The Denison women's swimming and diving team closed out the final night of the 2016 North Coast Athletic Conference Championship with two more event championships but for the first time since 2008, the Big Red did not come away with the team title. Denison would finish second with 1,787.5 points while Kenyon took home the title with 1,957.5 points.
The highlight of the night for Denison came in the final event, the 400 free relay, as Carolyn Kane, Ashley Yearwood, Kate Wright and Mary Van Leuven broke their own meet record and Trumbull Aquatics Center record with a winning time of 3:22.65. That was also a new season-best time for the Big Red relay.
In the 200 butterfly, Halli Garza won her second-straight conference title in the event with a pool record time of 2:02.40. Emily Eiben placed third in 2:06.88 while Stephanie Munoz won the B-Final in 2:10.86. Garza, who is already the school record-holder in the event. This was her third NCAC title of her career.
The 1,650 free started off the night. Last year's champion, Campbell Costley, placed third in 16:58.39 while Taylor Johns took home fourth in 16:58.47. Alex Elizeus in sixth-place rounded out the top finishers for the Big Red in the mile. She completed the race in 17:27.06. The winner of the 1,650 was Angela Newlon of DePauw who broke Costley's conference record with a time of 16:29.39.
The 100 free saw DU go 2-3-4 in the championship final as Carolyn Kane led the way in 50.84. Van Leuven placed third in 50.91 while Yearwood took fourth in 51.39. Van Leuven's time was a season-best 'B' cut swim.
Marissa Bednarek was the runner-up in the 200 breaststroke after touching in 2:18.23. Marisa Pulaski logged an all-conference finish by taking third in 2:18.45. That was a season-best 'B' cut time. Another season-best time would come from Ellen Higdon in 2:22.36. That landed her in fifth place in the event. In the B-Final, Leigh Hartog finished third in the heat and 12th overall in 2:29.67.
The swimming was rounded out by Kate Wright and Libby Dalziel who went 5-6 in the 200 back. Wright posted a season-best time of 2:05.49.
On the women's 3-meter board, Denison's Emma Weber finished second with an 11-dive score of 407.55. Junior Katherine Hennigan posted a score of 369.75 to place fifth and first-year Evan Vivero finished eighth with a score of 353.00.
Denison won seven of 20 events at this year's championship. There was 21 all-conference performances (top-3) and 50 championship heat swims (top-9). Denison has finished first or second at the NCAC Championship 28 times.
