Men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams sit in fifth and sixth at 2014 MIAA Championships

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – After the second day of the 2014 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) Swimming and Diving Championships at Calvin College's Venema Aquatic Center, the Olivet College men's team sits in fifth-place with 127 points, while the women are in sixth-place with 102 points.

Freshman Bryce Prudden (Charlotte) posted the men's team top finish. He placed fourth in the one-meter diving, scoring 373.40 points. The point total was 71 points ahead of the fifth-place diver.

Senior Ben Aldrich (DeWitt/St. Johns) won the "B" final of the 50 freestyle to finish ninth overall. His time of 20.96 seconds was a career-best and the third fastest in school history. If Aldrich had swum in the "A" final, the time would have placed him second.

Three Comets swam in the consolation finals of the 500 freestyle. Junior Jimmy DeRupa (Trenton) was third in the heat to finish 11th overall (4:54.17). Senior Korey Mervenne (Jenison) and freshman Trey Jennings (Grand Haven) were 13th and 16th, respectively with times of 4:57.25 and 5:08.18.

Sophomore Taylor Howard (Fort Wayne, Ind./Homestead) placed 12th in the 200 individual medley, stopping the clock at 1:59.57. Senior Tyler Russell (Bay City/Central) finished 14th in the 200 IM with a time of 2:00.00.

Both Olivet relays placed fifth. DeRupa, Howard, junior Phil Bielak (Brownstown/Woodhaven) and Aldrich worked together for a time of 1:27.18 in the 200 freestyle relay. Sophomore Eric Dawdy (Holt), Howard, Russell and Bielak swam on the 400 medley relay, and their time was 3:36.24.

Junior Jazmin Johnson (Grand Rapids/Northview) had the women's top individual performance, as she was sixth in the 50 freestyle with a time of 24.59 seconds. It was a career-best for Johnson and the third fastest 50 free time in school history. Sophomore Kira Gates (Grosse Ile) finished 11th in the 200 individual medley with a lifetime best time of 2:16.81.

The 200 freestyle relay quartet of senior Milie Funk (Olivet), senior Alivia Hammond (Byron Center), senior Katie Dobis (Munster, Ind.) and Johnson placed fifth with a time of 1:41.23, which was .76 seconds faster than sixth-place Alma. The 400 medley relay team of Hammond, Gates, Dobis and Funk was sixth with a time of 4:14.45.

Freshman Allyson Schultz (Traverse City/Central) was 14th on the three-meter diving board, scoring 270.90 points.

Friday's third day of competition starts tomorrow morning with preliminaries in 13 events at 10 a.m., and finals in the those same events, starting at 5:30 p.m.