Blugolds Capture Two All-American Finishes on Final Day at Nationals

Blugolds Capture Two All-American Finishes on Final Day at Nationals

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (Blugolds.com) – With men's swimmer Alex Card (Sr.-Prior Lake, Minn.) and women's diver Sara Axness (So.-Eau Claire, Wis./Memorial) competing on the final day of the 2014 NCAA Division III Championships at the Indiana University Natatorium, both finished as All-Americans.

Final Results

Card tied for third place in the 200-yard breaststroke with a time 1:59.62. It was the highest finish for a Blugold men's swimmer at nationals since 2002 when Matt Oglesby won a national title in the 100-yard breaststroke. Earlier in the day in prelims, Card had the top time of 1:59.37, breaking a school record of 2:01.36 that he achieved last year. He ends his career as a six-time All-American, three of which were first team honors.

In the three-meter dive, Axness finished with All-American honorable mention status after coming in 10th place with a score of 452.20. Two days ago, she finished in fourth place in the one-meter dive.

In the team standing, the Blugold men's team finished in 27th place, their best finish since 2002, while the women's team tied for 28th, their best finish since 2012

-KM-


Swimming & Diving - Card Claims First Team All-American Honors on Day Three

Posted: Friday, March 21, 2014 at 8:08 p.m.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (Blugolds.com) – UW-Eau Claire men's swimmer Alex Card (Sr.-Prior Lake, Minn.) has earned first team All-American honors in the 100-yard breaststroke, competing on day three of the 2014 NCAA Division III Championships at the Indiana University Natatorium.

Day Three Results

Card, now a five-time All-American and two-time first team All-American, advanced to the finals after taking fifth in preliminaries with a school record time of 55.05 seconds, 0.73 seconds better than the previous school record, which Card held since last season.

In the finals, he came in eighth place with his second fastest time ever, 55.35 seconds. The top two finishers in the event swam faster than the previous top time in the nation.

Saturday, nationals will come to an end but the Blugolds will compete in two more events. Card will swim in the 200-yard breaststroke while women's diver Sara Axness (So.-Eau Claire, Wis./Memorial) will compete in the three-meter dive.

-KM-


Swimming & Diving - Axness Finishes as First Team All-American in One-Meter Dive

Posted: Thursday, March 20, 2014 at 8:10 p.m.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (Blugolds.com) – Sara Axness (So.-Eau Claire, Wis./Memorial) was the lone competitor for the UW-Eau Claire swimming & diving teams on day two of the 2014 NCAA Division III Championships at the Indiana University Natatorium, but finished as an All-American.

Day Two Results

She captured first team All-American honors after taking fourth place in the one-meter dive with 437.80 points. The last time a Blugold women's diver finished as a first team All-American was in 1996 when Hall of Famer Sara Mulatz finished in fifth place in the event.

Friday, Alex Card (Sr.-Prior Lake, Minn.) will compete on the third day of nationals in the 100-yard breaststroke. Preliminaries get underway at 10 a.m. EST.

-KM-


Swimming & Diving - Two Blugolds Compete on Day One of NCAA Championship

Posted: Wednesday, March 19, 2014 at 12:35 p.m.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (Blugolds.com) - Two UW-Eau Claire swimmers competed in preliminaries on day one of the 2014 NCAA Division III Championships at the Indiana University Natatorium today.

Day One Preliminary Results

Women's swimmer Allison Hable (So.-Ankeny, Iowa) had the top finish, taking 18th place in the 50-yard freestlye with a time of 23.68 seconds, making her an alternate for the finals.

Men's swimmer Alex Card (Sr.-Prior Lake, Minn.), competing in the 200-yard individual medley, came in 26th place with a time of 1:52.31.

Thursday, the only Blugold in action will be diver Sara Axness (So.-Eau Claire, Wis./Memorial), competing in the one-meter dive.

-KM-


Two Swimmers, One Diver to Compete at NCAA Championship

Posted: Tuesday, March 4, 2014 at 7:35 p.m.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (Blugolds.com) - Three members of the UW-Eau Claire men's and women's swimming & diving teams will represent the Blugolds at the 2014 NCAA Division III Championship, which will be contested March 19-22 at the Indiana University Natatorium in Indianapolis, Ind.

Selections - Men | Women

Selected to compete at the championship were men's swimmer Alex Card (Sr.-Prior Lake, Minn.), women's swimmer Allison Hable (So.-Ankeny, Iowa) and women's diver Sara Axness (So.-Eau Claire, Wis./Memorial).

Hable will swim in the 50-yard freestyle while Card will swim in the 100-yard and 200-yard breaststrokes, along with the 200-yard individual medley. Card is making his third appearance at nationals and is currently a four-time All-American. Hable is making her first appearance.

Axness, who is the first Blugold women's diver to compete at nationals since the 2001-02 season, will participate in both the one and three-meter dives.

-KM-