BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The South Dakota Women's Swimming and Diving Team recorded three more All-American performances and finished ninth in the team standings as the NCAA Division II Championships concluded on Saturday at the Burt Flickinger Athletic Center in Buffalo, N.Y.
The ninth-place team finish by the Coyotes women's team is the second-best in school history (eighth, 2006, 1999). The Coyotes scored 25.5 more points in 2007 than its eighth-place finish of a year ago and the 193.5 points is the most-ever by a USD women's squad at the NCAA DII nationals. It is the second straight top-10 finish at nationals by the Coyotes women's squad and head coach Jason Mahowald.
The Coyotes have made 18 appearances at nationals and collected its third-ever top-10 finish. The other USD team totals at nationals include: 1985, 20th, 58; 1990, 24th, 1; 1991, 17th, 38; 1992, 19th, 34; 1993, 18th, 27; 1994, 22nd, 23; 1995, 19th, 25.5; 1996, 12th, 106; 1997, 18th, 38; 1998, 11th, 109.5; 1999, 8th, 117; 2001, 25th, 14.5; 2002, 17th, 37; 2003, 15th, 65; 2004, 15th, 55; 2005, 16, 53; 2006, 8th, 168; 2007, 9th, 193.5.
Leading the way for the Coyotes was its women's diving group that placed two in the top-six of the 3-meter diving competition with junior Jill Smolczyk of Omaha, Neb., claiming third with 409.15 points and junior Emilie Kluth of Columbus, Neb., recording a career-best performance of fifth-place finish with 395.65 points on that board. It was Smolczyk's second top-four finish in diving at the championships (third, 1-meter board) and she now has four career All-American honors in diving. Kluth earned her first career All-American honor. In addition, freshman Kasey Anderson of Owatonna, Minn., was 18th with 173 points.
Megan Gordon, a junior from Grand Rapids, Minn., also garnered All-American honors with a seventh-place finish in the 200 backstroke by clocking a 2:06.11. Gordon recorded her second individual All-American honors at the championships and now has six in her career.
The Coyotes finished 12th in the women's 400 free relay with a 3:33.54 which earned the squad honorable mention All-American honors. The team included sophomore Stacy Bjorlie of Austin, Minn.; Jenny Kohlbrand, a junior from Newcastle, Wyo.; Erin Wagoner, a sophomore from Newcastle, Wyo., and Leita Rolfe, a junior from Newcastle, Wyo.
Rolfe also earned honorable mention All-American honors in the 200 breaststroke with a 16th-place finish and a clocking of 2:26.34.
Drury won the women's team race with 646.5 points. The top 10 teams included: 1. Drury, 646.5; 2. Truman State, 518; 3. UC-San Diego, 318; 4. West Chester, 282; 5. North Dakota, 265.5; 6. Indianapolis, 256; 7. Ouachita Baptist, 245; 8. Clarion, 243; 9. South Dakota, 193.5; 10. Wayne State (Mich.), 139.
The Coyote men's team led by a pair of All-American performances from diver Cole Moir, a senior from Cody, Wyo., finished 23rd in the team standings with 29 team points.
In total, USD had 12 All-American performances and earned a total of 17 All-American honors (counting both members of relays and individual events). The Coyotes had another seven honorable mention All-American honors.
