(photo courtesy of the MIAC)
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Gustavus swim & dive sits atop the team rankings for both the men and women after Thursday’s day two of the MIAC Championships, held at the University of Minnesota Jean Freeman Aquatic Center. The Gustie men have 342 points and are 89 points ahead of Saint John’s, while the Gustie women have 246 points and are eight points clear of St. Kate’s.
“The guys really stepped up and performed well in all of their races,” Head Coach Jon Carlson said. “We’re really excited for tomorrow. And the women had a big night. Our divers came through and put us on top, and hopefully we can hang there the rest of the weekend.”
Marit Isaacson (So., Saint Paul) started day two finals by earning All-Conference in the women’s 500 free, taking third place in 5:02.22. Matt Strom (Jr., Rochester) won the men’s 500 free with a NCAA B qualifying time of 4:29.89, while Callen Zemek (Sr., Victoria) earned All-MIAC in third place at 4:33.05. The men went one-two in the 200 IM as Erik Small (Sr., Hudson, Wis.) won in 1:51.39 and Peyton Richardson (Jr., Crystal Lake, Ill.) took second in 1:52.43.
In the women’s 50 free, Ellen Hofstede (Sr., Saint Paul) clocked a 2022 selection time of 23.46 for first place, while Lucy Peterson (Jr., Saint Paul) took second in 23.65. In the men’s 50, Andrew Becker (Sr., Northfield) recorded a NCAA B qualifying time of 20.28 to win the event. Kieran Ripken (Jr., Blaine) earned All-Conference in third place with a time of 20.62.
On the three-meter board, Emmalyn Dickerson (Jr., New Prague) was just shy of All-Conference, finishing fourth with a NCAA B qualifying score of 352.55. Jemma Koenigs (Jr., Blaine) took seventh at 323.10 and Gabriella Stoudt (Fy., Maple Plain) took eighth at 314.05, both NCAA B cuts.
The women’s 400 medley relay team of Mikayla Witte (So., Glencoe), Lindsay Sundby (Fy., Cannon Falls), Hofstede, and Peterson took second place in 3:54.41. And the men’s 400 medley relay wrapped up the day with a MIAC Championship meet record. Strom, Ripken, Richardson, and Becker won with a NCAA B time of 3:19.15, breaking the previous meet record of 3:19.98 set by St. Thomas in 2016.
During the morning prelim session, Richardson raced a time trial in the 100 butterfly and set the school record with a time of 48.92, which is also a NCAA B cut. Richardson’s time broke an 18-year old record set by Will Sutor (49.35) in 2005.
Friday’s prelims begin at 10:30 a.m. and the finals are set for 6:30 p.m.