[Swimming] Swim Teams Compete in Fall Frenzy

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The St. Andrews University men's and women's swim teams competed in the Queens University (N.C.) Marriott Fall Frenzy Invitational over the weekend against some very tough Div. II schools.

The Queens women won their meet over Div. I foes Gardner-Webb and UNC-Asheville while the Queens men also won over Div. II Limestone and Lenoir-Rhyne. The SAU men finished 7th on the weekend while the Lady Knights were ninth.

The women's team featured sophomore Chiara Knebelkamp (SO/Muelheim an der Ruhr, Germany) and freshman Erica Hocum (FR/Winterville, NC) and the men's team featured freshmen Caden Wendelin (FR) and Tiaan Kellerman (FR) as they competed to register times to help them qualify for the NAIA Nationals in March.

Knebelkamp led the Lady Knights on Friday by placing 23rd overall in the final standings of the 50 yard Freestyle while she was 7th in her group in a time of 25.93 seconds, just 2.8 seconds off the winning time from Queens and a NAIA bonus qualifying time.

She then placed 16th overall in the 100 breaststroke (2nd in her heat) in 1:09.5 for her best time of the season and good enough for an NAIA national qualifying time. Her time was just 7 seconds off the Division 1 qualifying time that was swam by a Queens' woman. Knebelkamp beat both of her prelim times as well.

In her final race on Sunday, Knebelkamp then placed 21st overall in the 200 Breaststroke in a time of 2:35.86 for an NAIA bonus qualifying time. Hocum also placed 21st overall in the 200 Freestyle Finals in a time of 2:36 for four team points.

Kellerman then finished 20th overall and 4th in his heat in the 50 yard Freestyle finals with a time of 21.89 seconds for a NAIA qualifying time while earning 5 team points. He also swam a quality time on Saturday in the finals of the 100 Backstroke in 59.1 seconds to place 19th overall and third in his heat while earning 6 team points.

The swim teams are next competing on January 13 when they return home to host Barton College (N.C.) and Chowan Univ. (N.C.) at 2:00 PM.