SOMERS, Wis. – The Emory & Henry College Women's Swimming Team has received its third national ranking by College Swimming in the past two years. The Wasps, who are midway through their third year as a varsity program, are ranked 25th in NCAA Division III after winning last weekend's Union College Winter Invitational.
Two of Emory & Henry's opponents at the Union Invitational are ranked in the Top 10 in the NAIA national poll. The University of the Cumberlands (Tenn.), which finished second at the meet, is currently the third in NAIA while host Union is the sixth-ranked team.
Emory & Henry has 11 top-50 times in the country so far this year. The 800-yard freestyle relay is currently the 14thh fastest in Division III (7:48.56) while the 400-yard freestyle relay and the 400-yard medley relay have the 15th-best times at 3:33.34 and 3:58.12, respectively. The Wasps are 16th in the 200-yard freestyle (1:37.56) and their time of 1:49.89 is good for 33rd overall.
Individually for the Wasps, sophomore Michaela Nolte (Hillsborough, N.C.) has five swims that are among the 50 best in the nation. She has already achieved a NCAA Division III "B" Qualifying Standard in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:05.46) and the 200-yard breaststroke (2:23.13) with times that are 17th and 18th fastest, respectively. It is the first time in program history that an E&H swimmer has achieved a national cut during the season.
Nolte is also ranked 30th in the 200-yard freestyle (1:54.45), 33rd in the 100-yard freestyle (:52.85) and 41st in the 50-yard freestyle (:24.31). Additionally, freshman Marina Moore (Thomasville, N.C.) went 2:07.77 in the 200-yard backstroke, a time that is currently 36th best in the country.
The only Old Dominion Athletic Conference program that is ranked above E&H is 24-time league champion, Washington and Lee University, which is ranked 16th. The Generals have been ranked as high as 11th this season. The rankings are compiled via "Performance Points," which score each team's top 27 swims in a given meet over a six-week period.
Among ODAC teams, Emory & Henry has the fastest swim of the season the 50-yard freestyle, 100-yard freestyle, 100-yard breaststroke and 200-yard breaststroke. The Wasps have a top-three time in 12 of 13 individual races including five of seven top times in the 50-free and three of the best five in the 100-free. Three of E&H's relays are currently best in the league while the other two are second-fastest.
For more information on College Swimming's Rankings and Top Times, visit CollegeSwimming.com. To find the complete list of the ODAC's Top Times, click HERE.