March 4, 2008
(release courtesy of Dave Blanchard, Luther College sports information director)

DECORAH, IOWA . . . Five members of the Luther College women’s swimming team have been selected to participate at the 2008 NCAA Division III National Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships. This marks the first time in school history and first time under the direction of head coach Lance Huber, Luther has qualified this many members of the swimming team for the national meet in one season.

The College of Wooster will host the women’s championship at the Corwin M. Nixon Aquatic Center located on the campus of Miami University, Oxford, Ohio March 13-15.

The Corwin M. Nixon Aquatic Center has played host to the NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships for men in 1995, 1997, and 2002 and the NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships for women in 1997, 1999, and 2002. The world-class facility is billed as one of the fastest pools in the country.

Making their first trip to the national finale will be senior co-captains Elissa Schmidt (Claremont, Minn./Owatonna) and Valerie Hoops (Freeport, Ill./Freeport), junior Amy Schneider (East Dubuque, Ill./Wahlert) and freshmen Rachel Bruns (Albany, Minn.) and Addison Choi (Aurora, Colo./Grandview).

Schmidt and Bruns have qualified in both the 50 freestyle and 100 freestyle. Schmidt will also swim the 200 freestyle. Schmidt’s qualifying times in the 200 freestyle (1:51.25), 100 freestyle (51.66) and 50 freestyle (23.98) rank second, fourth and ninth respectively on the performance lists for the national meet. Bruns ranks 19th in the 50 free (24.10) and 20th in the 100 free (52.68).

These two will join Hoops and Choi in the 400 freestyle relay that qualified with a mark of (3:30.91). Schmidt, Choi, Hoops and Schneider will swim the 800 freestyle relay after posting time of (7:41.90). Both of these relay times rank sixth in the nation.

The Norse will also be given the opportunity to swim what is termed bonus relays. This list includes the 200 freestyle relay, 200 medley relay and the 400 medley relay,

“I am extremely proud of what our team has accomplished,” stated coach Huber. “Following a very successful Liberal Arts Championships, we will not only go to the national meet with the largest contingent in Luther history, we are going ranked very high in both our relays and in the individual events. The ladies have been training very hard and are well prepared to perform their best at the national meet.”

Luther College is a four-year liberal arts college affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America and is located in Decorah, Iowa. The Norse compete in 10 men's and nine women's intercollegiate sports.

As a member of the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) since 1922, the men have won 141 conference championships. In 1982 the IIAC expanded its championship sponsorship to include women's sports. During this time span, the women have won 55 team titles. Combined, the Norse have captured an unmatched 196 IIAC titles.

More information on Luther College athletics can be found on the athletic web site at http://sports.luther.edu.

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