Norse Capture Fourth Consecutive Liberal Arts Championship
Feb. 24, 2008
The men's swimming and diving team established 12 school records and posted 11 B-Cut qualifying marks, en route to a fourth consecutive Liberal Arts Championship and sixth in school history. Principia College (OH) hosted the three-day meet Feb. 21-23.
The Norse posted a team total of 999 points, finishing 502 points ahead of runner-up Lindenwood University with 487. Loras College was third at 420 points.
Three relay teams placed first and posted B-Cut qualifying times. B-Cut means that an athlete or relay team, has provisionally qualified for the national finale and may be granted an invitation to participate. The NCAA Division III National Swimming and Diving Championships will be hosted by the College of Wooster (OH) March 20-22.
The foursome of Taylor Nelson, Eric Crawford, Ben Skutnik and Cameron Webb posted a time of (1:23.19) in the 200 freestyle relay. Bryan Perrott, Michael Pettengill, Spencer Robbins and Webb won the 400 medley relay (3:27.43). The 800 freestyle relay squad of Robbins, Perrott, John Williams and Webb was clocked at (6:55.75). All three of these times were also new school records.
The 200 medley relay of Perrott, Pettengill, Crawford and Skutnik posted a B-Cut time of (1:34.02) in the prelims, but was disqualified in the finals.
The 200 freestyle relay is currently ranked seventh in the nation, while the 800 freestyle relay and 400 medley relay are ranked 10th and 12th respectively. The 200 medley is ranked 14th.
The 400 freestyle relay set a school record with a time of (3:08.91). This foursome included Nelson, Perrott, Crawford and Robbins.
Nelson, Skutnik, Robbins, Webb, and Pettengill all posted individual B-Cut qualifying times. Nelson qualified in the 50 freestyle (20.94), which is also a new school record. Nelson posted this time in the first leg of the 200 freestyle relay. Skutnik placed third in the 50 freestyle (21.13), while Robbins won the 200 butterfly (1:53.40). Webb's B-Cut mark was recorded in the 200 freestyle (1:42.42). Both Robbins' mark in the 200 fly and Webb's time in the 200 free, were also new school records. Webb also posted a B-Cut time in the 50 freestyle (21.14).
Pettengill, who was a national qualifier a year ago, won both the 100 breaststroke (57.51) and the 200 breaststroke (2:06.79). Pettengill actually posted a faster qualifying time in the prelims of the 200 breaststroke (2:05.63) which ranks 11th in the nation and is a new school record.
Individual school records were established by Webb, Perrott, Nelson, and Alex Eganhouse. Webb set a new mark in the 500 freestyle (4:41.38) during the preliminaries of this event. Perrott, who placed first in the 200 IM (1:57.05), 100 backstroke (53.66) and the 200 backstroke (1:54.79), established a new school record in the 200 backstroke. Nelson won the 100 freestyle (46.96), while Eganhouse did the same in three-meter diving (460.70).
Post meet awards were presented to Bryan Perrott who was named the Swimmer of the Meet, and Eganhouse who was named Diver of the Meet. Head Coach Lance Huber was named Coach of the Meet and Dave Happel was named Diving Coach of the Meet.
