Carthage College Athletics

The Carthage College women’s swimming team (5-2 dual-meet record) finished second at the 2009 CCIW Swimming Championship at the Wheaton College (Ill.) Chrouser Fitness Center in Wheaton, Ill. Wheaton (Ill.) won its 17th championship and 12th in a row with 872 points, just 17 points ahead of second-place Carthage at 855. The 17-point loss was the closest the Lady Reds have ever come to winning a CCIW title since the league began sponsoring the sport in 1987. The Thunder led the Lady Reds by just three points after the first day. Carthage has finished second at the last five conference championships Illinois Wesleyan University was third at 629, followed by the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology fourth at 297, Augustana College (Ill.) fifth at 273, Millikin University sixth at 232 and North Central College seventh with 175 points.

Carthage’s Amanda Croix (So., Bradley, Ill./Bradley-Bourbonnais) won three events at the CCIW Swimming Championship and was named the meet’s “most valuable swimmer.” Croix won the 50 freestyle (CCIW and Carthage-record 23.49), the 100 freestyle (Carthage-record 51.14) and the 200 freestyle (CCIW and Carthage-record 1:52.78). Michelle Pelka (So., Elgin, Ill./Elgin Academy) also won three events, taking first place in the 200 butterfly (Carthage-record 2:05.59), the 200 individual medley (CCIW and Carthage-record 2:07.66) and the 400 individual medley (CCIW and Carthage-record 4:29.96). Jensena Paul (Fr., Portage, Wis.) won the 100 backstroke (CCIW and Carthage-record 58.32), while finishing second in the 100 butterfly (1:00.08). Sarah Reynertson (Sr., Itasca, Ill./Roselle-Lake Park) took second place in the 50 freestyle (24.12) and third in the 200 backstroke (2:10.53).

Lisa Tiltges (So., St. Charles, Ill./Aurora-Rosary) finished third in the 500 freestyle (5:17.37), as did Courtney Boothe (So., Moline, Ill.) in the 1,650 freestyle (18:15.70) and Alyssa Messina (Jr., Medinah, Ill./Roselle-Lake Park) in the 100 freestyle (54.30). The Lady Reds also picked up wins from their 200 freestyle relay team of Reynertson, Alyssa Messina, Pelka and Amanda Croix (1:35.41), their 400 freestyle relay team of Reynertson, Paul, Pelka and Amanda Croix (Carthage-record 3:32.24), their 400 medley relay team of Reynertson, Heather Croix (Sr., Bradley, Ill./Bradley-Bourbonnais), Pelka and Amanda Croix (CCIW and Carthage-record 3:56.21) and their 200 medley relay team of Paul, Heather Croix, Pelka and Amanda Croix (Carthage-record 1:46.14). Carthage’s Beth DeLaRosby was named 2009 CCIW “Women’s Swimming Coach of the Year” in her first year as head coach.

Carthage finished ninth at the 2009 NCAA Division III Women’s Swimming Championship at the University of Minnesota’s Dorothy L. Sheppard Pool in the University Aquatic Center in Minneapolis, Minn. Kenyon College won the championship with 560 points, followed by Emory University second at 466.50, Denison University third at 413, Williams College fourth at 334.50, Amherst College fifth at 201.50, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps College sixth at 174, Calvin College seventh at 171, Wisconsin-La Crosse eighth at 125, Carthage ninth at 114 and Johns Hopkins University 10th with 105 points. Carthage finished 27th at last year’s championship, and this year’s ninth-place finish was the highest for a CCIW team since the 2003 Illinois Wesleyan University squad finished seventh.

Carthage’s Amanda Croix finished third in the 50 freestyle (Carthage-record 23.10) and fourth in the 100 freestyle (Carthage-record 50.29) to earn College Swimming Coaches of America All-American honors. Michelle Pelka finished fourth in the 400 individual medley (Carthage-record 4:25.24 seconds, besting her school record of 4:29.86) and eighth in the 200 butterfly (Carthage-record 2:05.14) to earn CSCAA All-America honors. Pelka teamed with Sarah Reynertson, Alyssa Messina and Croix in taking sixth in the 200 freestyle relay (Carthage-record 1:35.23) and eighth in the 400 freestyle relay (Carthage-record 3:30.44).