Northfield, Minn. – The Gustavus men’s swimming and diving team opened its 2012-13 season with a head-to-head dual against rival St. Olaf College on Friday night at the Skoglund Center Natatorium. The Gusties couldn’t keep stride with Oles, falling in their season-opener by the score of 195-99.
Sophomore Zac Solis (Centennial, Colo.) led the Gusties with one event win and two other third place finishes. Solis won the 200 backstroke with a time of 1:57.94, and finished third in both the 200 freestyle (1:49.52) and 200 IM (2:01.86).
Gustavus divers Sam Hanson (Jr., Minnetonka, Minn.) and Bennet Woltjer (Fr., Willmar, Minn.) swept the diving competitions with wins in both events. Hanson won the one-meter with a score of 147.25, and Woltjer won the three-meter with a score of 262.15.
Kurt Youngdahl (So., Wayzata, Minn.), Ross Larson (So., Brookings, S.D.), and Jacob Stern (Fr., Rosemount, Minn.) each tallied a pair of finishes on the podium. Youngdahl scored the Gusties points in the freestyle swims with a second place performance in the 500 free with a time of 27.30 and a third place mark in the 100 free with a time of 49.05. Larson tallied third places in both the 100 (55.91) and 200 butterfly (2:07.77), while Stern posted third place showings in the 100 (1:01.04) and 200 breaststroke (2:18.08).
Dante Colucci (Fr., Summit, N.J.) and Tommy Payne (Fr., Montevideo, Minn.) rounded out Gustavus’ top performers with two more third place finishes – Colucci in the 100 back (56.54) and Payne in the 50 free (22.43).
The Gustavus men’s swimming and diving team will be back in the pool on Saturday, Nov. 10 when it travels to Sioux City, Iowa to take part in the Morningside Invitational.