College Swimming: Former Card pool star turns in four All-America times
INDIANAPOLIS -- Led by sophomore Alissa Tinklenberg, a former six-time letterwinner for the Willmar Cardinals swimming and diving team, Gustavus Adolphus placed 11th at the NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships that concluded Saturday.
The final day of competition was highlighted by another record-breaking performance by Tinklenberg.
To cap the meet, Tinklenberg swam a 2:01.18 in the finals of the 200 backstroke to place seventh, earning herself All-America distinction for the fourth time in the meet.
She earned a spot in the championship heat after going 2:00.92 in the morning preliminaries, breaking her own school record time of 2:00.99.
Over the four-day meet Tinklenberg gained All-America honors in the 200 freestyle relay, 400 medley relay, 100 backstroke and 200 backstroke. She finished seventh in the 100 backstroke, breaking her own school record by .08 with a time of 56.40.
She is the first Gusties swimmer to become an All-American four times at the NCAA Championships, and no other Gustie swimmer has achieved All-America status in two individual races.
"Alissa had one of the finest weekends in school history -- four All-America awards in one meet. The coaching staff and her teammates could not be more proud of her accomplishments," said Gusties' head coach Jon Carlson.
In the final race of the 2012 NCAA Championships, Tinklenberg and former Willmar teammate Sarah Hund were on the 400 freestyle relay that placed 14th in 3:30.31. They also competed on the 800 freestyle relay that was 19th.
-- Information provided by the Gustavus sports information office
