Indianapolis – The Gustavus Adolphus swimming and diving team had a strong showing in Saturday morning’s prelims of the NCAA Championships being held at the IUPUI Natatorium. With a total of three individuals and one relay team competing tonight, Gustavus has put itself in solid position to achieve its program goal of a top 10 finish.
Gustavus gained momentum early thanks to Katie Olson (Jr., North Oaks, Minn.) in the 100 freestyle. Olson touched the wall in a school-record time of 51.19 to finish just outside the top eight in ninth place. She was the owner of the previous school record (51.37), which was set at the MIAC Championships this season.
Alissa Tinklenberg (Sr., Willmar, Minn.) followed Olson’s swim with a top eight finish in the 200 backstroke. Tinklenberg guaranteed herself a second individual All-America honor by virtue of her fifth place finish in 2:00.16 this morning in the prelims.
Jennifer Strom (Jr., Rochester, Minn.) rounded out Gustavus’s top individual performers with a ninth place finish in the 200 breaststroke. Strom recorded a time of 2:18.59 and missed out on earning All-America status by just .07 seconds.
Gustavus’s male swimmer, Dante Colucci (So., Summit, N.J.), also wrapped up his NCAA Championship run with a 33rd place finish in the 100 backstroke with a time of 1:53.72.
The morning was capped off by the sixth place finish of the 400-free relay team. Katie Olson, Tarin Anding (So., Sartell, Minn.), Danielle Klunk (Jr., Appleton, Wis.), and Alissa Tinklenberg teamed up to go 3:27.21 and earn a place in tonight’s championship final.
The finals for the 100 free, 200 backstroke, 200 breaststroke, 400-free relay, and women’s three-meter diving competition will begin tonight at 6:00 p.m. For complete results of this morning’s prelims and to view tonight’s heat sheets, please follow the links below.