Men’s swimming and diving team wins 2006 MIAA Championship, women’s team finishes in third-place

Under the direction of Head Coach Dave Stubbs, the Olivet College men's swimming and diving team won the 2006 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) Championship, which concluded Saturday evening at Jenison High School. The Comets edged Hope College by 27 points, 559-532, to win their first-ever swimming and diving championship.

In the MIAA, the last time a school other than Hope or Kalamazoo won the MIAA championship was 1971 when Albion College claimed the title. The Comets last won a conference championship in a sport other than men's golf in 1974.

Overall, Olivet took first-place in five events. The individual winners were Yury Bylina (Minsk, Belarus), 400-yard individual medley; Ananta Fetters (Fennville/Holland), 100-yard butterfly; Dustin Meisner (Temperance/Erie Mason), 200-yard breaststroke; and Koji Takahashi (Etobicoke, Ontario/Silverthorn CI), 200-yard butterfly.

The Comets' 200-yard medley relay team of Fetters, Meisner, Takahashi and Mitch Powers (Kalamazoo/Central) took the top honors. Prior to this win, Olivet had never taken first-place in a relay. This quartet was also second in the 400-yard medley relay with a NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time.

Meisner recorded a NCAA Championships provisional time in the 100 and 200 breast events. Bylina had a NCAA provisional time in the 400 IM. They will find out in a few weeks if their cuts will give them a trip to the 2006 NCAA Division III National Championships March 16-18. A year ago, Meisner earned honorable mention All-American honors with a 12th-place finish in both the 100 and 200 breast at the national championships.

The Olivet women placed an all-time best third at the MIAA Championships. The Comets tallied 373 points, which were 98.5 points ahead of Kalamazoo College. Calvin College was first with 621.5 points, followed by Hope College (487).

Leading the way for Olivet was Jill Lingbeek (Plainwell). She repeated as conference champion in the 100-yard backstroke and was the runner-up in the 100- and 200-yard butterfly. Her time in the 100 fly was a NCAA Championships automatic cut, while her time in the 100 back was a NCAA Championships provisional cut. Lingbeek will compete in the 2006 NCAA Division III Championships March 9-11. Last year, she earned honorable mention All-American honors in the 100 back (11th) and 100 fly (16th).

Amy Johnson (Gaylord), Kalee Redder (Grandville/Jenison) and Erin Tramper (Jenison) joined with Lingbeek for a NCAA Championships provisional time in the 400-yard medley relay.