Lincoln College Swimmers Earn 2nd and 4th Place at Nationals

[March 12, 2008]  Lincoln College men's swimming placed second in the nation, while the LC women placed fourth at the NJCAA Swimming and Diving National Championships at Indian River Community College in Fort Pierce, Fla.

The LC men's team was in a tight battle with Darton College from Georgia. The men from Lincoln pulled off an upset by edging out Darton by 4.5 points to earn the status of NJCAA championship team runner-up.

Joe Taylor, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was the first national champion for Lincoln head coach Jake Sexton. Taylor won the 100 backstroke by two-hundredths of a second over rival team Indian River. The men's 200 freestyle and 400 freestyle relays (Cuffe, Reuck, Taylor and Miller) broke team records that have been held since 2002.

Sexton said he was proud of the effort his team showed. "The Lynx swam with pride and determination, which included all-American swims from Dale Cuffe, Shea Taylor, Paul Nutting, Joe Taylor, Sean Higgins, Josh Reuck, Neto Miller, Sean Friedheim, Hank Harris and Herbie Wunar," said Sexton.

The women placed fourth out of 13 teams. Lincoln natives Brie Klinefelter and Mallory Carpenter both earned all-American status. Brie earned first-team status in the 50 free, 100 free and 100 fly. Mallory was honorable mention in the 500 free and the 200 freestyle events. Diver Amanda Williams earned first-team all-American honors on both the 1- and 3-meter boards. Peoria native Dawn Mason earned all-American honorable mention in two of three events (200 IM and 100 fly). Kelsi Kelley, from Springfield, Mo., earned all-American honorable mention in the 50 free, 100 free and 100 back.

[Text from file received from Lincoln College]