The Gustavus women’s swimming and diving team participated in its last warm-up meet before the 2012 MIAC Championships this weekend at the Minnesota Challenge held Feb. 3-4 in the Aquatic Center on the campus of the University of Minnesota. The two-day meet featured NCAA Division I, II, and III teams from across the country. There were no teams scores kept at the meet.
Fresh off being named Gustavus Female Student-Athlete of the Month for January, Tinklenberg continued to impress at the Minnesota Challenge. Tinklenberg recorded three finishes inside the top-12 and two more inside the top-20. She went 1:00.47 to place 11th in the 100 backstroke, 18:15.92 to place 11th in the 1650 free, and 5:11.97 to take 12th in the 500 free. Tinklenberg also placed 17th in the 200 free (1:58.65) and 19th in the 50 free (24.89).
Jennifer Stom also had a good meet with three top-20 marks. Stom came in ninth in the 400 IM with a time of 4:51.98, 14th in the 200 breaststroke in 2:32.84, and 19th in the 100 breaststroke in 1:10.65.
Top Gustie competitors in the freestyle races included Katie Olson, Kelsey Lucia, Libby Larson, and Megan Tuttle. Olson finished 10th in the 100 free (54.54), while also adding an 18th place mark in the 50 free (24.87). Kelsey Lucia recorded a 24.64 to take 11th in the 50 free, Libby Larson went 18:25.85 to place 12th in the 1650 free, and Tuttle touched the wall in 18:26.37 to finish 13th in the 1650 free.
Abby Lyle, Rebecca Stewart, Michaela Holm, and Steph Korba registered Gustavus’ other top swims in the meet. Lyle (4:56.50), Stewart (4:59.55), and Holm (4:59.96) went 13th, 14th, and 15th in the 400 IM, while Korba rounded out the group by coming in 15th in the 200 butterfly (2:18.83).
The top Gustavus finish was turned in by the 200 free relay team of Lucia, Serena Elthon, Olson and TInklenberg, which placed third after recording a time of 1:38.18.
Olson, Gabe Gazzola, Stom, and Tinklenberg teamed up to place sixth in the 800-free relay in 8:06.84, while Olson, Sarah Hund, Elthon, and Tinklenberg rounded out the freestyle relay races by finishing 11th in the 400 in 3:44.35.
Rounding out the top performances was the eighth place (1:51.85) 200-medley relay team of Tinklenberg, Crane, Sophia Iaquinta, and Lucia, and the ninth place (4:05.93) 400-medley relay team of Tinklenberg, Stom, Korba, and Olson.
The Gustavus swimming and diving teams will in the pool next when they take part in the 2012 MIAC Championships on Feb. 16-18 back in the Aquatic Center on the campus of the University of Minnesota.