PHILLIPS THIRD ON 1 METER AT NCAA’S
(Indianapolis, Indiana): Clarion men’s diver Kevan Phillips (So. Monroeville – Gateway) placed third tonight in the one meter diving competition to lead the Clarion Men’s Swimming and Diving team at the NCAA Division II National Championships.
In the men’s team race at nationals Drury is in first place with 300 points, Cal-Bakersfield second with 273 and North Dakota third with 179.5. Clarion is in 12th place with 54 points.
Phillips, a sophomore, placed third on one meter with 442.60 points, while teammates Zack Saeger (Palm) and Sean Clark (Sr. Bakersfield, Ca.) were fifth and thirteenth respectively. Saeger tallied 405.75 points, while Clark had 356.55. Sean Ogren of Cal-Bakersfield won the competition with 472.95 points.
In the women’s championship Truman State leads the competition with 322 points, Drury is second with 241 and Cal San Diego third with 232. Clarion moved up to ninth place with 69 points.
On Thursday night two Clarion relays scored points. The 400 medley relay team of Lori Leitzinger, Denise Simens, Brehan Heebner and Sari Cattoni finished ninth with a time of 3:57.48, while the 200 free relay team of Brittany Hanzl, Leitzinger, Stacy Ogden and Kristy Clarke were 13th with a time of 1:38.47.
In individual events the Golden Eagles Brehan Heebner placed 11th in the 100 butterfly with a time of 57.74.
The Division II Nationals will continue with finals each night through Saturday. Individual event champions are crowned each night and the team champions declared Saturday night.
CLARION NOTES: Phillips had his best showing at nationals on one meter… He was 8th last year on one meter … Clark’s 13th finish was his first national placing on one meter and this is Saeger’s first trip… Coming up on Friday is Jamie Wolf’s attempt to win her second national title this year … she won three meter on Wednesday and will be trying to win on one meter Friday.