RESULTS | PHOTO GALLERY | LORDS CHAMPIONSHIP PAGE
SHENANDOAH, Texas – For the 32nd time in program history, the Kenyon College men's swimming and diving team took the top spot on the podium at the 2013 NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championship. The Lords maintained their first-place position through all four days of competition and ended on the highest of notes by capturing the final event of the evening to bring back the national title for the first time since 2010.
The Lords reclaimed the overall team championship after 2013 runner-up Denison University earned team titles in each of the last two years. Kenyon has now seized the national trophy in 32 of the last 34 years dating back to 1980. The title comes in Jess Book's first year as the head coach of the men's program. Book made a splash outside of the pool and among the coaching circle after being awarded the top honor in the post-event ceremony. He was named the NCAA Division III Coach of the Year on both the men's and women's sides. Diving coach Andy Scott was named the Women's Diving Coach of the Year in his third year with the program.
Moments before the excitement over the team national title took place, the Lords completed the final night of the championships with the perfect end to an impeccable four-day run. Ian Stewart-Bates, Austin Caldwell, Curtis Ramsey, and Ian Richardson continued their dominance through the men's relay events by topping the charts in the 400-yard freestyle relay. Stewart-Bates shot out to a 43.66 time in the first leg of the race, creating 1.29 seconds of distance between Kenyon and second-place Johns Hopkins University. Caldwell held the lead and gave way to Ramsey who clocked in a faster 100-yard time than his teammates at 43.56 seconds. Richardson anchored the line and notched the Lords' third sub-44.00 100-yard time of the relay.
Denison (428 points) entered the final day just 47.5 points behind Kenyon. However, an incredible performance by the same four Kenyon swimmers in the 100-yard freestyle devastated the Big Red's chances at defending their two-year national championship reign. Stewart-Bates began the day just as he had ended it when he clocked in with a title-clinching time of 43.77. Kenyon swimmers also claimed third, fifth, eighth, and 16th place to capture 62 points. Denison had individuals place 14th and 15th, creating a 57-point swing in the standings and catapulting the Lords' chances at reclaiming the overall title.
Jon Rooker, Alex Beckwith, and Mark Newell all supported Kenyon's ascent to the top in their respective events. Rooker took seventh place in the 200-yard backstroke, while Beckwith and Newell placed fourth and 16th, respectively, in the 200-yard breaststroke.
The Lords conclude the 2013 Championship having collected 30 individual All-America honors and five first-place finishes among its class of 15 qualifiers. Stewart-Bates closed the book of his four-year career with one of Kenyon's two individual national championships and participated in three of the team's winning relays. He ends his career with a total of 23 All-American honors and pieces of eight different national titles.
Curtis Ramsey and Jimmy Chapman also complete their careers with the Lords, combining for a total of 27 All-America awards and parts of nine championship finishes.
