Five student-athletes named to 2006 All-MIAA swimming/diving teams

Five Olivet College student-athletes have been named to the 2006 All-Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) swimming and diving teams. Freshman Yury Bylina (Minsk, Belarus), junior Ananta Fetters (Fennville/Holland) and sophomores Dustin Meisner (Temperance/Erie Mason) and Koji Takahashi (Etobicoke, Ontario/Silverthorn CI) were selected to the men's team, while senior Jill Lingbeek (Plainwell) was selected to the women's team. All-MIAA selections are based on a swimmer's performance at the MIAA Championships.

Bylina, Fetters, Meisner and Takahashi led the Comets to their first-ever MIAA Championship Feb. 9-11 at Jenison High School. All four took first-place in an individual event: Bylina, 400 individual medley (4:10.32); Fetters, 100 butterfly (:52.18); Meisner, 200 breaststroke (2:04.61); and Takahashi, 200 butterfly (1:56.84).

Bylina finished second in the 200 butterfly and fifth in the 200 individual medley. Fetters recorded third- and fourth-place finishes in the 100 backstroke and 200 butterfly, respectively. Meisner, who earned All-MIAA honors in 2005, was the runner-up in the 100 breaststroke and fifth in the 100 butterfly. His times in the 100 and 200 breaststroke were NCAA Championships provisional cuts. Takahashi placed fourth in the 100 butterfly.

Fetters, Meisner and Takahashi were also a part of the first-place 200 medley relay and second-place 400 medley relay. Fetters also swam a leg of the second-place 200 freestyle relay.

The 2006 NCAA Division III Men's Swimming and Diving Championships are March 16-18 at the University of Minnesota.

Lingbeek, a three-time All-MIAA selection, led the Olivet women to an all-time best third-place finish at the MIAA Championships. She repeated as conference champion in the 100 backstroke (:59.11) and was second in both the 100 and 200 butterfly. Her time of 57.15 seconds in the 100 butterfly automatically qualified her for the 2006 NCAA Division III Women's Swimming and Diving Championships March 9-11 at the University of Minnesota. Lingbeek also swam a leg of four relays. The highest finishing relay was the 400 medley, which placed second.

The Comets' head coach is Dave Stubbs.