Release courtesy of Matt Higgins, MIAC Assistant Executive Director
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – The Gustavus women’s swimming and diving proved once again that it is one of the top college teams in the region regardless of division with a strong showing at the University of Minnesota’s Minnesota Challenge. Sophomore standout Kate Reilly (Hastings, Minn./Minnesota Virtual Academy) led the Gusties with seven top-10 finishes, including three strong individual performances and a quartet of outstanding relay finishes. For her performance, the MIAC sports information directors honored Reilly Tuesday with her second MIAC Women’s Swimming and Diving Athlete-of-the-Week award of the 2015-16 season.
Reilly rose to the challenge against top regional Division I, II and III competition with a pair of top-five individual finishes and another in the top eight. She was fifth in both the 100-yard breaststroke (1:08.79) and 100-yard freestyle (52.67) and eighth in the 100-yard butterfly (59.91). She also helped the Gustie 400- and 800-yard freestyle relay teams both finish third with times of 3:38.05 and 8:02.55, respectively, and she helped the 200-free relay team finish fifth (1:39.05) and the 200-medley relay team finish seventh (1:08.79). This season, Reilly has the MIAC’s top time in the 100-breast (1:06.82). She’s ranked second in the conference in the 50-free (24.13) and 100-IM (1:00.75) and fourth in the 100-free (53.48) and 100-fly (58.51).
Gustavus will take this weekend off from competition to gear up for the season’s biggest meet – the 2016 MIAC Swimming and Diving Championships – where the Gusties are aiming for a seventh-straight MIAC title. The conference meet will be held Thursday through Saturday, Feb. 18-20, at the University of Minnesota’s Jean Freeman Aquatic Center in Minneapolis. There will be two sessions each day – six total – with prelims each morning at 10:30 a.m. and finals sessions each evening at 6:30 p.m.