Case Western Reserve University junior Alicia
Kendig became the first CWRU swimmer in over 10 years (since
1992) to become a national champion.
Alicia Kendig
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Kendig, already a two-time All-American (both her freshman
& sophomore years), won a championship in the 500-yard freestyle
(4:58.18) this month at the 2003 NCAA Division III Swimming
& Diving Championships in Atlanta, Ga. (hosted by Emory University).
"She may not have been the most talented kid in
the field that day, but she swam the best race," said Todd Clark,
CWRU head swimming coach. "She swam her prefect race, and when
she does that, she is good enough to win. It was great. You
could see her and her CWRU cap and then a whole field of arms
behind her."
Kendig, from Lancaster, Pa., almost made it two
when she finished second in the 1,650-yard freestyle (17:02.50).
"She just got beat by a girl who was a little
better than her (17:00.02 by Lindsey Hoffner of Emory)-not much
better, but she was better," Clark said. "We would of liked
to win two because you never know when you are going to get
that chance, but we won one. And she swam a perfect race in
both of them."
Kendig's third individual All-American swim (The
top 16 earn All-American status.) came when she finished 12th
in the 200-yard freestyle (1:54.47). She also was part of two
All-American relay teams (400- and 800-yard freestyle).
THREE IN A ROW
As a team the Spartan women finished 12th in the
country in Division III this year. CWRU has finished in the
top 20 during each of the last three years, with a 17th-place
finish a year ago and a school best 7th in 2000. "Twelve is
good," Clark said. "A couple years ago when we were seven, we
were strong. Last year's team might have been better than this
one, but we just swam better as a team this year. With Alicia
getting us a ton of points and everyone else filling in the
gaps, it was nice."
INDIVIDUALS TAKE THREE
Magnificat High School graduate and CWRU junior
Liz Badziong of Parma, Ohio, recorded an All-American swim with
a 16th-place finish in the 400-yard individual medley (4:41.03),
senior Lisa Gieseker of Wyoming, Ohio, became an All-American
with her 8th-place finish in the 1,650-yard freestyle (17:23.82)
and senior Meredith Stakem of Laurel, Md., earned All-American
honors with a 8th-place finish in the 100-yard freestyle (52.27).
ALL-AMERICAN RELAYS
The Spartan women had three relay teams earn All-American
status. The 400-yard medley relay team of freshman Hannah Webber
of Oil City, Pa.; sophomore Elaine Hillenmeyer of Carmel, Ind.;
junior Kristen Prijatel of Mentor, Ohio; and Stakem finished
12th (4:02.88). The 800-yard freestyle relay team of Webber,
Stakem, Kendig and Badziong finished 12th (7:50.77), and the
400-yard freestyle relay team of Stakem, Kendig, Hillenmeyer,
and Prijatel finished 11th.
