Tigers End Season With Strong Performaces At NCAA Championships
The 2002-03 swimming and diving season was another one of firsts for the Wittenberg program, and it ended with two fantastic performances at the NCAA Division III Championship meets.
Steve Rader
The 2002-03 swimming and diving season was another one of firsts
for the Wittenberg program, and it ended with two fantastic
performances at the NCAA Division III Championship meets.
Junior Steve Rader (Concord, Ohio/Cleveland St.
Ignatius) also earned All-America honors. A three-time
national meet qualifier, Rader matched his best performance ever
with a pair of fourth-place finishes at the NCAA Division III Men's
Swimming and Diving National Championships at Emory University
March 20-22. Also a two-time All-American in 2002, Rader finished
fourth in the 200-yard Individual Medley and fourth in the 200-yard
butterfly, the latter in a school record time of 1:51.48. In
addition, Rader finished 12th (Honorable Mention All-America) in
the 100-yard butterfly in a school-record time of 50.57.
Like track and field, the top eight in each event are designated
All-America. As a team, Wittenberg posted a school-record tying 35
points, all scored by Rader, en route to 21st place.
Rounding things out, freshman Rebecca Searcy (Shelbyville,
Ky./Shelby County Bloomington) finished 10th in the
400-yard Individual Medley, 11th in the 1650-yard freestyle and
23rd in the 500-yard freestyle at the NCAA Division III Women's
Swimming and Diving National Championships at Emory University
March 15-17. All three finishes were a result of personal-best
times by Searcy, with the first two being good for Honorable
Mention All-America honors. As a team, Wittenberg finished 40th
nationally with 13 points, all scored by Searcy.
Next: Season Complete