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

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Olivet College men's and women's swimming and diving teams continue to stand in fifth- and sixth-place at the 2014 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA), hosted by Calvin College's Venema Aquatic Center in Grand Rapids. The Comet men have totaled 207 points, while the women have 170 points.

The best performance for the men's team in tonight's finals was turned in by sophomore Eric Dawdy (Holt), as he placed third in the 100 backstroke. His time of 52.29 seconds was a personal-best and the third-best time in school history in the event.

The Comets had three swimmers score points in the 100 breaststroke, led by senior Adam Rhein's (Lenard/Romeo) eighth-place finish at 1:00.33. Senior Ben Aldrich (DeWitt/St. Johns) took first in the consolation heat to place ninth overall at 59.33 seconds. Junior Phil Bielak (Brownstown/Woodhaven) was 14th with a lifetime-best time of 1:00.69.

Senior Tyler Russell (Bay City/Central) posted a 10th-place finish in the 400 individual medley with a career-best time of 4:21.10. Freshman Trey Jennings (Grand Haven) was not far behind in 13th-place with a time of 4:26.04.

Junior Jimmy DeRupa (Trenton) finished in 16th-place in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:48.61, while senior Nick Aldrich (DeWitt/St. Johns) had the same 16th-place finish in the 100 butterfly with a time of 54.66 seconds.

The 200 medley relay team of Dawdy, Rhein, Nick Aldrich and Ben Aldrich stopped the clock at 1:37.26 to finish in fifth-place.

Sophomore Kira Gates (Grosse Ile) was the top finisher for the women's team, as she was fourth in the 100 butterfly with a time of 1:00.33. During the prelims, Gates posted a personal-best and fourth-fastest time in school history at 1:00.29. Senior Katie Dobis (Munster, Ind.) was 11th in the 100 butterfly with a career-best time of 1:02.78.

Junior Jazmin Johnson (Grand Rapids/Northview) placed eighth in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:59.52. In the prelims, she posted the second-fastest time in school history at 1:57.44.

Olivet had two swimmers score in the 100 backstroke. Senior Alivia Hammond (Byron Center) finished in 10th-place with a time of 1:01.22, while Dobis was 16th with a time of 1:03.43. Dobis' time was one-hundredth faster than her previous best time in the event.

Hammond, Gates, Dobis and Johnson teamed for a sixth-place finish in the 200 medley relay. Their time was 1:53.84.

Saturday's final day of action gets under way tomorrow morning with preliminaries at 10 a.m., and finals at 5:30 p.m.