The Gustavus women’s swimming team turned in another strong performance and remained in first place after the second day of the MIAC Championships. The Gustie men are in second place just 44 points behind St. Olaf. The championships, which are taking place at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center, will conclude with prelims and finals on Saturday.
The Gustie women started the day with an impressive first place finish in the 200 medley relay. The team of Christi O’Conner, Sarah Koepp, Yoshi Ludwig, and Laura Watkins set a new meet record with a time of 1:47.84. That time also met the NCAA B Provisional Standard. The team then proceeded to dominate the 100 butterfly placing four swimmers in the top five including Yoshi Ludwig in second (58.68), Christi O’Conner in third (1:00.28), Ericka Hickey in fourth (1:00.78), and Emma Espel in fifth (1:01.22). First year standout Sarah Koepp then added a first place finish in the 100 breaststroke with a NCAA B provisional standard time of 1:06.4. Maggie Hanswick finished third in the 100 breaststroke (1:08.12). The Gusties ended the day with a third place finish in the 800 meter relay. The team consisted of Jonna Berry, Janae Piehl, Carrie Gunderson, and Sara Pfau. Gustavus (498) increased its lead to 64 points over St. Olaf (434) heading into the final day.
The Gusties men also got off to a solid start as the 200 medley relay team finished second with a NCAA B Provisional qualifying time of 1:3.52. The team consisted of Scott Hagemeyer, Dan Mikkelson, Connor Ziegler, and Brian Amundson. Matt Stewart came up just short in the 100 butterfly as he finished second, but automatically qualified for the NCAA Championships with a time of :49.77. Connor Ziegler finished third with a NCAA B Provisional qualifying time of :50.57. Ben Hanson then posted a first place finish in the 200 freestyle with a NCAA B Provisional qualifying time of 1:41.74. Brian Amundson placed third in a time of 1:43.61. Scott Hagemeyer added another first place finish in the 100 backstroke with a NCAA B Provisional qualifying time of :51.52. The Gusties ended the day on a high note as the 800 free relay time consisting of Matt Stewart, Billy Cuevas, Brian Amundson, and Ben Hanson claimed first place in a meet record time of 6:49.95. Gustavus swam well, however Saint Olaf leapfrogged the Gusties into first place. St. Olaf (575.5) leads Gustavus (531.5) by 44 points heading into the final day. The Gusties are attempting to claim their sixth consecutive MIAC title.