Kalamazoo, Mich. - The Alma College swimming and diving team opened competition against Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association schools on Saturday (Nov. 11), facing Kalamazoo College in a dual meet.
The Hornets won the men's and women's events and captured the meet by a combined score of 387-135. The event was a homecoming of sorts for Head Coach Jason Lintjer, who came to Alma after serving as an assistant coach at Kalamazoo during the 2016-17 season.
Freshman Haven Westra (Jenison, Mich./Jenison) was a double-winner for the Scots, capturing the women's 100 breaststroke and 200 breaststroke events. Sophomore Sydney Louis Ferdinand (Southfield, Mich./Birmingham Groves) and sophomore Cole Malhoit (Canton, Mich./Canton) were also winners as the Scots swept the 1000 freestyle races.
How It Happened
- Haven Westra posted a 1:14.17 in the women's 100 breaststroke, scoring a near three-second victory. She followed that up with a victory in the 200 breast, beating the next swimmer by almost eight seconds with a time of 2:41.42.
- Westra was also a part of the women's 200 medley relay that opened the meet with a second-place finish. The team of Allison Brown, Westra, Kate Lehman and Stephanie Davis finished under two two seconds shy of the winning team from Kalamazoo, finishing the race in 1:59.17.
- Sydney Louis Ferdinand posted a time of 11:40.40 in the women's 1000 freestyle, while Cole Malhoit touched the wall in 11:43.52 in the men's race as both claimed victories. The races featured one swimmer from each school.
- Allison Brown (Spring Lake, Mich./Spring Lake) was second in the women's 100 backstroke with a time of 1:06.02 and also finished second in the 200 back with a mark of 2:24.57.
- Kate Lehman (Haslett, Mich./Haslett) posted a pair of second-place finishes in the women's 200 butterfly (2:24.02) and 100 butterfly (1:03.52). Less than a second separated the top two finishers in the 100 fly race.
- Max Carey (Highland, Mich./International Academy West) was the runner-up in the men's 100 and 200 butterfly races. Carey posted a time of 57.98 in the 100 fly and touched the wall in 2:12.66 in the 200.
- Stephanie Davis (Elmira, Mich./Gaylord) placed third in the women's 50 freestyle as the top three swimmers finished within .74 seconds of one another. Davis also posted a pair of third-place showings on the diving board, competing in the one- and three-meter events.
They Said It
"We had a really solid meet today. Our relays did really well. Haven Westra had a breakout performance. She show us she can compete at a high level in the MIAA." - Head Coach Jason Lintjer
Up Next
Alma will wrap up the first half of its season on Thursday-Saturday, Nov. 30-Dec. 2, when it travels to Kenosha, Wis., for the A3 Carthage Classic on the campus of Carthage College.
