CCIW Swimming Championship Web Site
Isaac Rothenbaum
Complete Results

The Carthage College men's and women's swimming teams played host to the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Swimming Championship on Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 18-20 at the Koenitzer Aquatic Center in Kenosha, Wis.

The Carthage men's team won its fourth CCIW title and third in a row with 1018.50 points, followed by Wheaton College (Ill.) second at 777.50, the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology third at 539, Illinois Wesleyan University fourth at 467.50, Augustana College (Ill.) fifth at 254.50 and Millikin University sixth with 190 points. Carthage's Nathan Ripley (Sr., Middleton, Wis.) was named the MVP of the championship, while the Red Men's Greg Earhart earned CCIW “Men's Swimming Coach of the Year” honors for fourth time.

Wheaton College (Ill.) won its 18th league championship and 13th in a row with 816 points, just three points ahead of second-place Carthage at 813. Illinois Wesleyan University was third at 634, followed by Augustana College (Ill.) fourth at 257, the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology fifth at 256, North Central College sixth at 225 and Millikin University seventh at 202.  The Lady Reds have finished second six-consecutive years going back to 2005. Carthage's Amada Croix (Jr., Bradley, Ill./Bradley-Bourbonnais) was named MVP of the championship, and Michelle Pelka (Jr., Elgin, Ill./Elgin Academy) earned the meet's “most outstanding participant” award. The Lady Reds' Beth DeLaRosby earned “CCIW Women's Swimming Coach of the Year” honors for the second-straight year.

On Thursday, just prior to the start of the evening session, Carthage men's swimmer Isaac Rothenbaum (Jr., Oak Park, Ill./Oak Park-River Forest) was presented with his 2008-09 NCAA Division III Sportsmanship Award. John Blanchard, the chair of the NCAA Sportsmanship and Ethical Conduct Committee and senior associate athletics director at the University of North Carolina, made the presentation to Rothenbaum. 

The Red Men' Nathan Ripley (Sr., Middleton, Wis.) won three events, taking first place in the 50 freestyle (20.96), the 100 freestyle (46.18) and the 200 freestyle (1:42.48). Kyle Drake (Jr., Aurora, Ill./Waubonsie Valley) won two events, taking first place in the 200 backstroke (Carthage-record 1:50.22) and the 500 freestyle (4:39.60). Doug Schranck (So., Alton, Ill./Marquette Catholic) won the 200 individual medley (1:56.16), while finishing second in both the 100 butterfly (50.53) and the 200 butterfly (Carthage-record 1:53.69). Alex Van Huis (Sr., Winneconne, Wis.) won the 400 individual medley (4:09.53) and finished third in the 500 freestyle (4:43.85).

Adam Van Huis (So., Winneconne, Wis.) took second place in the 200 breaststroke (2:09.57) and fourth in the 400 individual medley (4:15.82). Ryan Ortmann (So., Woodstock, Ill.) finished second in the 50 freestyle (21.30), as Mitchell Jackson (Jr., St, Louis, Mo./University City) in the 200 freestyle (1:44.65). Jon Bond (Fr., Dixon, Ill.) finished third in the 100 backstroke (52.02), as did Adam Glover (So., Eureka, Mo.) in the 1,650 freestyle (16:33.50) and Bob Pellican (Jr., Arlington Heights, Ill./Hersey) in the 200 backstroke. 

The Red Men also picked up wins from their 200 freestyle relay team of Ripley, Ortmann, Blake Bendix (Jr., St. Cloud, Minn./Tech) and Isaac Rothenbaum (Jr., Oak Park, Ill./Oak Park-River Forest ,1:23.44), their 400 medley relay team of Drake, Alex Van Huis, Schranck and Ripley, their 400 freestyle relay team of Bob Pellican (Jr., Arlington Heights, Ill./Hersey), Ortmann, Bendix and Ripley (pool-record 3:04.32) and from their 800 freestyle relay team of Drake, Ripley, Bendix and Jackson (6:56.21). 

For the Carthage women's team, Amanda Croix (Jr., Bradley, Ill./Bradley-Bourbonnais) and Michelle Pelka (Jr., Elgin, Ill./Elgin Academy) each won three events.  Croix won the 50 freestyle (CCIW, Carthage and pool-record 23.07, currently leading NCAA Division III), the 100 freestyle (CCIW, Carthage and pool-record 49.88) and the 200 freestyle (CCIW, Carthage and pool-record 1:48.69). Pelka took first place in the 200 butterfly (pool-record 2:05.44), the 200 individual medley (2:07.82) and the 400 individual medley (CCIW-record 4:27.79).

Jensena Paul (So., Portage, Wis.) took second place in the 200 backstroke (Carthage-record 2:09.43) and third in the 100 backstroke (59.16). Amy Mueller (Jr., Hartland, Wis./Arrowhead) was third in the 100 breaststroke (Carthage-record 1:08.42), as was Courtney Boothe (Jr., Moline, Ill.) in the 1,650 freestyle (18:18.27).

The Lady Reds also picked up wins from their 200 freestyle relay team of Lisa Tiltges (Jr., St. Charles, Ill./Aurora-Rosary), Alyssa Messina (Sr., Medinah, Ill./Roselle-Lake Park), Pelka and Croix (CCIW-record 1:35.51), their 200 medley relay team of Paul, Tiltges, Pelka and Croix (1:47.14), their 400 medley relay team of Paul, Tiltges, Pelka and Croix (CCIW and Carthage-record 3:54.84) and their 400 freestyle relay team of Sammy Jo Mahler (Jr., Des Plaines, Ill./Maine West), Alyssa Messina (Sr., Medinah, Ill./Roselle-Lake Park), Amy Mueller (Jr., Hartland, Wis./Arrowhead) and Croix (3:30.79).