BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The South Dakota Women's Swimming and Diving Team had three All-American performances as the Coyotes moved into sixth-place in the team standings on Thursday at the NCAA Division II Swimming and Diving Championships in Buffalo, N.Y.
South Dakota has recorded 128.50 points for sixth-place behind leader Drury who leads the women's team standings with 317. The top 10 women's squads include: 1. Drury, 317; 2. Truman State, 263; 3. UC-San Diego, 164; 4. West Chester, 155; 5. Indianapolis, 151; 6. South Dakota, 128.50; 7. North Dakota, 122.50; 8. Ouachita Baptist, 109; 9. Clarion, 102; 10. Wingate, 74. The Coyotes have the highest team point total among all NCC teams.
Leading the way for the Coyotes was Jill Smolczyk, a junior from Omaha, Neb., who finished third in the women's 1-meter diving competition. Smolczyk scored 360.50 points and the third-place finish is the best of her career. She now has three career All-American honors. In addition, USD received honorable mention All-American performances on the 1-meter board from Emilie Kluth, a junior from Columbus, Neb.; and Kasey Anderson, a freshman from Owatonna, Minn. Kluth's scored 318.50 points for 10th-place while Anderson was 11th with 309.65 points. USD's diving team recorded a combined 29 team points.
Sophomore Erin Wagoner of Newcastle, Wyo., secured two All-American honors on Thursday. She had a seventh-place performance in the 100 butterfly with a clocking of 57.38 in the finals. However, Wagoner broke her own school record with a time of 56.51 in the prelims of the 100 butterfly.
Then, Wagoner was part of the Coyotes' eighth-place 200 freestyle relay that clocked a 1:38.57. Other members of the squad included Jenny Kohlbrand, a junior from Newcastle, Wyo.; Angela Bergmann, a freshman from Grand Rapids, Minn.; and sophomore Stacy Bjorlie of Austin, Minn. Bjorlie now has seven career All-American honors. Bergmann earned her first career All-American honor while Kohlbrand now has two career All-American honors.
USD's 400 medley relay finished ninth and earned honorable mention All-American honors with a clocking of 3:56.84. The team included Megan Gordon, a junior from Grand Rapids, Minn.; Leita Rolfe, a junior from Newcastle, Wyo.; Wagoner and Bjorlie.
Rolfe also finished 14th and earned honorable mention All-American honors with a clocking of 4:35.46 in the 400 IM.
The Coyote men's team is 23rd with 14 team points.
The national meet will continue on Friday from the Burt Flickinger Athletic Center.
