MANKATO, Minn. -- The St. Catherine University swimming and diving team fell to Minnesota State University, Mankato in a dual on Saturday afternoon. The NCAA Division II school edged out the Wildcats 193-78 in the 16 event meet held at Highland Pool in Mankato.
"The team showed a lot of heart racing a very deep and talent Minnesota State-Mankato team", commented co-head coach,
Dan Eckberg. "We saw some improvements from the team and also some areas we can continue to work on. Our team is always focused on fighting until the end and we demonstrated that thoroughly today."
In the 200-yard medley relay, St. Catherine's A relay made up of
Ella Hochstetler,
J Dombroski,
Emma Svendsen, and
Anneke van Oosterom finished fourth 1:52.54. The B relay finished sixth and the final three relay teams finished consecutively from 10th-12th. The 12th place team was led by
Clare Cook recording a career-best time in the 50-yard freestyle with a split of 34.01.
Sophomore
Olivia Weil was the lone Wildcat in the 1,000-yard freestyle coming in fifth with a time of 11:22.61.
In the 200-yard freestyle, Hochstetler was the top finisher from St. Kate's finishing fourth with a time of 2:01.10 while
Sammi Friedrich was sixth and
Nicolette Harvey was just behind in seventh.
Gillian Durand appeared in the 50-yard backstroke finishing in seventh at 29.32 and rookie
Mary Morris came in 10th with a time of 29.72.
Jordyn Grotbo was 12th at 30.22,
Brooke Halverson was 13th at 31:00 and
Clare Cook rounded out the field with a time of 33.72.
Dombroski was ninth in the 50-yard breaststroke with a time of 33.62 and
Sierra Hermansen finished 10th at 34.05. van Oosterom,
Shea Bradley, and
Mackenzie Marthaler were the final three to finish the event in 12th, 13th, and 14th.
Natalie Chandler scored two points for St. Kate's in the 100-yard butterfly clocking in at 1:03.32 while rookie
Ava Hacker scored one in sixth at 1:04.96.
Svendsen added three points to the team score in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 25.26 and fifth-year
Andrea Voelker was sixth scoring a point with a time of 25.91. Svendsen and Voelker were second and third, respectively, in the 100-yard freestyle followed by Hacker, Bradley,
Charlotte Johnson,
Maka Chikowero and Marthaler finished in that order.
Hochstetler was the runner-up in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 1:01.61 with Chandler following at 1:04.66 for third. van Oosterom came in at 1:06.07 ahead of Cook in fifth at 1:13.93.
Mia Hocking finished second in the 100-yard breaststroke at 1:17.03 scoring four points. Harvey and
Richanta Pollard combined for five points scored as Harvey was fourth at 1:19.55 and Pollard fourth at 1:20.93.
Three Wildcats were in the 500-yard freestyle with Grotbo second overall with a time of 5:26.25, Morris was third at 5:39.17 and Halverson finished fourth at 6:01.39, a career-best time for the rookie.
In the 50-yard butterfly, Durand, Dombroski, and Friedrich scored points for St. Kate's with Durand as the runner-up registering a time of 28:27. Dombroski was third with a time of 28.67 and Friedrich finished fourth at 28.79.
The final individual event of the meet was the 100-yard individual medley with Dombroski the top finisher for the Wildcats with a second-place time of 1:05.47. Chandler was third overall while scoring three points with a time of 1:06.58.
The cross divisions dual ended with the 200-yard freestyle relay as Svendsen led van Oosterom, Durand, and Hochstetler with a time of 1:41.87. The B relay team of Friedrich, Hacker, Bradley and Grotbo added the team's final points of the meet finished third touching the wall at 1:46.81.
Next up for the Wildcats is the double dual at Macalester College on Friday, November 10 competing against the Scots along with Hamline University.
