2009 NCAA Division II
Swimming & Diving
Conference and National Championships

Nate Jimerson's three National Championships.

St. Cloud State women's swimming and diving is the 2009 Northern Sun Champions.

St. Cloud State men's swimming and diving is the 2009 Northern Sun Champions.

In his eight seasons with St. Cloud State University, head coach Jeff Hegle has led the Huskies to numerous NCAA Championship meets consistently finishing among the best in the country.  This past season, both the men's and women's swimming and diving teams brought home Northern Sun Championships for the first time in school history. Also, the Husky women earned an eighth place finish at the 2009 NCAA Division II Championships after charting 158 points. SCSU's men's team placed 14th at the NCAA's with 102.5 points. For his efforts, Coach Hegle was named the 2009 Northern Sun Women's Coach of the Year and the Men's Co-Coach of the Year, while his diving coach, Tracy Torgerson, was named the
2009 National Male Diving Coach of the Year.

Coach Hegle, along with first year diving coach Tracy Torgerson, helped coach SCSU's senior diver Nate Jimerson to his third national title. The 2009 National Male Diver of the Year garnered the national championship at the NCAA’s on the one-meter in 2009. Jimerson’s national championship marked just the eighth national championship in St. Cloud State swimming and diving history. Last season, Jimerson tabbed national championships on both the one and three-meter boards, along with the 2008 National Diver of the Year accolades. He leaves St. Cloud State as an eight-time All-American, four-time conference Diver of the Year, two-time National Diver of the Year and three-time National Champion.

Nate Jimerson tabbed his third National Championship on the one-meter board at the
2009 NCAA Division II Championships in March.

St. Cloud State's three-time National Champion, Nate Jimerson, with his trophies from the 2008 NCAA's.

Nate Jimerson's championship trophies from 2008 on the one and three-meter boards.

2009 NCAA Division II Championships

The National Championships: The Huskies sent a school record 20 athletes to the NCAA Championships in 2008-09, and had one of their best showings as a result. The SCSU women finished in the top-10 for just the second time in school history, placing eighth, and were 12 spots better than last year’s 20th place finish. Their 158 total points are also the second best mark in school history, settling behind the 2000 team that finished fifth with 259 points. The Husky men had their best showing this decade, finishing in 14th with 102.5 points. The 14th place tally is tied with the 1999 team for the second best finish in school history, behind only the ninth place 1981 team. However, the 102.5 points is the highest total in team history, breaking the record of 98 set by last year's 15th place team.

2009 Husky Swimming & Diving seniors at the NCAA's.
(L to R): Anthony Buhr, Nate Jimerson, Elizabeth Lopez, Kelsey Berkeland, Mitch Dickison and Ross Eiden.

Huskies at the 2009 NCAA Division II Championships, hosted by the University of Houston.

SCSU's 2009 National Male Diving Coach of the Year, Tracy Torgerson
and sophomore diver, Annie McNallan.

The Huskies brought home with them from the NCAA's one national championship, 14 total All-American individual awards and 41 total All-American Honorable Mention accolades. In all, the Huskies broke 13 school records during the four days of competition at the NCAA’s in 2009.

All-American Divers: Along with his national title, Nate Jimerson posted a runner-up finish on the three-meter board with a score a 495.05, earning two All-America honors while leading an impressive showing for the SCSU divers at the NCAA Championships. On the women’s side Kelsey Berkeland added two more All-America accolades as she posted two runner-up finishes with a 446.05 on the three-meter and a 437.85 on the one-meter. Her one-meter score was less than three-points away from first place. Ross Eiden finished fifth on both the one (432.10) and the three-meter (431.60), earning two more All-America’s as well. Cassi Mrozek and Allison Tracy placed 12th (341.55) and 13th (339.00) respectively on the three-meter, each earning Honorable Mention All-American for the first time.

All-American Swimmers: Four Huskies earned Honorable Mention All-American in the pool, swimming in individual events at Nationals. The headliner was Alisha Blaydes, whose ninth place finish in the 50 free (50.99), was just one spot away from being an All-American. Anthony Buhr in the 100 breast (56.46) and Cathy Haen in the 100 back (57.04) each finished in 12th place and Katie Brueggemann was the final individual Honorable Mention All-American with her 16th place tally in the 100 breast (1:05.66).

All-American Relays: The Huskies sent 10 total relay teams to the NCAA Championships, and all 10 came home as All-Americans. The women’s 200 medley and 200 freestyle relays each finished in the top-eight to earn All-American status, while the rest of the relays finished in the top-16 and received Honorable Mention honors.

 

2009 Northern Sun Championships

Northern Sun Champs: The Husky women led wire-to-wire while the men closed the gap on the leader day-by-day. Either way, when it was all said and done the Huskies came home from the Northern Sun Championships with a pair of titles. The women racked up 1032 points to win by more than 100 points over second place Minnesota State who had 931. In third was host Nebraska-Omaha with 878 points, and fourth was South Dakota with 863. FinallyiIn fifth and sixth were MSU Moorhead (808) and Northern State (234) respectively. The SCSU men tallied 734 points for first place to squeak by Minnesota State who finished with 726. Rounding out the men’s team scores was South Dakota in third place with 609.

Individual SCSU Champions:
Alisha Blaydes: 100 free (51.51)
Kelsey Berkeland: 1-meter (400.85), 3-meter (452.80)
Anthony Buhr: 50 free (20.72), 100 breast (57.87)
Kyle Cordry: 100 free (45.65)
Cathy Haen: 100 back (57.17)
Nate Jimerson: 1-meter (499.70), 3-meter (489.65)
Kirsten Koetter: 50 free (23.57), 100 fly (56.87)
Women 400 Freestyle Relay
- Koetter, Lopez, Vieau, Blaydes (3:30.02)
Men 200 Freestyle Relay
- Cordry, Dickison, Rotramel, Buhr (1:23.94)
Men 400 Freestyle Relay
- Rotramel, Buhr, Cordry, Green (3:03.86)

Coach Hegle, the 2009 Northern Sun Women's Coach of the Year and Men's Co-Coach of the Year, and crew directing swimmers at the Northern Sun Championships.

SCSU's four-time Northern Sun Champion, Anthony Buhr.

SCSU's Alisha Blaydes, April Greene, Katie Brueggemann and Alison Weske.

SCSU's male divers Ross Eiden, Nate Jimerson (back) and Brad Nesheim.

SCSU's senior Anthony Buhr and first year Robb Rotramel.

SCSU's first year swimmer Becky Newgren.

SCSU's Alisha Blaydes, Cathy Haen, Kelly Vieau and Becky Johnson.

SCSU's senior swimmer Jordan Wolfrum.

2008-09 Husky Swimming and Diving

A Year To Remember...

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