroke, good for an eighth place spot on the podium.

In the final event, the 400-yard freestyle relay, Laher, Campbell, Holzerland, and Dike swam a time of 3:46.01, good for a fifth place spot on the podium.

After an outstanding three days of swimming, the Morningside women's team scored 222 points putting them in eighth place among team scores. The Mustangs have one more chance to achieve national cuts at Midland's Last Chance Meet on Feb.14.