Illinois Wesleyan’s Stanley wins national title in swimming

Posted on March 16, 2017

By WJBC Staff

SHENANDOAH, Texas – Illinois Wesleyan senior Meg Stanley became the school’s first-ever national swimming champion when she touched the wall first in the 500 freestyle at the NCAA Division III Championships on Wednesday at the CISD Natatorium in Shenandoah, Texas.

Trailing with 25 yards to go, Stanley charged to the finish to nip Denison’s Campbell Costley by .05 seconds. Stanley’s school-record time was 4:50.76 to 4:50.81 for the second place Costley.

Stanley qualified for the finals earlier on Wednesday with the second-best time in the prelims of 4:52.31.

In other action for IWU swimmers Wednesday not qualifying for the finals, sophomore Lisa Cheng was 39th with her qualifying time of 23.98 in the 50 freestyle and the 200 medley relay team of Stanley, Cheng, sophomore Claire Michael and senior Baylee Hoecker had the 23rd best time at 1:47.65.

Stanley will be back in the pool Thursday swimming in the 200 freestyle. She had the 22nd best time in the nation this year at 1:51.65. The relay quartet will compete in both the 200 freestyle relay and the 400 medley relay.

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