Hotchko Nabs Career-Best NCAA Finish
Minneapolis, Minn. – Senior Rachel Hotchko (Yakima, Wash./A.C. Davis) scored her career-best NCAA finish Thursday morning as the butterfly specialist notched a 20th-place finish in the 100 butterfly in the second day of competition at the 2010 NCAA Division III Men’s & Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships got underway at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center.
Hotchko missed the opportunity to return for the finals of the 100 fly by just 0.51 seconds as she posted a time of 57.38 while the 16th-place finisher, Anne Miller of Swarthmore College, touched the wall in 56.87. Hotchko has gradually improved her finish in the 100 fly in her three trips to the NCAAs – going from 29th in 2008 to 23rd last year and now 20th in her final campaign.
First-year Kelly Heyde (Wilton, Conn./Wilton), the
2010 Capital Athletic Conference Female Rookie of the Year, also
put forth a solid performance as Heyde finished
25th in her marquee event, the 400 individual medley, posting a
time of 4:37.19.
Both swimmers still have one more event to swim as Heyde will compete in the 200 butterfly tomorrow and Hotchko will wrap her stellar career on Saturday, the final day of NCAA championships.
This is the fifth consecutive season that the Seahawks have had at least one representative at the NCAA championships. The championships are being hosted by Beloit College and The College of Wooster at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center.
