St. Peter, Minn. –

Representing the men’s golf on the Men’s At-Large All-District Six Team was junior Andrew Oakes (Hermantown, Minn.) who receives the honor for the first time in his career.  On the women’s side, a trio of Gusties made up the Women’s At-Large District Six Team.  Receiving the honor was senior golfer Kayleigh Dittes (Eden Prairie, Minn.), senior hockey player Lindsey Hjelm (North Oaks, Minn.), and junior swimmer Alissa TInklenberg (Willmar, Minn.).  Hjelm takes home CoSIDA Academic All-District Honors for the second time in her career, while both Dittes and Tinklenberg are first time recipients.

Andrew Oakes

The Academic All-District teams include the student-athletes listed on the following pages and are divided into eight geographic districts across the United States and Canada. This is the second year of the expanded Academic All-America program as CoSIDA moved from recognizing a University Division (Division I) and a College Division (all non Division I) and has doubled the number of scholar-athletes honored. The expanded teams include NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II and NCAA Division III participants, while the College Division team combines NAIA, Canadian and two-year schools.

Andrew Oakes has been Gustavus’s consistent No. 2 from the start of the 2012 season.  The junior kicked off the 2012 fall season with a first place performance with a 73-74-147 (+3) at the Augsburg College Invite on Sept. 8-9.  He followed that up with a third place showing at the Saint John’s Fall Invite on Sept. 15-16 after posting a 72-73-145 (+1).  Oakes went on to place fourth at the MIAC Championships, earning All-Conference accolades for the second time in his career following a three-day 224 (+8).  He finished on the podium a total of three times and was second on the team in stroke average (75.2) heading into the NCAA Championships.  A Coaches Association of America (GCAA) All-American Scholar this year, Andrew also made his first appearance on the GCAA All-Central Region Team.

Kayleigh Dittes

Oakes is majoring in economics and has a cumulative grade point average of 3.79.

The lone senior on the Gustavus women’s golf team, Kayleigh Dittes was Head Coach Scott Moe’s steady and solid No. 1 throughout the 2012-13 campaign.  Dittes was the top finishing Gustavus player in seven of the team’s 12 outings this, posting three top five finishes and leading the Black and Gold at the 2012 MIAC Championships with a sixth place finish after shooting a 241 (+25).  She paced the Gusties with an 18-hole stroke average of 80.5 (+8) through 21 rounds, ranking her seventh all-time in Gustavus women’s golf history.  The two-time All-Conference performer was also recently named to the Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) All-Region Team for the first time in her career.

Dittes will graduate from Gustavus this June with a degree in biology.  She carries a GPA of 3.83.

A staple member of the Gustavus women’s hockey team’s top line (both offense and defense) the past four years, Lindsey Hjelm was a force to be reckoned with whenever she touched the ice.  Hjelm concluded her senior season with a team-high 30 points on 14 goals and 16 assists.  She captained the Gusties to a fourth straight MIAC Regular Season Championship, MIAC Playoff Championship, and trip to the NCAA Championship Semifinals.  Gustavus finished the year with an NCAA record 27 wins, going 27-2-1 overall and 18-0-0 in the MIAC.  Hjelm was decorated as the MIAC Player-of-the-Year, D3hockey.com West Region Player-of-the-Year, an AHCA First Team All-American, a D3hockey.com First Team All-American, and the MIAC’s Shelia Brown Award winner.  The four-time All-Conference performer set program records for games played (120) and penalty minutes (224) while scoring a total of 110 career points on 48 goals and 62 assists.

Lindsey Hjelm

Alissa Tinkllenberg

Hjelm will also graduate in June with a degree in biology.  She holds a GPA of 3.79.

Already the most decorated women’s swimmer in Gustavus history, Alissa Tinklenberg added to her legacy with another standout season.  Tinklenberg led the Gustavus women’s swimming and diving team to its fourth consecutive MIAC Championship in 2013 after accounting for a school record 137 points at the meet.  Over the three-day meet, the junior captured gold in six events including the 400 individual medley, 100 and 200 backstroke, 200-free relay, 400-free relay, and 400-medley relay.  Following the meet, “Tink” was named the 2013 MIAC Women’s Swimmer-of-the-Year.  The Willmar, Minn. product didn’t stop there.  At the NCAA Championships in late-March, she turned in All-American performances in the 200 back (6th), 200-free relay (7th), and 400-medley relay (8th) to become a career seven-time All-American.  Tink was bestowed Gustavus Female Athlete-of-the-Month honors back-to-back months in February and March.

Tinklenberg is majoring in accounting and has a GPA of 3.75.

First-team Academic All-District honorees advance to the Capital One Academic All-America Team ballot, where first-, second- and third-team All-America honorees will be selected later this month.

CoSIDA Release

Alissa Tinklenberg

St. Peter, Minn. – For the second straight month, the achievements of swimmer Alissa Tinklenberg (Willmar, Minn.) were so impressive that the junior has been named the March Female Student-Athlete Of The Month.

Tinklenberg, who garnered the Student-Athlete of the Month honors in February after leading the Gusties to a fourth consecutive MIAC Championship, proved herself on the national stage for the second year in a row.  The captain became an All-American three times over and was also an All-America Honorable Mention performer in three races.

The Gustavus women’s swimming and diving team scored a total of 98 points at the four-day meet to finish in a tie for 10th place.  The team score and standing were both the second best in the history of the women’s swimming and diving program at Gustavus.

The 2013 MIAC Swimmer-of-the-Year kicked off the NCAA Championships with a bang by contributing to a school-record swim as a member of the 200-medley relay team.  Tinklenberg joined Jennifer Strom (So., Rochester, Minn.), Kayla Hutsell (Fy., Apple Valley, Minn.), and Katie Olson (So., North Oaks, Minn.) to finish 10th in the 200-medley relay.  The group broke the school record in the preliminaries with a 1:45.65 then clocked in at 1:45.93 in the consolation final.

On the second day, Tinklenberg grabbed her first All-America plaque by helping the 200-free relay team of Olson, Sarah Hund (Sr., Willmar, Minn.), and Tarin Anding (Fy., Sartell, Minn.) finish seventh with a time of 1:35.02.  Later in the day, the 400-medley relay team of Tinklenberg, Strom, Hutsell, and Olson earned All-America accolades after recording a time of 3:51.67 in the finals to place eighth.

On an individual level, the Willmar, Minn. product first grabbed All-America Honorable Mention distinction after placing 12th in the 100 backstroke with a time of 56.34.  On the final day of competition, she swam a school-record 1:59.66 in the prelims of the 200 backstroke to earn the fifth seed in the finals.  Tinklenberg swam a 2:00.51 later that night to come in sixth and take home All-America honors.

To go along with last year’s seventh place finishes in the 100 and 200 backstroke races, Alissa Tinklenberg became the first Gustavus swimmer to ever earn All-America marks in three individual races over a career.

She capped off the meet by swimming the final leg of the 14th place 400-freestyle relay (3:28.83).  The group bested the school-record in the morning prelims by touching the wall in 3:28.62.

To give Gustavus fans a behind the scenes peak at the 2013 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships, assistant coach Luke Weyandt will be writing a daily blog detailing the experience of the six Gustie swimmers competing.  To signify when Luke installs a new post, a chronological number (i.e. I, II, III) will be placed at the end of each headline.

Monday, March 18th

The Gustavus swimmers depart from the Houston airport in style.

The six national qualifiers for the Gustavus women’s swimming and diving team left for the NCAA Championships being held in Shenandoah, Texas tonight.  Waiting in the new Delta terminal at MSP airport, the girls were nothing but smiles and giggles throughout the wait.  Freshmen Tarin Anding, Sophomores Katie Olson, Jenny Strom, Kayla Hutsell, Junior Alissa Tinklenberg, and Senior Sarah Hund were all very excited for their flight and to arrive in Houston.  The flight was filled with laughter as others sitting around them questioned where they were going and why.  Coaches Jon Carlson, Alex Lindstrom and I looked on these interactions with smiles.  Upon arrival in Houston, the ladies were greeted by limo driver Omar.  They were ecstatic to find out their ride to the Spring Hills Suite hotel was to be in a limo.  Nostalgia set in as the girls set foot in the hotel.  It was the same hotel company and set up as their training trip in Vero Beach, Florida earlier this year.  With the aqua themed lounge and rooms with a separate hang out space, the girls felt right at home. Time to settle in and get some sleep!

Tuesday, March 19th

8:30a.m. – Sleep in time believe it or not. The girls wake up for breakfast and go grocery shopping for food for the week.  Lunch at Panera Bread proved interesting due to the gigantic wasp that landed on Tarin Anding’s back.  It flew away after several screams from the group and a local man at another table told her it was a sign of good luck for her swims that she didn’t get stung.  Several other bees teased at Jenny Strom and Alissa Tinklenberg and Alex Lindstrom and I got some good laughs out of the experience.

The swimmers at the NCAA Championships banquet.

With practice at 1:00 p.m. the team got to see the competition pool for the first time.  They got used to the water, working on turns, stroke technique, starts and relay exchanges.  The team was especially excited about the new pink shammies and bright blue water bottles they received.  Coach Carlson was also excited for his new travel glass the girls gave him.

Later that night the coaches and athletes got ready for the NCAA Championships Banquet.  They held the banquet under a huge tent in the parking lot right next to the pool.  As the girls entered the tent they saw every national qualifier from schools around the nation.  The team arrived in style as all six donned dresses and cowboy boots.  They met the mayor of Shenandoah and he even complemented them on their cowboy boots! The evening consisted of socializing with other teams including other national qualifiers from conference schools St. Thomas and St. Olaf.  The meal consisted of a nice pasta, cajun spiced chicken, spiced green beans, salad, buns, and ice tea.  The tent also had team picture areas, one with an NCAA backdrop and the other with a riding bull that most teams enjoyed.  The banquet’s speaker was Laura Wilkinson, a gold medalist in 10m platform diving at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.  She spoke to the athletes about her personal experiences leading up to the 2000 Olympic trials and Olympics.  The Gustie girls enjoyed her speech and thought it spoke highly to their personal goals this week in Shenandoah.  With prelims beginning at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow, the ladies are excited to hit the water. Top 16 qualifiers come back and compete at night with finals starting at 6:00 p.m.

Live webcast can be found at the following link:

http://www.ncaa.com/liveschedule

Wednesday, March 20th

9:27 p.m. - Today marked the first day of official swimming for the Gustavus Women’s swimmers.  At 7:30 a.m., the athletes started off with breakfast and headed to the pool.  Four athletes had three races today.  Alissa Tinklenberg in the 500 free, Katie Olson in the 50 free, and Tinklenberg, Jenny Strom, Kayla Hutsell, and Olson in the 200-medley relay.  Individually, Tink finished 21st in the 500 free with a 5:01.13 and Olson finished 31st in the 50 free with a 24.04.  Tink and Olson were both happy with their performances saying they were both glad they got a swim in.  Sometimes the first swim at the NCAA Championships, or any big meet for that matter, can be a bit nerve-racking.  All four swam well to start the four-day competition.

All six Gusties displaying their All-American awards

The highlight of the preliminary meet came from the 200-medley relay.  The Gusties finished 10th after the morning session, getting another chance to swim at consolation finals later in the day.  The relay team of Tinklenberg, Strom, Hutsell, and Olson went a 1:45.65 setting a new school record! The girls and the coaches were excited with the performance and proud of the group.  Today’s swim breaks the old record set in 2010 by Carley Mosher, Maggie Hansvick, Stephanie Korba, and Sarah Hund who went a 1:45.72. Later that night, the group held their 10th place position in the consolation heat with a 1:45.93.

Tomorrow all six Gustie women have swims in three different events.  The 200-free relay with Olson, Hund, Tarin Anding, and Tinklenberg; Jenny Strom will be swimming the 400 individual medley; and Tinklenberg, Strom, Hutsell, and Olson in the 400-medley relay.  The Gusties are currently tied for 17th in the team standing after day one.  This is a good place to be for Gustavus after what we considered the weakest day of the four. The girls are pleased with their performance in the opening day.  The ladies are focused and are having a great time in Texas.

Thursday, March 21st

Jennifer Strom with her All-America trophy on Friday night.

10:00 a.m. - 
Today was an amazing day for the Gustavus Women’s Swimming Team!! The day started off with three swims: the 200-freestyle relay (Katie Olson, Sarah Hund, Tarin Anding, and Alissa Tinklenberg), Jenny Strom in the 400 individual medley, and the 400-medley relay (Tinklenberg, Strom, Kayla Hutsell, and Olson).  The 200-free relay team was seeded seventh going into the meet.  It was in the fourth and final heat.  The ladies edged out Amherst by .05 seconds to place eighth and make it into the championship final later in the day.  The girls were very excited knowing they had the opportunity to be All-Americans (the top eight finishers in the championship final to complete the race successfully are given the All-American Honor with the next eight finishers named All-American Honorable Mention).  Jenny swam the 400 Individual Medley and placed 23rd with a time of 4:35.12, a lifetime best for her by :04 seconds.  Finally the 400-medley relay swam very well in prelims.  They edged out M.I.T. to finish eighth after being seeded 10th going into the meet, so a move up in prelims to get top eight was especially rewarding.

6:00 p.m.
 – The girls had two swims going in the night session finals. All six of them were in the two relays tonight.  Seeded eighth after prelims, the 200-free relay of Olson, Hund, Anding, and Tinklenberg went a 1:35.02 and finished seventh to beat Williams!  The four are now officially All-Americans! The 400-medley relay also did well and got eighth after touching the wall in 3:51.67. In prelims the relay went a 3:50.86 which set a new school record by .02 seconds. The previous record was set last year by Alissa, Jenny, Stephanie Korba, and Katie. The current record is now held by Alissa, Jenny, Kayla, and Katie. All four also received All-American honors!

Yesterday the Gustie women were sitting 17th after day one.  After today’s successes, the team is in ninth!

Tomorrow 
we have Alissa in the 100 backstroke, Jenny in the 100 breaststroke, and the 800-freestyle relay of Tarin, Sarah, Katie, and Jenny. Thanks for reading and thank you to everyone who watched in the caf tonight!

Friday, March 22nd

9:59 p.m. - Today was yet another strong day for the Gustavus women! In prelims there were three swims.  Alissa Tinklenberg in the 100-yard backstroke, Jenny Strom in the 100-yard breaststroke, and the 800-freestyle relay of Katie Olson, Tarin Anding, Sarah Hund, and Jenny Strom.  The morning went well.  Tinklenberg went a 56.35 and moved up to 12th from her original seed of 14th. Strom went a 1:03.92 to place sixth.  The 800-freestyle relay finished in 7:49.84 and placed 19th.

Sarah Hund was honored as a part of a senior recognition on Friday night of the NCAA Championships.

This set up Tinklenberg and Strom to score some solid points for the Gusties at finals later in the night.  Tink dropped .01 seconds to swim a 56.34 in finals and secured five more points for the Gusties with a 12th place finish.  She said she was very happy with her placement considering a tough field in the 100 backstroke this season as her time this year would have been top eight last season.  Strom dropped more time in finals in the 100 breaststroke and moved up one spot to fifth after recording a 1:03.75.  With the fifth place finish, Jenny receives All-American honors for the second time this weekend!

The Gusties gained 19 points on the day and held their ninth place spot overall with 79 points and are currently tied with Grove City.  Senior Sarah Hund mentioned of the weekend, “This is the most fun I’ve had at nationals.  The girls have really bonded over the meet so far.  We are excited with our position going into the last day.” The girls have also been wearing their “Race for Grace” caps and have given a few shout outs to their teammate Grace Goblirsch who is battling leukemia right now.  They miss her dearly and all of their races have had a little bit extra for Grace!

The ladies have four swims left for the meet.  Tomorrow we will see Tink in the 200-yard backstroke, Jenny in the 200-yard breaststroke, Katie in the 100-yard freestyle and the 400-freestyle relay to wrap up the four-day meet.  Thank you for your support!

Saturday, March 23

11:59 p.m. - Today marked the final attempt for the Gustavus women to secure a spot as one of the top 10 teams in the nation.  The Gusties had to show up in the prelims in order to secure solid points to help them to their goal.  The goal Jon Carlson set for this group was to finish inside the top 10 and here was that shot.  Last year was not a disappointment by any means, but the team finished 11th, so this year the team was excited to be in ninth going into the last day.  The highest a Gustavus women’s swimming and diving team has finished was eighth in 2010.

Alissa Tinklenberg with her All-America trophy after finishing sixth in the 200 backstroke on Saturday.

With those goals in mind, as well as swimming to inspire and racing for Grace, the girls had incredible amounts of motivation heading into today.  In morning prelims, Gustavus was set to compete in three races – Alissa Tinklenberg in the 200 backstroke, Jenny Strom in the 200 breaststroke, and the 400 freestyle relay of Katie Olson, Sarah Hund, Tarin Anding, and Tinklenberg.  Alissa started the morning off with a solid swim of 1:59.66.  This is her lifetime best and an MIAC record!  She was sitting in fifth after the morning session.  Jenny Strom had a solid swim, but the field around her took off in her heat and it was hard for her to catch back up.  Strom ended the meet as a two-time All-American.  Finally the relay of Olson, Hund, Anding and Tinklenberg had a great swim with a new school record!  Their time and new record is 3:28.62.  Katie Olson also had a lifetime best lead-off in the 100 freestyle with a 52.07.  The relay team was sitting in 12th going into finals.

The team’s biggest competition to stay in ninth going into finals was Grove City.  Grove City had an athlete in the top eight in the finals of the 100 freestyle and its 400-freestyle relay was also seventh going into the night session.  Grove City outscored the Gustie women with their two swims if you score out the meet before hand.   With that in mind, the Gustie women were competing for 10th place against Wheaton College (Ill.).  In the finals, Tinklenberg finished sixth which tops her finish from last year by one place.  Tink was very excited about her swim and has goals to finish in the top three next season.  Going into the last relay the Gustie women had to finish within three spots of Wheaton to solidify their 10th place standing.  If the Gusties finished within exactly four spots and no more, they would tie for 10th.  The relay put up a time of 3:28.83 and finished 14th to tie Wheaton and finish inside the top 10.

The coaches are extremely proud of the six girls and their time here in Shenandoah.  Their hard work throughout the season has paid off.  They couldn’t have done it without the support of 90 other teammates as well as the parents who have traveled down to support them.  We thank you all for your support the whole season.  Their performance and attitude demonstrates Gustie pride.

Senior Sarah Hund couldn’t have said it better about this year’s NCAA Championships, stating, “This is the most fun I’ve had at a national in my four years at Gustavus”.  With the conclusion of her collegiate career, tears streamed down her face; anyone could see that Gustavus is a place that inspires many people, and the lives of Gusties, truly inspire others.

Shenandoah, Texas – After scoring 19 points on the final day of competition at the 2013 NCAA Championships, the Gustavus women’s swimming and diving team finished the four-day meet in 10th place alongside Wheaton College (Ill.).  The Gusties scored a total of 98 points – a team score and standing that is the second best in the history of the program.  The 2009-10 Gustavus women’s swimming and diving team placed eighth with a record 114 points.

Shining on the final day was Alissa Tinklenberg (Jr., Willmar, Minn.) who swam in the 200 backstroke.  In the morning time trials, Tinklenberg swam a 1:59.66 to finish fifth and secure a spot in Saturday’s finals.  Her time in the prelims bested her own school record of 1:59.92 set at the 2013 MIAC Championships.  The junior captain then swam a 2:00.51 in the finals to place sixth and take home All-America honors.  It is Tinklenberg’s second All-American performance in the 200 backstroke as she placed seventh in the event last season.  To go along with last year’s seventh place finishes in the 100 and 200 backstroke races, Alissa Tinklenberg becomes the first Gustavus swimmer to ever earn All-America marks in three individual races over a career.

Swimming to All-American Honorable Mention distinction on day four was the 400-freestyle relay made up of Katie Olson (So., North Oaks, Minn.),  Sarah Hund (Sr., Willmar, Minn.), Tarin Anding (Fy., Sartell, Minn.), and Tinklenberg.  The group touched the wall in 3:28.62, breaking the school record set by Hund, Tinklenberg, Dajana Vidovic, and Kelsey Lucia in 2011.  The Gusties dropped two places in the finals, finishing 14th after going 3:28.83.

Competing individually on the final day as well was Jennifer Strom (So., Rochester, Minn.) and Katie Olson.  Coming off her All-American showing on Friday, Strom finished 22nd in the 200 breaststroke with a time of 2:22.21.  Olson came in 33rd in the 100 free after recording a time of 52.38.

Saturday Finals Results

Final Team Scores

Shenandoah, Texas – The Gustavus Adolphus women’s swimming and diving team stayed on track on day three of the NCAA Championships, registering 19 points to remain in ninth place with 79 points.

Jennifer Strom (Rochester, Minn.) stole the show on Friday with an All-American performance in the 100 breaststroke.  In the morning time trials, Strom placed sixth with a time of 1:03.92.  Later that night in the finals, Strom moved up one spot to finish fifth after touching the wall in 1:03.75.  By virtue of a finish inside the top eight, Jennifer Strom earns All-America honors for the first time in her career.

Also competing individually on Friday was Alissa Tinklenberg (Willmar, Minn.) who placed 12th in the 100 backstroke preliminaries with a time of 56.35.   Tinklenberg turned in a time of 56.34 in the finals to remain in 12th and garner All-American Honorable Mention distinction.

Rounding out the day’s competitors for Gustavus was the 800-free relay comprised of Katie Olson (North Oaks, Minn.), Tarin Anding (Fy., Sartell, Minn.), Sarah Hund (Sr., Willmar, Minn.), and Jennifer Strom.  The group came in 19th with a time of 7:49.84.

The final day of the 2013 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships is set to begin at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 23.  Rounding out the four-day competition will be the 100 freestyle, 200 backstroke, 200 breaststroke, 400-free relay, three-meter diving, and 1,650 free.  Saturday’s finals are set to begin at 6:00 p.m.

Friday Finals Results

Shenandoah, Texas – The Gustavus Adolphus women’s swimming and diving team used a pair of All-American performances by its 200-free relay and 400-medley relay teams to propel itself into the top 10 on day two of the 2013 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships being held in the Conroe ISD Natatorium.  The Gusties currently sit in ninth with a two-day total of 60 points.

“It was a great day of swimming for us,” said head coach Jon Carlson.  “The ladies were focused from the moment they stepped into the building and it paid off with a pair of All-American swims.  As fun as today was, they will be just as determined and just as hungry tomorrow.”

In the morning time trials, the 200-free relay team of Katie Olson (North Oaks, Minn.), Sarah Hund (Sr., Willmar, Minn.), Tarin Anding (Fy., Sartell, Minn.), and Alissa Tinklenberg (Willmar, Minn.) swam a 1:35.01 to come in eighth place – guaranteeing them All-America honors by virtue of a finish in the top eight.

The 400-medley relay team comprised of Tinklenberg, Jennifer Strom (Rochester, Minn.), Kayla Hutsell (Apple Valley, Minn.), and Olson followed suit by also finishing eighth with a time of 3:50.86.

Strom also competed in the morning prelims, taking 23rd in the 400 individual medley with a time of 4:35.12.

In the finals later that night, the freestyle relay team moved up one spot into seventh place after touching the wall in 1:35.02.  The medley relay team recorded a time of 3:51.67 in the finals to finish eighth.

The time trials on Friday are set to begin at 10:00 a.m.  On the schedule for the third day of competition is the 200 butterfly, 100 backstroke, 100 breaststroke, 800-free relay, and one-meter diving.  Friday’s finals will once again begin at 6:00 p.m.

Complete Day Two Results

Shenandoah, Texas – The Gustavus Adolphus women’s swimming and diving team used a 10th place performance by its 200-medley relay team to end the opening day of the 2013 NCAA Championships in 17th place with 14 points.

In the morning preliminaries, the 200-medley relay team of Alissa Tinklenberg (Jr., Willmar, Minn.), Jennifer Strom (So., Rochester, Minn.), Kayla Hutsell (Fy., Apple Valley, Minn.), and Katie Olson (So., North Oaks, Minn.) finished 10th with a time of 1:45.65, breaking the school record and earning a spot in the consolation final.  The group bested the 2010 school record set by Carley Mosher, Maggie Hansvick, Steph Korba, and Sarah Hund (Sr., Willmar, Minn.).

In the finals later that night, Tinklenberg, Strom, Hutsell, and Olson swam a 1:45.93 to remain in 10th.

Also in the morning prelims, Tinklenberg touched the wall in 5:01.13 to finish 21st in the 500 freestyle, while Olson swam a 24.04 in the 50 free to finish 31st.

The NCAA Championships will pick back up with day two time trails beginning on Thursday morning at 10:00 a.m.  The 200-free relay, 400 individual medley, 100 butterfly, 200 free, 400-medley relay, and one-meter diving competitions are on the docket for tomorrow.

Day One Finals

St. Peter, Minn. – In less than a week, six members of the Gustavus Adolphus women’s swimming and diving team will travel to Shenandoah, Texas to compete in the 2013 NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships.  Senior Sarah Hund (Willmar, Minn.), junior Alissa Tinklenberg (Willmar, Minn.), sophomores Katie Olson (North Oaks, Minn.) and Jennifer Strom (Rochester, Minn.), and first-years Tarin Anding (Sartell, Minn.) and Kayla Hutsell (Apple Valley, Minn.) will represent the Three Crowns at season-capping national meet.  The 2013 NCAA Championships will be held at the Conroe Natatorium, located in Shenandoah, which is a northern suburb of Houston.

“I’m excited to see what this group can do at the NCAA Championships,” said Head Coach Jon Carlson.  “The ladies are so committed and so determined heading into the backstretch of their training.  From their outstanding performances at the MIAC Championships to their relentless effort in practice, they have done everything the right way leading up to this point.  These six individuals have tremendous pride in Gustavus swimming and diving and I look forward to seeing them put it all together on the national stage.”

Leading the Gusties at the NCAA Championships will be the 2013 MIAC Swimmer-of-the-Year Alissa Tinklenberg. Tinklenberg is no stranger to the national meet after turning in what was the single best performance at the NCAA Championships by any female swimmer in the history of the program last year in Indianapolis.  Tink earned All-America honors in four events, taking seventh in both the 100 and 200 backstroke and helping the 400-medley relay place sixth and the 200-free relay also finish sixth.

Heading into the NCAA Championships, Tinklenberg ranks third in the 200 backstroke (1:59.92), 14th in the 100 backstroke (56.41), and 23rd in the 500 freestyle (5:00.90).  The Willmar, Minn. product will also swim in the 200-free relay, 400-free relay, and 400-medley relay.

Also competing individually will be Jennifer Strom and Katie Olson.  Coming off MIAC titles in the 100 and 200 breaststroke races, Strom will look to make a splash in the same events while in Shenandoah.  The sophomore ranks second in the 100 (1:03.57) and 12th in the 200 (2:19.65).  She will also race in the 400 individual medley, in which she ranks 27th (4:41.81).  Olson, a four-time All-Conference performer this season, will take part in the 50 free (19th, 23.69) and 100 free (38th, 52.22).

In the relay events, the 200-free relay team comprised of Tinklenberg, Sarah Hund, Tarin Anding, and Olson ranks seventh with a time of 1:34.89.  The Gusties took sixth in the 200-free relay last season, earning All-America marks.  The Black and Gold will also look for a repeat All-America showing in the 400-medley relay, as Tinklenberg, Strom, Kayla Hutsell, and Olson head into the meet ranked 10th with a time of 3:51.28.

The 400-free relay featuring Olson, Hund, Strom, and Tinklenberg ranks 12th (3:29.72), the 200-medley relay of  Tinklenberg, Strom, Hutsell, and Olson ranks 22nd (1:47.16), the 800-free relay of Anding, Olson, Strom and Hund ranks 23rd (7:55.60).

For more information on the 2013 NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships, please follow the links below.

NCAA Championships Website

Conroe Natatorium Website

Championships Program

Ticket Information

St. Peter, Minn. – Already a proven leader with accolades unmatched by any athlete in the history of the Gustavus swimming and diving program, junior Alissa Tinklenberg (Willmar, Minn.) did not disappoint at this year’s MIAC Swimming and Diving Championships.  Tinklenberg led the Gustavus women’s swimming and diving team to its fourth straight MIAC Championship, winning three individual events and contributing to three first-place relays along the way.  For her outstanding performance over the three-day meet, Alissa Tinklenberg has been named the Female February Student-Athlete of the Month.

According to head coach Jon Carlson following Gustavus’ fourth straight MIAC title, Tinklenberg was “absolutely amazing” at this season’s conference meet.  Thriving on competition and refusing to lose, Tinklenberg proved herself once again on the conference stage.

Over the three-day span, “Tink” seized gold medals in the 400 individual medley with a time of 4:30.70, 100 backstroke with a time of 56:41, and the 200 backstroke with a time of 1:59.92.  She successfully defended her 2012 titles in both the 100 and 200 back, breaking her own conference and school record while at the same time becoming the first MIAC woman to break two minutes in the 200.  Although it wasn’t a specialty of the team captain’s, Tinklenberg swam the 400 IM to best help the team.  The move paid off and Tink shattered Gustavus’s school record by more than six seconds.

In the relays, the junior was just as dominant.  She helped the Gusties to titles in the 200-free relay, the 400-free relay, and the 400-medley relay. Her only non-first-place performance of the weekend was a runner-up finish with the Gustavus 800-free relay team.  In all, Tinklenberg garnered seven All-Conference honors, accounting for a school record 137 of Gustavus’s 743 points.

Following the final day’s competition, Alissa was named the 2013 MIAC Women’s Swimmer-of-the-Year.  She was the first Gustie to be named the Swimmer-of-the-Year since Carrie Gundersen was bestowed the honor as a junior in 2009.  The Willmar, Minn. product now six-time individual event champion in her three-year tenure.

Tinklenberg will now gear up for the NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships set to take place March 20-23 at the Conroe Natatorium in Shenandoah, Texas.  Heading into the NCAA Championships, Alissa ranks third in the 200 backstroke, 14th in the 100 backstroke, and 23rd in the 500 freestyle (5:00.90).  The Gustavus 200-free relay ranks seventh, the 400-medley relay ranks 10th, and the 400-free relay ranks 12th.

For more information on the upcoming NCAA Championships, follow the link below.

http://www.ncaa.com/championships/swimming-women/d3

The 2013 MIAC Champion Golden Gusties. Photo courtesy of Kim Hagemeyer.

The 2013 MIAC Champion Golden Gusties. Photo courtesy of Kim Hagemeyer.

Minneapolis - “This one’s for Grace,” said head women’s swimming and diving coach Jon Carlson after his team claimed the 2013 MIAC Championship on Saturday at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center.  With 255 points on Saturday night, the Gusties stayed the course and won the league title with a three-day total of 743 points.  The Gusties dedicated their performance to teammate Grace Goblirsch (So., River Falls, Wis.) who was diagnosed with leukemia in December.  “This year’s championship had an emotional charge to it like none I’ve ever experienced before.  ‘Race For Grace’ was said every time we put our hands together as a team.  Her battle brought perspective to what we were doing and what we were trying to accomplish – she was always in our thoughts.”

Gustavus has now won a program-best four straight conference championships.  Not since St. Olaf won 11 consecutive league titles from 1987-1997 had a school won more than two in a row before the Gusties three-peated with the win last season.  With four in a row, the Three Crowns has won six of the last seven and eight of the last 12 MIAC Championships.

“Winning the MIAC Championship is never easy and you have to swim like a champion from start to finish if you want to have a chance,” said Carlson.  “Up and down the roster, every performance was outstanding and the effort level was as high as a coach could ever ask for.”

To go along with the emotional team victory, Gustavus junior Aliss Tinklenberg (Willmar, Minn.) was named the 2013 MIAC Women’s Swimmer-of-the-Year following the competion.  On the final day of the championships, Tinklenberg’s dominance continued.  The junior won the 200 backstroke with an NCAA A cut time of time of 1:59.92, breaking the MIAC record set by none other than herself just a year ago.  Over the three day meet, “Tink” won all three of the individual events she swam in – taking the 400 IM in 4:30.70 and the 100 backstroke in 56.41 on Friday night.  She also contributed to three first-place relays, and another second-place relay effort.

Gustavus’ Alissa Tinklenberg and Macalester’s Renee’ Jordan won the top women’s awards for 2013. (Photo by Sara Eisenhauer, St. Catherine Sports Information)

“Alissa was absolutely amazing all weekend,” said Carlson.  “From her first swim in the 200-free relay to having the fastest relay split on the 400-free relay on the last day, Alissa brought her best all weekend.  She swam the 400 IM, which isn’t one of her strongest events, but she did it willingly to help the team win.”

“A fierce competitor who loves to be challenged, Alissa is very deserving of the honor of MIAC Women’s Swimmer-of-the-Year.  She constantly puts the team first and is a teammate of the finest caliber,” he added.

Tinklenberg is the first Gustavus athlete to be named the MIAC Swimmer-of-the-Year since Carrie Gundersen was bestowed the honor as a junior in 2009.  The Willmar, Minn. product successfully defended her 2012 titles in the 100 and 200 backstroke, becoming a now six-time individual event champion in her three-year tenure.”

Also making her mark on the final day of competition was sophomore Jennifer Strom (So., Rochester, Minn.).  Strom won the 200 breaststroke in record-breaking fashion, touching the wall in 2:19.65 to best the previous record of 2:21.32 held by St. Olaf’s Maggie Boling set last season.

“All the credit goes to her,” said Carlson about his second year swimmer Jennifer Strom.  “She’s one of the hardest workers and most dedictate as.  Jennifer made herself better through perseverance and a passion to improve.”

McKenna Jones (So., Faribault, Minn.) was Gustavus’s final All-Conference performer of the last day, taking second in the 1,650 free with a time of 17:49.74.

In the final women’s race of the meet, Katie Olson (So., North Oaks, Minn.), Sarah Hund (Sr., Willmar, Minn.), Strom, and Tinklenberg teamed up to close the meet with a victory in the 400-free relay.  The group swam a 3:29.72 to meet the 2012 NCAA selection cut and secure the 2013 crown.

“This group had so much confidence in each other all season – they had each others’ back from start to finish,” added Carlson.  “If someone had a swim that didn’t go the way they wanted, the team was there to pick that person up and offer support.”

MIAC athletes taking part in the filming of the Grace Harlem Shake video.

The victory and meet itself was made even more significant because of the displays of support Grace throughout the weekend.  “Race for Grace” chants could be heard constantly and the entire league banned together to create a Harlem Shake video in honor of their teammate and competitor.  Several of the teams wore “Race for Grace” t-shirts throughout the weekend, and numerous swimmers sported temporary tattoos to show their support as well.

Carlson, who is featured at the start of the video, stated, “It was awesome to see the whole MIAC jump on board and do the Harlem Shake for Grace.  The support we’ve received from other conference teams has been overwhelming.  It makes me thankful to be in a league where the teams are so congenial and supportive of one another.”

Day Three Results

Following each race, all eight finalists were honored with a podium awards ceremony during Thursday night’s session, and the top three finishers in each event received MIAC All-Conference honors and medals for their achievement. Thursday’s updated team scores and All-Conference honorees in each event are listed below, and complete results from the session are available online here. The meet ended with an awards ceremony to honor the team champions, individual award-winners and All-MIAC Sportsmanship Team selections.

Fans can re-live the 2013 MIAC Swimming and Diving Championships on the event’s home page. The page features complete coverage of all six sessions including results, recaps, photos and videos. All six sessions were also broadcast live online by Webcast America, and fans can view the video archives of each session online, and have the option to purchase a DVD.