The Emory University women’s swimming and diving team
continued to solidify its position as the top program in the
country during the 2011-12 season, winning the NCAA Division III
Championship for the third-straight year.
The Eagles put together a dominating wire-to-wire victory at the
National Championship meet, scoring 639 points to best second-place
Williams College (453 points) and third-place Denison University
(420 points). In addition to being the squad’s
third-straight NCAA Title, it was the fifth overall for the
program, each of which has come during the last eight years.
Emory sophomore Sadie Nennig claimed the lone
individual National Championship for the Eagles, winning the
200-yard backstroke and marking the third-straight year an Eagle
has won the event at the Division III title meet. Emory also
took home titles in three of the five relays at the meet, including
wins from 200-yard freestyle relay team of junior Renee
Rosenkranz, junior Anna Dobben, junior
Ann Wolber and senior Claire
Pavlak, the 400-yard freestyle relay of Rosenkranz,
Dobben, freshman Nancy Larson and Pavlak, and the
200-yard medley relay of Nennig, senior Jennifer
Aronoff, junior Leslie Hackler and
Pavlak. Pavlak’s three National Championships during
the meet gave her nine for her career, the most in the
program’s history, and her 20 career all-America honors rank
her second in the program’s annals.
Dobben and Pavlak each paced the Eagles with six all-America
certificates apiece. In her first year as an Eagle,
Dobben’s top finishes came with a second-place showing in the
100-yard backstroke, a third-place finish in the 100-yard
freestyle, and a sixth-place finish in the 50-yard freestyle.
Individually, Pavlak claimed third in the 50-yard freestyle and
fifth in the 100-yard freestyle. Nennig added a second-place
finish in the 200-yard individual medley, while senior
Whitley Taylor was second in the 200-yard
freestyle. The Eagles’ 800-yard freestyle relay of
senior Anne Culpepper, Larson, Dobben and Taylor
also finished second at the NCAA Championships, while the 400-yard
medley relay team of Nennig, Arnoff, Hackler and Pavlak claimed
third-place. Culpepper finished fourth in both the 200-yard
backstroke and 500-yard freestyle, joining former Eagles Tess
Pasternak (2006-09), Ruth Westby (2007-10) and Liz Horvat (2008-11)
to earn all-America honors in the same two events all four eligible
seasons. Emory swimmers totaled 23 individual all-America
certificates, five all-America finishes in relays, and 17
all-America honorable mention certificates.
Nennig set a pair of program records for the Eagles during the
season, swimming a time of 55.22 seconds in the 100-yard backstroke
at the University Athletic Association (UAA) Championships, and a
mark of 2:02.78 in the 200-yard individual medley at the NCAA
Championships. Emory’s NCAA Championship-winning
400-yard freestyle relay team also set a school record with a time
of 3:22.02 in the event.
Immediately following the NCAA Championships, Pavlak was able to
qualify for the Olympic Trials in the 50-meter freestyle with a
long-course time of 26.29 seconds in the event. At the trials
in Omaha, Nebraska on July 1st, Pavlak finished seventh
in her heat and 116th out of the 154 competitors in the
50-meter freestyle with a time of 26.66 seconds.
In February, the Eagles claimed their 14th-straight
conference title and 20th overall at the 2012 UAA
Championships, hosted by Case Western Reserve University in
Cleveland, Ohio. The Eagles scored 2,112 points during the
meet (the second most scored by a team during UAA competition),
finishing ahead of second-place Chicago (1,288 points) and
third-place Case (1,153.5 points). Nennig was named the UAA
Swimmer of the Year, after not only winning all five events she
competed in at the meet, but also setting new conference records in
each. Individually, Nennig won UAA Championships in the
200-yard individual medley, the 100-yard backstroke and the
200-yard backstroke, in addition to swimming the backstroke leg on
Emory’s winning 200-yard medley and 400-yard medley
relays. It marked the 13th time that an Emory
swimmer has been named the UAA Women’s Swimmer of the
Year.
Freshman McKenna Newsum-Schoenberg became the
seventh Emory woman to be named the UAA Rookie of the Year after
winning the 500-yard freestyle and the 1,650-yard freestyle at the
conference meet. The Eagles’ coaches, led by head coach
Jon Howell, were named the UAA Coaching Staff of
the Year for the second-straight season and sixth time overall,
guiding the Emory women to conference titles in 16 of the 20 events
and 39 all-UAA honors.
Emory finished the regular season with a dual meet record of 3-6,
claiming victories over Division I Tulane University, the Division
II University of Tampa, and the Savannah College of Art &
Design of the NAIA. The Eagles finished second out of eight
teams at the Miami Invitational and second out of nine teams at the
SCAD Invitational.
In addition to the success in the pool during the season for the
Eagles, a number of Emory’s swimmers and divers were
recognized for their academic achievements as well.
Highlighting that group were Pavlak and Culpepper, who were each
selected to the Capital One/ CoSIDA Academic All-America First
Team, and awarded an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. Culpepper
became just the second member of the Emory women’s swimming
and diving team to repeat as an Academic All-America First Team
selection, joining former Eagle Samantha White (2005 and 2006).
The Eagles earned the following honors during the 2011-12
season:
|
NCAA Division III Champions |
||
|
Claire Pavlak |
Rocky River, OH (Hathaway Brown) |
200 Free Relay, 400 Free Relay, 200 Medley Relay |
|
Anna Dobben |
Flossmoor, IL (Homewood-Flossmoor) |
200 Free Relay, 400 Free Relay |
|
Renee Rosenkranz |
Dover Plains, NY (Dover) |
200 Free Relay, 400 Free Relay |
|
Sadie Nennig |
Grafton, WI (Grafton) |
200 Back, 200 Medley Relay |
|
Jennifer Aronoff |
Shaker Heights, OH (The Hawken School) |
200 Medley Relay |
|
Leslie Hackler |
Alpharetta, GA (Centennial) |
200 Medley Relay |
|
Nancy Larson |
Winston-Salem, NC (Mt. Tabor) |
400 Free Relay |
|
Ann Wolber |
Sterling, IL (Sterling) |
200 Free Relay |
|
|
||
|
All-America (Top-Eight Finisher at the NCAA Division III Championships) |
||
|
Anna Dobben |
Flossmoor, IL (Homewood-Flossmoor) |
50 Free, 100 Free, 100 Back, 200 Free Relay, 400 Free Relay, 800 Free Relay |
|
Claire Pavlak |
Rocky River, OH (Hathaway Brown) |
50 Free, 100 Free, 200 Free Relay, 400 Free Relay, 200 Medley Relay, 400 Medley Relay |
|
Sadie Nennig |
Grafton, WI (Grafton) |
100 Back, 200 Back, 200 IM, 200 Medley Relay, 400 Medley Relay |
|
Anne Culpepper |
Warner Robins, GA (Warner Robins) |
200 Free, 500 Free, 200 Back, 800 Free Relay |
|
Renee Rosenkranz |
Dover Plains, NY (Dover) |
50 Free, 100 Free, 200 Free Relay, 400 Free Relay |
|
Jennifer Aronoff |
Shaker Heights, OH (The Hawken School) |
100 Breast, 200 Medley Relay, 400 Medley Relay |
|
Leslie Hackler |
Alpharetta, GA (Centennial) |
200 Medley Relay, 400 Medley Relay |
|
Taryn Lushinsky |
Bethlehem, PA (Liberty) |
200 Back, 400 IM |
|
Courtney McDermott |
Mill Creek, WA (Henry M. Jackson) |
500 Free, 1,650 Free |
|
Mia Michalak |
Collierville, TN (St. George’s Independent) |
200 Breast, 200 IM |
|
Whitley Taylor |
Jenks, OK (Jenks) |
200 Free, 800 Free Relay |
|
Nancy Larson |
Winston-Salem, NC (Mt. Tabor) |
400 Free Relay, 800 Free Relay |
|
McKenna Newsum-Schoenberg |
Centennial, CO (Cherry Creek) |
1,650 Free |
|
Ann Wolber |
Sterling, IL (Sterling) |
200 Free Relay |
|
Brooke Woodward |
Orinda, CA (Miramonte) |
400 IM |
|
|
||
|
All-America Honorable Mention (Finished 9th – 16th at the NCAA Division III Championships) |
||
|
Megan Beach |
Redwood City, CA (Sequoia) |
500 Free, 200 Breast, 400 IM |
|
Leslie Hackler |
Alpharetta, GA (Centennial) |
100 Fly, 200 Fly |
|
Nancy Larson |
Winston-Salem, NC (Mt. Tabor) |
100 Free, 200 Free |
|
Whitley Taylor |
Jenks, OK (Jenks) |
500 Free, 200 Back |
|
Ann Wolber |
Sterling, IL (Sterling) |
50 Free, 200 Free |
|
Brooke Woodward |
Orinda, CA (Miramonte) |
200 Breast, 200 IM |
|
Jennifer Aronoff |
Shaker Heights, OH (The Hawken School) |
200 IM |
|
Mia Michalak |
Collierville, TN (St. George’s Independent) |
400 IM |
|
McKenna Newsum-Schoenberg |
Centennial, CO (Cherry Creek) |
500 Free |
|
Jacqueline Schneider |
Sewickley, PA (Oakland Catholic) |
200 Back |
|
|
||
|
University Athletic Association (UAA) Swimmer of the Year |
||
|
Sadie Nennig |
Grafton, WI (Grafton) |
|
|
|
||
|
UAA Rookie of the Year |
||
|
McKenna Newsum-Schoenberg |
Centennial, CO (Cherry Creek) |
|
|
|
||
|
UAA Coaching Staff of the Year |
||
|
Jon Howell |
Head Coach |
|
|
Cindy Fontana, Chris Marshall, Nick Lake & Andy Diechert |
Assistant Coaches |
|
|
|
||
|
UAA Champion |
||
|
Sadie Nennig |
Grafton, WI (Grafton) |
100 Back, 200 Back, 200 IM, 200 Medley Relay, 400 Medley Relay |
|
Leslie Hackler |
Alpharetta, GA (Centennial) |
100 Fly, 200 Medley Relay, 400 Medley Relay |
|
Jennifer Aronoff |
Shaker Heights, OH (The Hawken School) |
200 Medley Relay, 400 Medley Relay |
|
Anne Culpepper |
Warner Robins, GA (Warner Robins) |
200 Free, 800 Free Relay |
|
Anna Dobben |
Flossmoor, IL (Homewood-Flossmoor) |
100 Free, 400 Free Relay |
|
McKenna Newsum-Schoenberg |
Centennial, CO (Cherry Creek) |
500 Free, 1,650 Free |
|
Jennifer Pak |
Mercer Island, WA (Mercer Island) |
800 Free Relay, 200 Medley Relay |
|
Renee Rosenkranz |
Dover Plains, NY (Dover) |
50 Free, 400 Free Relay |
|
Whitley Taylor |
Jenks, OK (Jenks) |
400 Free Relay, 800 Free Relay |
|
Ann Wolber |
Sterling, IL (Sterling) |
400 Free Relay, 800 Free Relay |
|
Megan Beach |
Redwood City, CA (Sequoia) |
200 Breast |
|
Suzanne Lemberg |
Westfield, NJ (Westfield) |
400 Medley Relay |
|
Taryn Lushinsky |
Bethlehem, PA (Liberty) |
400 IM |
|
Nina Zook |
Issaquah, WA (Skyline) |
200 Fly |
|
|
||
|
All-UAA (Top-Three Finisher at the UAA Championships) |
||
|
Jennifer Aronoff |
Shaker Heights, OH (The Hawken School) |
100 Breast, 200 Breast, 200 IM, 200 Medley Relay, 400 Medley Relay |
|
Sadie Nennig |
Grafton, WI (Grafton) |
100 Back, 200 Back, 200 IM, 200 Medley Relay, 400 Medley Relay |
|
Anne Culpepper |
Warner Robins, GA (Warner Robins) |
200 Free, 500 Free, 200 Back, 800 Free Relay |
|
Anna Dobben |
Flossmoor, IL (Homewood-Flossmoor) |
50 Free, 100 Free, 100 Back, 400 Free Relay |
|
Leslie Hackler |
Alpharetta, GA (Centennial) |
100 Fly, 200 Fly, 200 Medley Relay, 400 Medley Relay |
|
Renee Rosenkranz |
Dover Plains, NY (Dover) |
50 Free, 100 Free, 100 Breast, 400 Free Relay |
|
Whitley Taylor |
Jenks, OK (Jenks) |
200 Free, 200 Back, 400 Free Relay, 800 Free Relay |
|
Megan Beach |
Redwood City, CA (Sequoia) |
500 Free, 200 Breast, 400 IM |
|
Jennifer Pak |
Mercer Island, WA (Mercer Island) |
200 Free, 800 Free Relay, 200 Medley Relay |
|
Ann Wolber |
Sterling, IL (Sterling) |
100 Free, 400 Free Relay, 800 Free Relay |
|
Sarah Greene |
Durham, NC (Riverside) |
1-Meter Dive, 3-Meter Dive |
|
McKenna Newsum-Schoenberg |
Centennial, CO (Cherry Creek) |
500 Free, 1,650 Free |
|
Nina Zook |
Issaquah, WA (Skyline) |
100 Fly, 200 Fly |
|
McKenzie Clark |
Sarasota, FL (Pine View) |
1,650 Free |
|
Suzanne Lemberg |
Westfield, NJ (Westfield) |
400 Medley Relay |
|
Taryn Lushinsky |
Bethlehem, PA (Liberty) |
400 IM |
|
Kylie McKenzie |
Newtown, PA (Pennsbury) |
200 Breast |
|
Claire Pavlak |
Rocky River, OH (Hathaway Brown) |
50 Free |
|
Michelle York |
Chapel Hill, NC (East Chapell Hill) |
200 Fly |
|
|
||
|
Capital One/ CoSIDA Academic All-America At-Large |
||
|
Anne Culpepper |
Warner Robins, GA (Warner Robins) |
First Team |
|
Claire Pavlak |
Rocky River, OH (Hathaway Brown) |
First Team |
|
|
||
|
Capital One/ CoSIDA Academic All-District At-Large |
||
|
Anne Culpepper |
Warner Robins, GA (Warner Robins) |
First Team |
|
Claire Pavlak |
Rocky River, OH (Hathaway Brown) |
First Team |
|
|
||
|
NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship |
||
|
Anne Culpepper |
Warner Robins, GA (Warner Robins) |
|
|
Claire Pavlak |
Rocky River, OH (Hathaway Brown) |
|
The following were the top marks by Emory swimmers and divers during the 2011-12 season:
|
50 Free |
Claire Pavlak |
22.86 |
NCAA Championships |
|
100 Free |
Anna Dobben |
50.52 |
NCAA Championships |
|
200 Free |
Whitley Taylor |
1:50.44 |
NCAA Championships |
|
500 Free |
Anne Culpepper |
4:53.31 |
NCAA Championships |
|
1000 Free |
McKenna Newsum-Schoenberg |
10:23.90 |
vs. Kentucky |
|
1650 Free |
McKenna Newsum-Schoenberg |
16:55.45 |
UAA Championships |
|
100 Back |
Sadie Nennig |
55.22 *E |
UAA Championships |
|
200 Back |
Sadie Nennig |
1:58.86 |
NCAA Championships |
|
100 Breast |
Jennifer Aronoff |
1:04.16 |
NCAA Championships |
|
200 Breast |
Mia Michalak |
2:19.53 |
NCAA Championships |
|
100 Fly |
Leslie Hackler |
55.94 |
NCAA Championships |
|
200 Fly |
Leslie Hackler |
2:03.86 |
NCAA Championships |
|
200 IM |
Sadie Nennig |
2:02.78 *E |
NCAA Championships |
|
400 IM |
Brooke Woodward |
4:22.53 |
Miami Invitational |
|
1m Dive (6 dives) |
Sarah Greene |
281.40 |
vs. Kentucky |
|
1m Dive (11 dives) |
Sarah Greene |
4:03.25 |
UAA Championships |
|
3m Dive (6 dives) |
Sarah Greene |
276.53 |
vs. Kentucky |
|
3m Dive (11 dives) |
Sarah Greene |
430.15 |
UAA Championships |
|
200 Free Relay |
Rosenkranz, Dobben, |
1:32.38 |
NCAA Championships |
|
400 Free Relay |
Rosenkranz, Dobben, |
3:22.02 *E |
NCAA Championships |
|
800 Free Relay |
Culpepper, Larson, |
7:20.46 |
NCAA Championships |
|
200 Medley Relay |
Nennig, Aronoff, |
1:42.27 |
NCAA Championships |
|
400 Medley Relay |
Nennig, Aronoff, |
3:45.74 |
NCAA Championships |
*E – Emory Record