Results
ST. PAUL, MINN. – After a week long training trip in Florida, the St. Catherine University Swimming and Diving team returned to St. Paul, Minnesota ready to start the second half of the 2016-17 season. Fortunately, the Wildcats did not have to wait very long, as they hosted Augsburg College in a dual meet Friday evening. St. Kate's also wasted no time getting back to its winning ways, defeating Augsburg 104-91 in the
Butler Center Pool.
"After a great training trip to the Florida Keys, we returned back to the
Butler Center with a great deal of confidence," swimming and diving head coach
Justin Zook said after the meet. "I saw a lot of girls go out and attack their swims tonight, which means we are certainly on the right track moving forward. The girls far exceeded my expectations in their performance and attitude tonight after just returning last night from our eight days in the sun!"
The Wildcats won every event against the Auggies Friday evening thanks to several career and season best swims by multiple swimmers.
Katie Rising (Bismark, N.D. / Century) recorded two season best times Friday night, including a career best time of 2:07.43 in the 200 freestyle race, which Rising won by three full seconds. Rising also recorded a season best time of 2:28.91 in the 200 individual medley (IM).
In addition to Rising, five other Wildcats set both season and career best times in the dual meet against Augsburg.
Mary Jane Voss (Mequon, Wis.) continued her strong season by winning the 100 butterfly with a time of 1:02.69. That time was not only a season best for the junior, but a career best time as well.
First year
McKenna Peterson (Cameron Park, Calif. / St. Francis) also had a career day in the pool, especially in the 100 freestyle. Peterson won the race with a time of 58.37, which was nearly one second faster than her previous career best time of 59.17.
Laura Fox (Ham Lake, Minn. / Totino-Grace) and
Emilee Lance (Brooklyn Park, Minn. / Park Center) were the final two swimmers for St. Kate's to record season and career best swims Friday evening. Fox's time of 1:15.88 in the 100 backstroke was both a season and career best time, while Lance was equally impressive in the 100 breaststroke. The first year made her debut in the race Friday evening, as she never swam the 100 breaststroke previously in her career, and recorded a time of 1:22.88.
Micah Goldman (Arden Hills, Minn. / Mounds View) was the final Wildcat to have a career day in the pool, as she set a season and career best time in the 500 yard freestyle. Goldman recorded a time of 5:59.82 in the marathon event, a time that was nearly four seconds faster than her previous career best.
Brooke Soller (Maple Grove),
Ellie Menso (Barrington, Ill. / Barrington) and
Alissa Ellingson (Eagan, Minn. / Eagan) all recorded season best swims in the dual against the Auggies. Soller recorded a season best time in the 200 freestyle race, with a time of 2:10.58. Menso's time of 5:50.75 in the 500 freestyle was seven seconds faster than her previous season best time, while Ellingson's 2:20.05 in the 200 IM was a season best time as well.
Jenna Nagy (Hutchinson, Minn. / Hutchinson) also continued to impress, with wins in both the 1-meter and 3-meter diving events.
"With no school for the next few weeks, I am really looking forward to continuing the hard training in and out of the pool," Zook said about the upcoming weeks. "This time of the year also provides us a great opportunity to evaluate where we stand prior to the MIAC Championships, and focus on some of the small details."
With the training trip and Augsburg's dual behind them, the Wildcats will begin training for their next event, the Grinnell Invite, which will take place January 20-21 in Grinnell, Iowa. Then, St. Kate's will participate in three dual meets against Macalester, the University of Minnesota-Morris, and Concordia to close out the month of January.
