Swimming

Ben Kurz, a freshman from Council Bluffs, Iowa, had the Mustangs’ top individual finish at the 2013 NAIA Swimming & Diving National Championships in Oklahoma City, Okla., when he placed seventh in the men’s 1650-yard freestyle on March 2.

Kurz swam a school-record time of 16:31.19 to shatter the former Morningside record of 16:34.35 set by Scott Anderson in 2008. The seventh place effort was the top finish by a Morningside male swimmer at the NAIA National Championships since Anderson placed sixth in the 200-yard backstroke in 2008.

Krystal Carlson, a senior from Richfield, Minn., had the top finish for the Morningside women when she placed eighth in the women’s 1650-yard freestyle with a time of 18:07.20.

Emma Magsamen, a freshman from Lincoln, Neb., made the finals in the women’s 100-yard freestyle and placed 12th with a school-record time of 53.97 seconds. Magsamen had set the Mustangs’ previous record earlier in the day when she had the 13th fastest time in the prelims at 54.46 seconds.

Cora Kugler, a senior from Watertown, Minn., also made Saturday evening’s finals and placed 12th in the women’s 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:32.62. She was 13th in the prelims with a time of 2:33.88.

Morningside also made its best relay showings in the NAIA National Championships on Saturday with ninth place finishes and school record times in the men’s and women’s 400-yard freestyle relays.

Morningside’s men’s 400-yard freestyle team of Cole Malin, a sophomore from Carroll, Iowa; Kurz, Travis Schombert, a sophomore from Lockridge, Iowa; and Kieran Sweeney, a sophomore from Altoona, Iowa, combined for a time of 3:13.05 to break the former Morningside standard of 3:14.21 in 2012.

The Mustangs’ women’s 400-yard freestyle team of Carlson, Jaimie Fast, a sophomore from Hastings, Neb.; Kugler, and Magsamen combined for a time of 3:43.77 to break the former school record of 3:44.65 they set earlier this season.

The Mustangs’ Hannah Hecht, a sophomore from Lansing, Kan., finished 18th in the women’s 200-yard backstroke prelims with a time of 2:15.05.

Taylor McCloskey, a sophomore from Runnells, Iowa, finished 19th in the men’s 200-yard butterfly prelims with a time of 2:00.93.

Josh Karel, a sophomore from Lincoln, Neb., finished 22nd in the men’s 200-yard breaststroke prelims with a time of 2:17.12.

Malin finished 25th in the men’s 100-yard freestyle prelims with a time of 47.60.

Cora Kugler, a senior from Watertown, Minn., had the Mustangs’ top individual performance during the March 1 action in the 2013 NAIA Swimming & Diving National Championships at Oklahoma City Community College.

Kugler placed 15th in the women’s 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:09.75. Kugler had qualified for the finals with the 13th fastest time of 1:08.54 in the prelims.

Morningside finished 10th in both the men’s and women’s 200-yard freestyle relays.

Morningside’s men’s 200-yard freestyle relay team of Cole Malin, a sophomore from Carroll, Iowa; Travis Schombert, a sophomore from Lockridge, Iowa; James Svoboda, a sophomore from Audubon, Iowa; and Kieran Sweeney, a sophomore from Altoona, Iowa, combined for a time of 1:28.21.

The Mustangs broke their school record in the women’s 200-yard freestyle relay with a time of 1:42.57 from the quartet of Emma Magsamen, a freshman from Lincoln, Neb.; Jaimie Fast, a sophomore from Hastings, Neb.; Cydney Granger, a freshman from Fremont, Neb.; and Krystal Carlson, a senior from Richfield, Minn. They broke the previous Mustang standard of 1:42.62 set last season.

Morningside finished 12th in the women’s 400-yard medley relay with a time of 4:16.83 from the quartet of Hannah Hecht, a sophomore from Lansing, Kan.; Kugler, Carlson, and Magsamen.

Morningside also finished 12th in the men’s 400-yard medley relay, where Sweeney, Josh Karel, a sophomore from Lincoln, Neb.; Taylor McCloskey, a sophomore from Runnells, Iowa; and Malin combined for a time of 3:40.36.

Carlson and Sweeney each missed qualifying for Friday’s finals by one spot in the prelims. Carlson had the 17th fastest time in the women’s 200-yard freestyle prelims with a 2:00.20, while Sweeney finished 17th in the men’s 100-yard backstroke prelims with a time of 56.42 seconds.

Hecht was 23rd in the women’s 100-yard backstroke prelims with a time of 1:03.41.

Ben Kurz, a freshman from Council Bluffs, Iowa, finished 28th in the men’s 200-yard freestyle prelims with a time of 1:46.61 and Malin finished 36th with a time of 1:48.43.

Ben Kurz, a freshman from Council Bluffs, Iowa, placed 10th in the men’s 500-yard freestyle and broke his own school record in the process during the Feb. 28 action at the 2013 NAIA Swimming & Diving National Championships held at Oklahoma City Community College.

Kurz swam a time of 4:43.96 in Thursday evening’s finals to shatter his own school record of 4:46.78 he set earlier this season. Kurz had qualified for the finals with the 15th fastest time of 4:49.09 in the prelims.

Emma Magsamen, a freshman from Lincoln, Neb., had the top individual finish for the Mustang women with a 12th place finish in the 50-yard freestyle with a school-record time of 24.90 seconds to break the former Morningside standard of 25.09 she set earlier this season. Magsamen qualified for the finals with the 15th fastest time of 25.12 in the prelims.

The Mustangs’ Krystal Carlson, a senior from Richfield, Minn., broke her school record in the women’s 500-yard freestyle en route to a 13th place finish in Thursday’s finals. Carlson’s time of 5:16.12 topped her previous Morningside standard of 5:16.98 she swam at the 2011 NAIA National Championships. Carlson had qualified for the finals with the 15th fastest time of 5:18.60 in the prelims.

The Mustangs finished 11th in the men’s 800-yard freestyle relay with a school-record effort from Cole Malin, a sophomore from Carroll, Iowa; Taylor McCloskey, a sophomore from Runnells, Iowa; Kieran Sweeney, a sophomore from Altoona, Iowa; and Kurz, who combined for a time of 7:13.35 to shatter the former Morningside standard of 7:16.37 set earlier this year.

Morningside placed 11th in the women’s 200-yard medley relay with a time of 1:55.24 from the quartet of Hannah Hecht, a sophomore from Lansing, Kan.; Cora Kugler, a senior from Watertown, Minn.; Carlson, and Magsamen.

The Mustangs also placed 11th in the women’s 800-yard freestyle relay with a time of 8:18.76 from the team of Carlson, Jaimie Fast, a sophomore from Hastings, Neb.; Hecht, and Kugler.

James Svoboda, a sophomore from Audubon, Iowa; Michael Andrlik, a sophomore from Ralston, Neb.; McCloskey, and Travis Schombert, a sophomore from Lockridge, Iowa, placed 13th in the men’s 200-yard medley relay with a time of 1:40.65.

Malin, Schombert, and Svoboda competed in the men’s 50-yard freestyle prelims and finished 28th, 38th, and 40th with times of 21.80 seconds, 22.56, and 22.99, respectively.

Kugler was disqualified in the women’s 200-yard individual medley prelims.

The NAIA National Championships will continue on Friday and Saturday.

Krystal Carlson and Cora Kugler have been named 2012-13 Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athletes in the sport of women’s swimming & diving.

Carlson, a senior from Richfield, Minn., has a 3.89 cumulative grade point average (GPA) with majors in biology and chemistry.

Kugler, a senior from Watertown, Minn., has a 3.65 cumulative GPA with a major in elementary education.

Carlson and Kugler were also named Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athletes in 2011 and 2012.

Student-athletes must be of at least junior academic status and have a minimum GPA of 3.50 in order to be eligible for Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete honors.

Click here for the complete list of Daktronics-NAIA Women's Swimming & Diving Scholar-Athletes.

Morningside College’s women’s swimming team achieved Scholar All-American status for the 2012 fall semester from the College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA).

The CSCAA presents the award to college and university swimming & diving teams that achieve a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher.

The Mustangs’ head coach is Bryan Farris.