Calvin Men’s Swimming & Diving Posts 4 All-America Swims on Day 3 of NCAA III Championships

Prelims Results / Championships Results

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The Calvin males’s swimming and diving group got here up with 4 All-American swims on Friday on the NCAA III Championships to bump its level whole to 84 factors, good for 12^th place within the group standings.

The Knights have been led by the one-two punch of senior Charles Platt (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove North HS) and freshman Jackson Merkel (Grandville, Mich./Grandville HS).

Both people claimed All-America (top-eight) honors within the 100 backstroke with Platt taking third with a school-record time of 46.68 within the championship finals with Merkel putting fifth with a career-best time of 47.32. The All-America swim was the second in as many nights for Platt in a person occasion, becoming a member of the third place end he achieved the evening earlier than within the 200 freestyle. His third place end is the second-best particular person end by a Calvin males’s swimmer within the race, surpassed solely by the second place end by Mike Lubbers in 1996. Platt truly broke his earlier faculty file within the morning prelims with a time of 46.95 that was good for the highest seed within the championship finals. He then dropped practically three-tenths of a second within the championship last, ending in third place.

Merkel positioned fourth within the morning prelims in a time of 47.63, a tenth of a second off his previous-best time set main off the 400 medley relay Wednesday evening. He then cranked out a career-best effort of 47.32 for a fifth place particular person end, marking the primary time Calvin has had two of its swimmers place within the top-eight championship finals within the race on the nationwide meet.

Earlier within the meet, Merkel, senior Caleb Gemmen (Mentor, Oh./Home School), freshman David Gabrielle (Bethlehem, Pa./Liberty HS) and Platt positioned 13^th within the 200 medley relay in a time of 1:28.39 that earned the group Division III Second Team All-America honors.

Calvin’s 800 freestyle relay group of junior Ryan Halberg (Novi, Mich./Northville HS), Merkel, Platt and senior Jacob Ziegler (Toledo, Oh./St. John’s Jesuit HS) then positioned 11^th in a time of 6:36.59 that additionally earned the group Division III Second Team All-America honors.

Gemmen additionally competed within the prelims of the 100 breaststroke, putting 28^th in 55.56.

COACHES COMMENT: “Solid night and fought hard,” stated Calvin head swimming and diving coach Dan Gelderloos. “We didn’t hold all of our seed (places) but swam several best times and a school record tonight. We fought all night long and that is all you can ask.”

NEXT UP: The last day of competitors will start with prelims on Saturday at 10 a.m. with championship finals to observe at 6 p.m.

 

Calvin Men’s Swimming & Diving 100 Backstroke NCAA III All-Americans

2^nd     Mike Lubbers                 1996

5^th      Mike Lubbers                 1995

6^th      Mike Lubbers                 1994

7^th      Mike Lubbers                 1993

4^th      Ben Holstege                  2019

sixteenth   Noah Holstege                2023

tenth    Charles Platt                   2024

sixth      David Bajwa                    2024

ninth     Charles Platt                    2025 

fifth     Jackson Merkel                2026

third     Charles Platt                    2026