The Wildcats’ junior won two of the awards himself, then joined three teammates as two NMU relays also earned the top honor given out to top-eight finishes in each event.

Led by their performances, Northern totaled 132 points to finish in 13th place among the 36 teams represented at the meet. Drury was crowned national champion with 525 points, followed by Tampa with 451 and McKendree with 349.

After diving preliminaries were the main event last Tuesday, Nolles quickly got to work on Wednesday, finishing in third place for a bronze medal and First Team All-America honor in the 50-yard freestyle.

Skipping ahead to Friday, the Wildcats’ 200 free relay team of William LaCount, Gabriel Fulconi, Daniel Khmara and Nolles barely missed winning the championship by 0.03 of a second to Grand Valley State after NMU Sports Information reported that Nolles had a “ridiculously fast anchor leg.” The quartet did finish as runners-up for a silver medal and another First Team All-America.

Northern Michigan University’s Leo Nolles holds his First Team All-American trophy on Saturday, one of four of this particular honor he earned at the NCAA Division II Championships in men’s swimming and diving at Indianapolis. (Photo courtesy NMU)

Then on the final day, Saturday, Nolles earned another bronze for third place in the 100 free before the same relay group was eighth in the 400 free relay for their final First Team All-America honor.

Here is a rundown of each day of the meet:

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Tuesday

Both NMU divers — Tobie Stiles and Benaiah Schnurstein — were among the 18 who advanced to the finals among 40 who were entered in both the one-meter and three-meter competitions.

Northern Michigan University’s Leo Nolles, at center in gold cap, swims the men’s 50-yard freestyle during the NCAA Division II Championships in Indianapolis on Wednesday. (Photo courtesy NMU)

Northern had a chance for its first big splash in the 800 free relay as Fulconi, Khmara, Alessandro Rosatelli and Wyatt Dickman finished in sixth place in 6 minutes, 28.53 seconds, but were disqualified for an early takeoff on one of their relay legs.

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Wednesday

Nolles began the day in a morning preliminary for the 50 free, where he won his heat and was sixth overall headed to the afternoon finals.

In that race, he had splits of 9.42 and 10.12 seconds for a time of 19.54 seconds and third place, just 0.42 of a second behind the winner and 0.09 of a second out of second place.

Northern Michigan University’s Daniel Lopez Aponte swims in an individual medley race at a Wildcats’ meet held in the PEIF pool in Marquette during the past season. (Photo courtesy NMU)

Back in the prelims, LaCount was eighth in his 50 free heat and 39th overall in 20.57 seconds.

Daniel Lopez Aponte swam in the 200 individual medley prelims in 1:49.68 with a butterfly leg of 23.87 seconds, 27.99 in the backstroke, 31.63 in the breaststroke and 26.19 in the free. He was seventh in his heat and 36th overall, missing the cut to the finals.

Finishing the evening session was NMU’s 11th place in the 200 medley relay in 1:26.58. The group of Ian Rocheleau, Dickman, LaCount and Nolles was sixth in their heat and 11th overall for a Second Team All-America honor. Rocheleau led off with a 22.82-second time in the back, Dickman had 23.85 in the breast, LaCount 21.13 in the fly and Nolles 18.78 in the free.

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Thursday

This was a day for a trio of Second Team All-American honors for the Wildcats.

Stiles was 16th and a Second Team All-American in the three-meter diving with a finals score of 438.55 points after he finished 14th in the prelims with 432.55.

Lopez Aponte was 11th for another Second Team All-American honor in the 400 IM, finishing third in the consolation final in 3:53.08. He was fifth in his heat and 13th overall in the prelims in 3:45.91.

And the third Second Team All-America honor went to the 400 medley relay team of Rocheleau, Dickman, LaCount and Nolles for 13th place in 3:12.57. They were sixth in the their heat as Rocheleau clocked 49.20 seconds in the back, Dickman 52.78 in the breast, LaCount 48.48 in the fly and Nolles 42.11 in the free.

Also that day, Dickman was 27th in the 200 free prelims in 1:38.23, while in Schnurstein was 18th in the prelims of three-meter diving with 403.75 points.

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Friday

Another banner day for NMU when the 200 free relay team entered as the fastest quartet in the country after an astounding performance of 1:17.76 at the GLIAC Championships in late February. This time, they clocked 1:18.13 to barely miss the national title as LaCount clocked 19.78 seconds, Fulconi 19.80, Khmara 19.79 and Nolles an impressive 18.76.

Dickman qualified for the consolation finals in the 100 breast with 53.37 in the prelims and 53.96 in the finals to finish 12th, another Second Team All-America honor.

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On the final day, Nolles won his heat and had the second fastest prelims time in the 100 free of 42.97 seconds, then clocked 42.71 in the finals for third place and First Team All-America, finishing 0.29 of a second behind the winner and just 0.12 of a second out of second place.

The 400 free relay of LaCount, Fulconi, Khmara and Nolles also earned First Team All-America in eighth in 2:54.62.

Additionally, LaCount also competed in the 100 free, finishing sixth in his heat and 45th overall in 45.38 seconds.

Dickman was fourth in his heat and ninth overall in the 200 breast prelims in 1:57.39. He missed the top-8 cut for the finals by just 0.19 of a second, then finished 11th overall — third in the consolation race — in the finals in 1:57.07 for another Second Team All-America honor.

NMU’s two divers competed in the one-meter finals, Stiles advancing to the consolation final with 423.40 points for 12th place, then putting up 480.05 to finish 11th and a Second Team All-America. Schnurstein just missed the top 16 with 393.60.

Story contents based on Northern Michigan University Sports Information press releases reviewing the meet. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee’s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.