GREENSBORO, N.C. (March 20, 2024) – Thanks to three top-fives finishes, including a runner-up performance in the 200 medley relay, Denison University sits in first place through four events at the 2024 NCAA Division III Women's Swimming & Diving Championship from the Greensboro Aquatic Center. Kenyon College is second with 84 points, 11 points behind Denison with 95 points.

Tara Witkowski finished third in the prelims of the 500 freestyle with a time of 4:53.52 while Quinn Brown also made the A Final and was sixth in the prelims with a time of 4:5513. Making the B Final with a 15th-place finish of 4:59.43 in the prelims was Taryn Wisner, the 2022 national champion in the event and the 2023 runner-up.

In the end of the 500 freestyle, Witkowski remained in third place in the finals with a time of 4:51.10, marking her third straight third-place finish and fourth All-American performance in the event.

Brown, meanwhile, moved up to finish in fifth place with a time of 4:52.26, marking her second straight All-American performance in the event after finishing 15th as a freshmen last year.

In the B Final of the 500 freestyle, Wisner finished second (10th overall) with a time of 4:54.60. With two simmers in the A Final another Big Red swimmer in the consolation finals, Denison took the early team lead with 37 points, followed closely by Kenyon in second with 29 points.

Denison put three swimmers into the B Final in the 200 IM, led by Phoebe Ferguson (2:04.33) in ninth place while Drue Thielking (2:04.53) and Esme Wright (2:04.54) finished back-to-back in 12th and 13th place, respectively. Then in the finals, Ferguson (2:03.58) was 10th overall (second in the B Final) while Wright (2:05.04) was 12th and Thielking (2:05.42) was 14th. The Owls took over the team lead with 56 points, while Denison sat in second with 52 points after two events.

Grace Kadlecik was Denison's lone swimmer to qualify for the finals in the 50 freestyle, finishing ninth in the prelims with a time of 23.24 seconds before staying in ninth place to win the B Final at 23.21 seconds. The Big Red recaptured the team lead with 61 points, while Kenyon moved to second with 56 points.

In the 200 medley relay, Kadlecik anchored Denison's group of Jassy Park, Riley Tofflemire and Ferguson to a first-place finish of 1:41.10 in the prelims. Then in the finals, the Big Red finished second at 1:40.40 while MIT earned the win with a time of 1:39.67. The Big Red quartet earned 34 points in the team standings to remain in first with 95 points after night one, while the Owls earned 18 points to remain in second with 84 points.

Denison will return to the Greensboro Aquatic Center on Thursday, March 21, for day two of the NCAA Division III Championships, where they will compete in the 200 free relay, 400 IM, 100 fly, 200 free, one-meter dive and the 400 medley relay. Preliminaries begin at 10 a.m. followed by finals at 6 p.m.
 
First-Team All-Americans (Top-8):
Tara Witkowski – 3rd place in the 500 freestyle – 4:51.10
Quinn Brown – 5th place in the 500 freestyle – 4:52.26
Jassy Park, Riley Tofflemire, Phoebe Ferguson and Grace Kadlecik – 2nd place in the 200 medley relay – 1:40.40
 
Second-Team All-Americans (Top-16):
Taryn Wisner – 10th place in the 500 freestyle – 4:54.60
Phoebe Ferguson – 10th place in the 200 IM – 2:03.58
Esme Wright – 12th place in the 200 IM – 2:05.04
Drue Thielking – 14th place in the 200 IM – 2:05.42
Grace Kadlecik – 9th place in the 50 freestyle – 23.21
 
Day One Results