For the 25th consecutive year, Ashley Yearood’s Denison Women's Swimming and Diving leaves the NCAA Division III Championship with a top-6 finish.
Despite entering the meet with just nine healthy swimmers, this year's team closed strong, placing fourth overall with 329 points. The team championship went to Emory with 560 points while Kenyon placed second with 476. Williams College held off Denison for third place with 386 points.
Yearwood would record her 21st All-American swim in her career this after she finished 12th overall competing in the Women’s 100 Yard Freestyle.
The championship was capped off by the Women’s 400 Yard Freestyle relay squad of Carolyn Kane, Yearwood, Kate Wright and Mary Van Leuven. They were locked in a dual with Emory throughout the swim and touched in 3:21.90, just .53 behind Emory.
Denison's women have finished no worse than sixth at the NCAA Division III Championship every year since 1992 (25 years). They have won one national championship (2001) and have placed second seven times and third on eight occasions. This is the fifth time DU has placed fourth at the NCAA championship. This year there were 20 All-American performances and two relay runner-up performances. Seniors Yearwood, Marissa Bednarek, Taylor Johns, Kate Wright and Mary Van Leuven have been a part of a national runner-up finish in 2015, a third place finish in 2013 and a pair of fourth place finishes in 2014 and 2016.
