It was recently announced that three Bulldog swimmers will represent the University of Redlands at the upcoming NCAA Division III Swimming Championships, which take place March 19-22 at the IU Natatorium in Indianapolis, IN. Redlands advances with two males and one female to this year's season finale.
On the women's side, junior Chandra Lukes (Escondido, CA) returns to the national championships after garnering back-to-back All-American performances during her rookie and sophomore campaigns. This year, she looks forward to competing in the 50 Free as the 17th-fastest qualifier with a time of 23.62. Lukes also gains a spot as one of the optional competitors in the 100 Free (52.53) as she strives to defend her national title in the event, while she will also compete in the 100 Back (57.77) as an optional competitor.
Last year, Lukes racked up 35 points individually to help the Bulldog women finish in 22nd-place at the NCAA Championships.
For the men, junior Jeff Depew (Naperville, IL) aims to three-peat as national champion in the 200 Individual Medley after qualifying with the 11th-fastest entry time of 1:50.93. On top of the 200 IM, Depew will compete in the 200 Fly with the 19th-fastest qualifying time (1:50.38). Additionally, he gains an optional spot in the 400 IM (4:01.77).
Joining Depew on the men's side is senior David Ortyn (Bainbridge Island, WA) who hopes to close out a heralded career with the Maroon and Gray in style. Ortyn qualifies in the 200 Fly with the 11th-fastest entry time (1:49.53), while also joining Depew in the 200 IM with the 20th-fastest qualifying mark (1:51.62). In addition, Ortyn garners an optional spot in the 200 Free (1:41.01).
Last year's Bulldog men registered an impressive ninth-place finish in the team standings with 129.5 points, ranking as the top Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) team at the NCAA Championships.
For a complete list of the NCAA Division III swimming qualifiers, please visit www.ncaa.com.
The 2014 NCAA Championships are hosted by Franklin College and the Indiana Sports Corp. More information will be posted as it becomes available.