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The ����aa���� Athletic Department added three more national championships to the trophy case this semester, as indoor track athletes and a swimmer stood atop the NAIA podium. The latest individual national championships bring the school’s total to eight over the last two years and 13 in total.

Swimming

TMU sophomore Kylee Sears won the women’s 200-yard freestyle at the NAIA championships in Columbus, Georgia, in March, securing TMU’s first-ever swim national championship.

Sears finished in 1 minute, 50.28 seconds, nearly two seconds ahead of the rest of the field.

“I didn’t really care about my time,” Sears said. “I just really wanted to win.”

Last year, Sears earned four All-American honors (three individual, one relay) and was the national runner-up in the 500 freestyle. This time, she was a six-time All-American (three individual, three relays) — and a national champion.

In all, 11 different Mustangs swimmers were 2024 All-Americans. The men’s team placed seventh overall, with the women’s team coming in ninth.

Indoor Track

The ����aa���� indoor track and field teams walked away with two national championships and 11 All-Americans at the NAIA championships this semester in Brookings, South Dakota.

Junior Hannah Fredericks won the women’s 3,000 meters (10:08.21), and she anchored the Mustangs’ distance medley relay team (DMR) to a victory and an NAIA Championship record of 11:38.20.

“I am so thankful for this team, both the people who traveled out to indoor and all of our sweet teammates who were cheering from back home,” Fredericks said. “God is so good, and He gets all the glory from this weekend’s accomplishments.”

Fredericks returned just an hour and a half after her win in the 3,000 to finish the Mustangs’ record-setting DMR victory. Ellen Palmgren took the lead at the midway point of the 1,200 carry, and Juliette Colunga and Suzie Johnson got the baton to Fredericks with nearly a 60-meter lead. Fredericks brought it home for TMU’s second national championship of the day.

In the team competition, TMU’s women’s team finished tied for sixth.

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