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SMU at MIAC Thurs-Sat., Feb. 15-17 |
 at MIAC |
Kempton's all-conference diving effort leads SMU's charge at MIAC
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Curtis Kempton (Owatonna, Minn.) was making his first appearance at the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athleitc Conference Swimming and Diving Championships, so the Saint Mary's University freshman did what he's done all year — he dived right in.
If the Cardinal freshman was intimiated by his first-ever conference-championship appearance, he certainly didn't show it, earning all-conference honors in both the one-meter and three-meter diving competitions..
"Curtis had a great showing, especially considering this was his first MIAC Championships," said SMU coach Eric Lindquist of his freshman diver, who finished tied for second in the one-meter (221.90) and was third in the three-meter (342.60. "But he was just the start of a great all-around performance from all of our athletes.
"We were nearly perfect all weekend when it came to season-bests and/or PRs," Lindquist added. "Everyone had a great weenend, and I'm so happy wiht their individual performances."
Not to mention the teams' performances.
The Cardinal men, led by Kempton and John Fox (Winona, Minn.) placed seventh in the eight-team field, while the women were 10th among the 11 women teams.
"We've been making great strides all season, and this is just the frosting on the cake for us," said Lindquist. "For us to climb up the (conference) ladder a bit and beat a couple of teams, that's fantastic."
Fox, like Kempton a freshman — and, like Kempton, far from intimidated by the conference championship's atmosphere — broke the school record in the 100 breaststroke, clocking a fourth-place time 59.46, while also winning the consolation heat of the 50 freestyle, posting a school-record time of 21.67, and taking 10th in the 200 breaststroke (2:17.47).
Danielle Braun (Cold Spring, Minn.) led the way for the SMU women, placing 12th in the 100 breaststroke with a school-record time of 1:11.18, while adding a 14th-place time of 2:38.0 in the 200 breaststroke.