GRANVILLE, Ohio (January 6, 2024) – Following its win in the Denison Invitational last month that featured wins over the then-No. 3-ranked team in NCAA Division II, the University of Indianapolis, and the then-No. 1-ranked team in NCAA Division III, Emory University, the Denison University women's swimming & diving team has been elevated to the top spot in the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Division III Top 25 dual meet poll.

Swimming long course meters on Saturday, the Big Red again took on Indianapolis, now ranked No. 5 NCAA Division II, and NCAA Division I Cleveland State University in a double dual meet inside the Trumbull Aquatics Center. The Big Red dominated the CSU Vikings 219-77 but fell 195-103 to the UIndy Greyhounds, the 2023 NCAA Division II National Runners-Up. Tara Witkowski, Esme Wright, Drue Thielking, Emily Harris, Kerstyn Johnson and Lu-Si Minnich each recorded a pair of top-three performances for the Big Red.

In the 200 medley relay, Denison's "B" team of Claire Moody, Riley Tofflemire, Amber Croonquist and Phoebe Ferguson finished third at 2:03.14 while the "A" group of Jassy Park, Thielking, Maja Palmroos and Grace Kadlecik was fourth at 2:03.78.

Quinn Brown won the 800 freestyle with a time of 9:33.01 while Witkowski was third at 9:35.71; and then Wright finished second in the 200 freestyle with a time of 2:13.01 while Annie Pfeufer was fifth at 2:16.96.

Next up, Park finished in sixth place in the 100 backstroke with a time of 1:10.92; and then Tofflemire (1:15.60), Thielking (1:19.13) and Zoe Barclay (1:19.40) finished in order between second and fourth place in the 100 breaststroke.

In the 200 butterfly, Harris was third with a time of 2:26.61 while Nikki Barnas (2:33.25) and Emma Pritchett (2:34.03) finished back-to-back in fifth and sixth place.

Ferguson (28.58) and Kadlecik (28.59) finished only .01 seconds away from each other in fifth and sixth place, respectively, in the 50 freestyle. Ferguson then followed that up with a second-place time of 1:01.95 in the 100 freestyle while Pfeufer was fourth at 1:03.57 and Kadlecik was sixth at 1:04.18.

In the 200 backstroke, Harris finished second with a time of 2:28.67 while Claire Moody was fifth at 2:33.47; and then Thielking earned her second third-place finish of the meet with a time of 2:47.34 in the 200 breaststroke.

Witkowski and Brown finished in second and fourth place in the 400 freestyle with times of 4:40.41 and 4:42.33, respectively; and Croonquist and Pritchett were back-to-back in third and fourth place in the 100 butterfly with times of 1:06.49 and 1:06.63.

In the 200 IM, Wright was third at 2:32.81 while Thielking (2:36.31) and Maria Mrosko (2:37.90) finished back-to-back in sixth and seventh.

In the final event, the 400 freestyle relay, Denison's "A" team of Ferguson, Kadlecik, Harris and Pfeufer was third at 4:07.06 while the "C" team of Brown, Kelly Derasmo, Jena Lawlor and Palmroos finished fifth at 4:15.30.

Johnson (229.50), Alexis Radhakrishnan (221.00) and Minnich (219.65) finished first through third, respectively, in the 1-meter dive. Then in the 3-meter, Minnich (226.40) was second, Johnson (223.70) was third and Radhakrishnan (209.50) was fifth.

The Big Red will return to action on Saturday, January 13, when they travel to Pittsburgh for the Carnegie Mellon University Quad Meet.

Final Results