HOUSTON -- Samantha Kephart and Natalie Turner posted All-American finishes in their final events at the NCAA Division III Women's Swimming and Diving Championships on Saturday evening at the University of Houston Aquatic Center.
Kephart (Jr., Santa Maria, Calif.) placed third 200 Fly with a time of 2:03.06, just behind winner Marika Ross of Middlebury who won with a time of 2:02.26 and Leigh Psaris of Emory (2:02.71). Kephart, who won the event while setting a new DIII record of 2:00.15 last season, managed to nearly defend her title after spending most of this season recovering from a severe back injury suffered over the summer. Turner (Fr., South Lake Tahoe, Calif.) finished seventh in the 1,650 Free with a time of 17:21.04, breaking one of Whitworth's oldest school records in the process. She bettered the mark of 17:30.96 set by Nani Blake in 1993. Jaime Straub of Kenyon won the event with a time of 17:00.08. Both Kephart and Turner scored in all three of their individual events. And each earned All-America (top-8) honors in two. The pair have combined to score 69 points in the meet, finishing 14th in the team standings. Kenyon (OH) won its 21st NCAA title. Next week Whitworth's David Dolphay (Jr., Great Falls, Mont.) will represent the Pirates at the NCAA Division III Men's Swimming and Diving Championships, which will also take place at the University of Houston. He will compete in the 500-yard Freestyle (Thursday), the 200-yard Freestyle (Friday) and the 1,650-yard Freestyle (Saturday). |
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