Hope College has qualified five swimmers for the NCAA Division III men's championships to be held March 16-18 in Minneapolis, Minn.
Hope College has qualified five swimmers for the NCAA Division III men's championships to be held March 16-18 in Minneapolis, Minn.
Coach John Patnott's Dutchmen will compete in three individual events and four relays.
Senior freestyle Kurtis Blohm of Wilmington, Ohio (Wilmington HS) will compete in the 50, 100 and 200 events. He is seeded fifth in the 50 (:20.67), 4th in the 100 (:45.38) and 10th in the 200 (1:40.98). Blohm, voted the most valuable swimmer in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) for a second consecutive year, was the national silver medalist in the 50 freestyle a year ago. He finished 11th in the 100 freestyle.
Hope's other qualifiers will compete in three relays. The swimmers are junior Jacob Holton of Chelsea (Chelsea HS), sophomore Charles VanderBroek of Holland (Holland HS), sophomore Ryan Vogelzang of Holland (Holland Christian HS), and senior Jeff Vroegindewey of Kalamazoo (Portage Central HS).
Hope is seeded third in the 200 freestyle relay (1:22.47), 14th in the 800 freestyle relay (6:56.30), ninth in the 400 freestyle relay (3:04.85) and 17th in the 200 medley relay (1:35.68).
Vroegindewey is also eligible to compete in the 50 free (seeded 29th, :21.23) and 100 free (:46.78).