MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – The Gustavus men’s and women’s swimming & diving teams finished day one at the Minnesota Challenge Friday evening on the campus of the University of Minnesota.
“It was a good start to the meet,” said Head Coach Jon Carlson. “Both the men and women swam very well. It’s good to get a chance to swim at the University of Minnesota where will be for the MIAC Championships in two weeks. It is a good final test run of people’s events in tune up for the conference championships.”
MEN
The Gustie men’s swimmers collected a total of four top-10 finishes. Tanner Sonnek (So., North Mankato, Minn.) claimed a team-best third place finish in the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 1:57.30.
Matt Allison (Fy., Grand Rapids, Minn.) turned in a sixth place time of 21.52 in the 50-yard freestyle. Additionally, Gustavus picked up two top-10 times in relays. The 200-yard freestyle relay team of Allison, Will Clark (Fy., Northfield, Minn.), Sonnek, and Adam Peters (Sr., Montevideo, Minn.) finished in ninth place with a time of 1:27. The 400-yard medley relay team of Frankie Zobitz (So., White Bear Lake, Minn.), Sonnek, Ryan Sklar (Fy., Lake Oswego, Ore.), and Allison finished in seventh place with a time of 3:34.36.
WOMEN
As a team the Gustie women compiled eight top-10 finishes. Kate Reilly (Jr., Hastings, Minn.) and Haley Pesik (So., Eagan, Minn.) led Gustavus with two individual top-10 times each. Reilly finished fourth in the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 2:13.87 and finished fifth in the 50-yard freestyle, clocking in at 24.33. Pesik finished sixth at 5:22.89 in the 500-yard freestyle and was ninth in the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 2:16.95
Also finishing in the top-10 in the 200-yard individual medley was Hayley Booher (Sr., Warren, Vt.) and Kennedy Holwerda (Jr., Willmar, Minn.). Booher was seventh with a time of 2:16.52 while Holwerda was 10th at 2:17.21. Also finishing in the top10 of the 500-yard freestyle was Rachel Thate (Fy., North Mankato, Minn.) clocking a time of 5:23.96.
Three relay teams finished in the top-10. The 200-yard freestyle relay team of Holwerda, Reilly, Maggie Webster (So., Apple Valley, Minn.), and Alyssa Lokensgard (Fy., St. Peter, Minn.) claimed fourth place with a time of 1:39.38.
Two 400-yard medley relay teams were in the top-10. First, the team of Booher, Pesik, Reilly, and Nicole Lohman (Sr., North Mankato, Minn.) were seventh at 4:07.62, while the team of Holwerda, Maddie Westendorp (Fy., St. Michael, Minn.), Sydney Hallmark (So., Cedarburg, Wis.), and Lokensgard were 10th at 4:13.90.
“There was a lot of fast times all over the place,” Carlson commented. “However, it is not about scores during this meet and we are not really paying attention to what our places are. We’re just focusing on our times and improving. It was a good first day.”
Gustavus concludes action at the Minnesota Challenge tomorrow, starting with events at 11 a.m.