MINNEAPOLIS -- The St. Olaf College men's swimming and diving
team had established a pattern, winning every-other Minnesota
Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) championship since 2007.
However, the Oles broke the cycle Saturday night by winning their
second-straight championship Saturday night at the University of
Minnesota Aquatic Center. St. Olaf pulled away from the field at
the 2014 MIAC Men's Swimming and Diving Championships to capture
its fifth MIAC crown in eight years.
The title is also a significant milestone for the Oles and
Coaches Bob and Dave Hauck and Maya Hamilton. St. Olaf now has an
even 30 MIAC men's swimming and diving championships, the most in
conference history. St. Thomas, which finished as the runner-up for
the second-straight season after narrowly defeating the Oles for
the title in 2012, has the second-most all-time titles with 21.
Second-place St. Thomas also had a lot to celebrate, as
sophomore Mike Lanz was named the 2014 MIAC Men's
Swimmer-of-the-Year and teammate Nick Johnson received his
second-straight MIAC Men's Diver-of-the-Year award. The St. Olaf
coaching staff were voted the 2014 MIAC Men's Swimming
Coaches-of-the-Year, and Macalester's Jake Dunn was voted MIAC
Diving Coach-of-the-Year, both coaching awards are repeats of
2013.
The Oles finished more than 100 points better than the rest of
the field en route to their title, as they amassed 848 points. The
Tommies score 740 to finish second, as the two rivals distanced
themselves from the pack. Carleton scored 536 points to edge a
competitive trio for third place, with Gustavus (498.5) edging
Saint John's (429) for fifth. Hamline scored 150.5 to finish in
sixth place, and Macalester edged Saint Mary's by 14 points, 126 to
112, to conclude the 2014 team standings.
| SESSION 6 RESULTS | PHOTOS | ARCHIVED VIDEO |
St. Olaf had several standout performances, starting with Gratz.
The junior star won the men's 100-yard freestyle title, an event he
also won in 2012, with a 2013 selection time of 44.74. Gratz took
his third individual title of the meet - also winning the men's
200-yard individual medley and the 100-yard backstroke - by
narrowly defeating teammate Tanner Roe, who met the B cut
(45.47).
The Oles also went 1-2 in a "changing of the guard" in the
200-yard breaststroke. Three-time defending champion Colby Kubat
couldn't quite make it a career sweep, as rookie teammate Nick
Wilkerson set a new meet record, winning the race in 2:01.31.
Wilkerson's time met the 2013 NCAA selection standard. Kubat was
second with a time of 2:03.46 (B cut) a night after winning his
fourth-straight title in the 100-breast.
St. Olaf senior Spencer Scarth also ended his career with a
flourish, taking home his third-straight title in the men's
1,650-yard freestyle. Scarth met the B cut with a winning time of
16:16.27, and added his mile title to his 400-yard individual
medley championship he claimed on Friday. St. Olaf finished off its
MIAC championship by winning the final event of the night, the
men's 400-yard freestyle relay. Roe, Kubat, Andrew France and
Michael Graf met the 2013 NCAA selection time by winning in
3:02.22.
|
St. Thomas teammates Mike
Lanz and Nick Johnson
took home the top individual honors Saturday.
(Photo by Megan Gaard, MIAC) |
One of Saturday's top highlights came in the men's 200-yard
butterfly, and contributed to Lanz's selection as MIAC
Swimmer-of-the-Year. The Tommie sophomore surged into the lead in
the final 50 yards to overtake St. Olaf's Billy Brebrick, the
event's defending champ, and set a new MIAC record. Lanz touched
the wall in 1:48.73, with Brebrick at 1:49.10. The event was a
repeat of the 100-fly, as Lanz also broke the MIAC record to put
his name in the record books, and lead to his big individual
honor.
Johnson also starred Saturday to cement his second-straight
Diver-of-the-Year honor. The UST senior successfully defended his
3-meter title and swept both diving championships for the second
season in a row. Johnson edged out St. Olaf's Scott Hodgson, 489.85
to 478.80, with both meeting the 2013 NCAA selection standard.
Bennet Woltjer of Gustavus finished third with 365.10, as the
3-meter top three was identical to the how the 1-meter finished
Thursday.
The Gustavus men had more to cheer about Saturday, starting with
sophomore Dante Colucci's performance in the men's 200-yard
backstroke. Colucci won with a B-cut time of 1:50.40 and defeated a
field that included the defending champion, St. Olaf's Evan
Griffith. Fellow Gustie Zac Solis completed a great weekend as
well, as he finished second with a B-cut time in the mile to earn
his third top-two finish of the meet.
Following the conclusion of the meet, there was a brief awards
ceremony to honor the All-MIAC Sportsmanship Team, team champions,
individual award winners including Swimmers, Divers and
Coaches-of-the-Year. The top three swimmers in each race were named
All-Conference. A complete list of MIAC Swimming and Diving award
winners will be released in the coming week.
Before the meet began, the conference honored St. Thomas Head
Coach Tom Hodgson, who will retire on May 31 after leading the
Tommie men and women for 35 seasons. The MIAC coaches presented
Hodgson with a card, flowers and a framed photo of all the coaches
as mementos from his outstanding career, and in honor of his
service to MIAC swimming and diving and the conference's
student-athletes.
Fans can relive all the action of the 2014 MIAC Swimming and
Diving Championships online. The event home
page has complete results, recaps, photo galleries and highlight videos from an exciting weekend. All photos
are available for purchase directly from the galleries. All six
sessions are also archived online thanks to Webcast America, and fans can purchase DVDs or watch
each session on-demand.
The MIAC would like to thank 2014 MIAC Swimming and Diving
Champioships host institutions Gustavus Adolphus College and
Hamline University. The conference also thanks Webcast America,
Twin Cities Orthopedics, The Commons Hotel and Pure Blue
Swim.
2014 MIAC Men's Swimming and Diving Championships
- Session 6
| Results | Photos | Highlight
Video | Archived Video | Event Home
Page |
2014 MIAC MEN'S SWIMMING AND DIVING
CHAMPIONSHIPS
Men's Team
Scores
1. St. Olaf - 848
2. St. Thomas - 740
3. Carleton - 536
4. Gustavus - 498.5
5. Saint John's - 429
6. Hamline - 150.5
7. Macalester - 126
8. Saint Mary's - 112
|
2014 MIAC Men's Swimming & Diving
Awards
Men's Swimmer-of-the-Year: Mike Lanz, St.
Thomas, So.
Men's Diver-of-the-Year: Nick Johnson, St.
Thomas, Sr.
Men's Swimming Coaches-of-the-Year: Bob Hauck
and Maya Hamilton, St. Olaf
Diving Coach-of-the-Year: Jake Dunn,
Macalester
|
2014 MIAC Men's All-Conference Individuals
|
3-meter
diving
1. Nick JoShnson, St. Thomas, Sr., 489.85, R, ST13
2. Scott Hodgson, St. Olaf, So., 478.80, ST13
3. Bennet Woltjer, Gustavus, So., 365.10
1,650-yard
freestyle
1. Spencer Scarth, St. Olaf, Sr., 16:16.27, R3, B
2. Zac Solis, Gustavus, Jr., 16:17.69
3. Walker Matthews, St. Thomas, Fr., 16:27.60
200-yard
backstroke
1. Dante Colucci, Gustavus, So., 1:50.40, B
2. Aaron Schwab, Carleton, Fr., 1:53.35
3. Justin Mullee, St. Thomas, 1:54.13
100-yard
freestyle
1. Michael Gratz, St. Olaf, Jr., 44.74, ST13
2. Tanner Roe, St. Olaf, Jr., 45.47
3. Evan Lahr, Carleton, Fr., 46.02
|
200-yard
breaststroke
1. Nick Wilkerson, St. Olaf, Fr., 2:01.31, M, ST13
2. Colby Kubat, St. Olaf, Sr., 2:03.46, B
3. Evan Harris, Carleton, 2:03.57, B
200-yard
butterfly
1. Mike Lanz, St. Thomas, So., 1:48.73, M*, ST13
2. Billy Brebrick, St. Olaf, So., 1:49.10
3. Griffin Voss, St. Thomas, Jr., 1:55.72
400-yard freestyle
relay
1. St. Olaf, 3:02.22, ST13
(Tanner Roe, Colby Kubat, Andrew France, Michael Gratz)
2. St. Thomas, 3:03.82 B
(Ben Henrickson, Luke Schneeman, Mike Solfelt, Mike Lanz)
3. Carleton, 3:04.33, B
(Evan Lahr, Stephen Grinich, George McAneny, Evan
Harris)
|
Key: M - Meet Record; M* - MIAC Record; R - Repeat Champion;
R3 - 3-time Champion, R4 - 4-time Champion; A - NCAA 'A' Qualifying
Standard; B - NCAA 'B' Qualifying Standard; ST13 - 2013 NCAA
Selection Time.
2014 MIAC Swimming and Diving Championships Home
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