FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mark Albanese, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302
Results

KENOSHA, Wis. (Feb. 20, 2010)-- Katie Stratton won titles in two events and set two school records, helping the North Central College women's swimming team to a sixth place finish at the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Championships hosted by Carthage College at the Koenitzer Aquatic Center.

The Cardinals opened up the Championships on Thursday with a pair of top five finishes in the relays. Stratton, Katie Kruse, Ali Sanders and Kelsey Tumpane raced to a fourth place finish in the 200-yard freestyle relay, clocking a 1:42.94 before the foursome posted a fifth-place showing in the 400-yard medley relay (4:16.36).

Stratton highlighted day two of the championships, recording a pair of top five finishes, including the Cardinals' first individual conference crown since 2004. The junior emerged from the morning preliminary heats with the top qualifying time in the 100-yard breaststroke, touching the wall in a school and CCIW championship record time of 1:06.19. Her time also met the B-cut standard for the NCAA Division III Championships. Stratton would go on to win the event in the evening session, finishing in 1:06.30, becoming the first Cardinal champion since Laurel Liberty won the 200-yard freestyle in 2004. Stratton additionally finished fifth in the 100-yard backstroke (1:01.00) while Tumpane placed fourth in the 400-yard individual medley (4:46.10) and seventh in the 100-yard butterfly (1:01.37).

Stratton would ascend to the top of the podium again on Saturday, establishing a new school in the process. Stratton once again produced the fastest qualifying time, clocking a 2:25.91 in the 200-yard breaststroke to re-write the record books before claiming her second title of the weekend, winning the finals in 2:25.96. Tumpane finished fifth in the 200-yard butterfly (2:14.55) for her third top five finish of the weekend while the 400-yard freestyle relay squad closed out the meet with a fourth place finish (3:47.68).

Wheaton College won its 13th consecutive championship, scoring 816 points. Host Carthage was second with 813 points while Illinois Wesleyan University placed third (634). Augustana College was fourth (257), followed by Rose Hulman Institute of Technology (256). The Cardinals accumulated 225 points, good for sixth place, while Millikin University placed seventh (202).

The Cardinals return to Kenosha next weekend for the Carthage College Last Chance Meet.