6 earn All-American honors at NCAA swim and dive meet

Updated at 9:02 p.m. March 21, 2014.

INDIANAPOLIS — All six St. Thomas swimmers who advanced to the NCAA Division III Championship Swim and Dive meet— led by breaststroker Emily Punyko, diver Nick Johnson and butterflyer Mike Lanz — earned All-American honors in longtime coach Tom Hodgson’s final meet.

Punyko surprised the women’s 100 breaststroke field when she shaved 1.29 seconds off her entry time to go from the event’s 15th seed to the third-place finisher in the preliminary heat Friday morning (1:03.26). She secured All-American honors and seventh place in the finals with her 1:03.37 swim later that day.

Punyko’s preliminary swim in the 100 breaststroke broke a MIAC record and shattered her own school record.

Johnson finished sixth in the 3-meter diving consolation finals and 14th overall Wednesday, earning 429.55 points. He also finished 21st in the 1-meter event Friday to end his senior season.

Second-seeded Lanz clocked a 48.81 swim for sixth place in the 100 fly final Thursday night. Lanz, a sophomore, was just .10 seconds off his preliminary heat time of 48.71. Friday morning Lanz finished 21st in the 200 fly preliminary heat with his 1:50.85 swim. He was seeded fifth in the event.

Hodgson plans to retire after 35 years at the helm of the St. Thomas swim and dive program in May. Hodgson’s teams have produced more than 100 MIAC champions and 45 All-Americans. He has won conference coach of the year honors in seven seasons.

The St. Thomas women’s 200 medley relay team finished sixth in the consolation finals and 14th overall Wednesday afternoon, assuring themselves All-American status.

Senior Hayley Trace, juniors Punyko and Mariann Kukielka and freshman Courtney Grunewald combined for a 1:45.31 finish in the 200 medley event after their 1:45.58 preliminary swim sent them into the consolation heat Wednesday.

Trace started the relay with a 27.71 split in the backstroke. Punyko swam second with a time of 28.66 in the breaststroke. Kukielka added a butterfly time of 25.03, and Grunewald anchored the relay with a 23.91 split in the freestyle.

Second-seeded Mariann Kukielka took 18th place in the 100 fly preliminary heat Thursday, narrowly missing the consolation finals. Tommie freshman Courtney Grunewald finished 32nd in the same event, clocking in at 57.19.

Kukielka’s NCAA performance (56.70) was more than one second slower than her seed time (55.25).

Kukielka and Punyko each swam in individual events Wednesday. Kukielka clocked a 24.89 in her 50 free preliminary heat and finished 42nd out of 46 competitors. Punyko swam a 2:11.45 in her 200 individual medley, which placed her 41st out of 44 competitors.