MINNEAPOLIS -- The 2014 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic
Conference (MIAC) Swimming and Diving Championships began Thursday
morning at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center, and if the
first preliminary races are any indication, fans are in for a
weekend-long treat of photo finishes.
The two defending team champions also positioned themselves well
for a repeat. Both the Gustavus women - seeking their
fourth-straight title -and the St. Olaf men - looking for their
second-straight championship and fifth in eight years - had
impressive starts Saturday. Gustie women finished with the top time
in all three of Thursday morning's swimming prelims, and the St.
Olaf men recorded the best mark in two of the three events.
| SESSION 1 RESULTS | PHOTOS: MEN - WOMEN | ARCHIVED VIDEO |
Nearly each race was closely contested, led by the women's
200-yard individual medley, where the top three were separated by
just a tenth of a second. Gustavus freshmen Dani Klunk and Hayley
Booher finish 1-2 with nearly identical times of 2:08.29 and
2:08.32, respectively, and Gustie senior Laura Drake was a close
third with a time of 2:08.39.
The men's 50-yard freestyle was another narrow finish between
the two Northfield schools. St. Olaf sophomore Billy Brebrick led
with a time of 20.53. Carleton teammates Stephen Grinich (20.84)
and Evan Lahr (20.84) both touched the wall in 20.84 seconds, and
St. Olaf's Tanner Roe also broke 21 seconds, as his time of 20.91
was good for fourth-best.
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Two-time defending 200-IM
champ Michael Gratz of St. Olaf
recorded the fastest time in that event Thursday morning.
(Photo by Matt Higgins, MIAC) |
The top two times in the men's 500-yard freestyle prelim were
separated by just 0.20 seconds, which is incredibly close for such
a long race. Carleton's Evan Harris recorded the best time,
finishing in 4:39.05, and Gustavus' Zac Solis was right on his
heels with a runner-up time of 4:39.25.
Thursday morning was also a productive session for the reigning
MIAC Women's Swimmer and Diver-of-the-Year. Gustavus' Alissa
Tinklenberg recorded the top time in the women's 50-yard freestyle,
touching the wall in 23.22 and edging out Carleton's Milana Socha
(23.64) and fellow Gustie Katie Olson (23.65). Meanwhile,
Macalester diver Renee Jordan was the class of the women's 3-meter
diving prelim - and event she won a year ago - with a total score
of 302.60. St. Thomas' Casey Nightengale is in second at 263.50 and
another Scot, Hunter Hedenberg, is in third at 259.90.
The reigning MIAC Men's Diver-of-the-Year also put himself at
the front of the pack in the men's 1-meter diving prelims. St.
Thomas' Nick Johnson led the field with a score of 428.85 as he
looks to cap his career with more honors. St. Olaf's Scott Hodgson
is in second at 408.40, and Gustavus' Bennet Woltjer is a little
more than three points out of second with a score of
405.15.
Gustavus' Jenny Strom swam the fastest time in the women's
500-yard freestyle (5:04.37) and St. Olaf star junior Michael Gratz
led the men's 200-yard individual medley field with a time of
1:50.02. Gratz - seeking his third-straight title in the event -
led a wave of Oles in the 200-IM, as three of the top four
finishers were teammates.
The top eight swimmers in each event will advance to the
Thursday night's championship heats, and will compete for MIAC
individual titles and All-Conference honors (top three finishers).
Swimmers who finished 9-16 Thursday morning will swim in Thursday's
consolation heats. The top 16 divers in each prelim will advance to
the finals as well.
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The
Gustavus women led all three swimming prelims
Thursday morning as they seek their fifth title in a
row.
(Photo by Matt Higgins, MIAC) |
The 2014 MIAC Swimming and Diving Championships will continue
with five more sessions Thursday evening, Friday and Saturday (Feb.
13-15) at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center. Each morning
sessions feature preliminary races and will begin at 10:30 a.m.,
and the evening finals sessions will start at 6:30 p.m. each day.
The doors open each morning at 9 a.m., and again at 5:30 p.m. for
the evening sessions on Thursday and Friday. The doors will open at
3 p.m. for Saturday's final session.
Spectators are welcome at all six sessions, and there are two
different options for purchasing tickets. Single-session tickets
will be sold, costing $8 for adults and $4 for students. Fans will
also have the option to buy an All-Session Pass for $40 (adults) or
$20 (students). Heat sheets are included in the price of admission
and will be available at the ticket window. Children 5 and under
will be admitted free, and MIAC passes will be honored. No other
passes or discounts will be accepted.
If fans can't make it to Minneapolis, there are several ways
they can track the action from afar. The MIAC has again teamed up
with Webcast America to offer a live video/audio
webcast of all six sessions. Webcast America will also
offer archives of the sessions on its website for
on-demand viewing, or purchase on DVD. There will also be "live"
results available online with times and scores updated shortly
following each event.
Complete information and coverage of the 2014 MIAC Swimming and
Diving Championships can be found on the MIAC's event home
page. Throughout the championships, the page will include
the event schedules, venue
information, ticket information, psych sheets, heat sheets, results, recaps,
photo galleries, highlight videos, helpful links and more. Fans can
connect throughout the meet via social media, using the official
hashtag #MIACSD on Twitter.
Gustavus Adolphus College and Hamline University are serving as
the host institutions for the 2014 MIAC Swimming and Diving
Championships. Twin Cities Orthopedics will again provide athletic
training and medical services. The Commons Hotel is the official
hotel partner of the MIAC Swimming and Diving Championships, and
Pure Blue Swim provided medals for All-MIAC performers.
2014 MIAC
Swimming and Diving Championships - Session 1
| Results | Photos: Men - Women | Highlight Video | Archived Video | Event Home
Page |