MARQUETTE -- Courtesy: NMU
The Northern Michigan University swimming and diving team is sending three swimmers and one diver to the 2013 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championship in Birmingham, Ala. next week.
Senior Gaby Alzaga, sophomore Madisen Sechena and freshman Crystal Bennet participate in swimming events and sophomore Molly Kearney qualified in diving.
Alzaga returns to the NCAA Championship after an All-American eighth place finish in 200 backstroke last season. She swims the same event on Saturday.
"It's been so impressive for Gaby to get back to Nationals," NMU coach Heidi Voigt said. "She battled a shoulder injury from midseason last year.
We patched her together to make it through the season and she had surgery in the spring. To make it to her second NCAA is exciting and she's very close to a school record in the 200 backstroke. She already holds the 50 and 100 back records."
Sechena is in Thursday's 400 individual medley and Saturday's 200 breaststroke.
"Maddie has really stepped up and had a huge season," added Voigt. "She's benefited from having consistent coaching over the last two years. She had coaches coming in and out in high school and is doing great with a structured program. She has improved so much and is hungry for more."
Bennet swims the 100 butterfly on Thursday and 100 breaststroke on Friday
"I recruited Crystal to do 50 and 100 sprints but she's stepped in and did butterfly," Voigt said. "She hadn't done it much in Australia and now she's sixth in the nation in the 100 butterfly. She's worked hard all season and it's been an exciting first year for her."
Kearney took the 2011-12 season off after an injury early in the preseason. She qualifies for the one and three-meter dives on Tuesday. The top 11 in each event advance to Thursday's one-meter and Saturday's three-meter.
"Molly was undefeated until December and finished second at GLIACs to last year's NCAA Champion from a great diving program in Wayne State," Voigt said. "It's never good to get hurt but I think last year really made her hungry. She came into the season with massive amounts of determination and she really had a goal in mind to get to Nationals and place well."
NMU finished with 12 points at last year's NCAA Championship for 31st place.
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