<rleton Men’s Swimming and Diving team hopes to break into the top four at the MIAC Championships this season, after finishing in fifth place in both 2010 and 2011.
The Knights have a chance to make some noise on the first day. Carleton has never won the 200-yard freestyle relay at the MIAC Championships, but the quartet of Erik Klontz ‘13, Mamoru Kanazawa ‘13, Benito Ramirez ‘15, and Ross Brown ‘14 possesses the top time in the conference this year at 1:25.05.
Klontz, an All-MIAC performer in four events at last year’s championships, holds the top times in the conference this season for both the 50- and 100-yard freestyle races. He finished third in the 50 and fifth in the 100 at the 2011 Championships. Klontz carries a lot of momentum into this year’s conference meet, as he has not lost a 100-yard race to a Division III swimmer this season and has bested all but one D-III racer in the shorter distance.
Kanazawa earned All-MIAC distinction in six events (two individual and four relays) a year ago as he finished third in both the 100 and 200-yard freestyle. This season, he owns the third-best time in the 200 free, fourth-fastest in the 500 free, fifth-best in the 100 backstroke, in addition to two other top 10 times.
Ramirez ranks fourth in the 200-yard butterfly and sixth at the 100-yard distance. He captured conference honors at the 200 fly last season and was part of Carleton’s All-MIAC 400 and 800-yard freestyle relays.
Jesse Gourevitch ‘14 also figures in the Knights plans with top eight finishes in the MIAC in both the 100 and 200-yard breaststroke.
In addition to the 200-yard freestyle relay, the Knights are ranked among the top three in 400- and 800-yard freestyle relays and the 400-yard medley relay. Last year they finished third in the 200- and 400-yard freestyle relays, and second in the 800-yard freestyle relay breaking school records in all three events.
Divers Chris Frills ‘13 and Leo Hummel ‘12 are expected to score on both boards.