On Saturday, February 18th, the St. °µÍø½ûÇø swimming and diving team claimed their third straight Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Championship title with a team score of 686 topping the Gustavus Adolphus Golden Gusties who were the runner-up team with a score of 672.
"Winning a third MIAC Championship was incredible!" says senior Gillian Durand '23, a member of the swimming and diving team for the last three consecutive wins. "Our team put in a lot of hard work throughout the season, and this win truly took every single one of us. Our team has changed a lot since my first year, and to be able to win again really shows the growth and strength of our program."
The Wildcats opened Saturday's final session placing third, fourth, and fifth in the 1650-yard freestyle led by junior Sammi Friedrich with a season-best time of 18:01.94. First-year Olivia Weil was fourth with a season-best time of 18:12.38 and senior Andrea Voelker clocked in with a lifetime-best time of 18:13.18 in fifth. On top of that, sophomore Mia Hocking appeared in the event with a lifetime best time of 19:23.80, first-year Abigail Forsmark was 16th with a lifetime best finish of 19:28.71 and rookie Nicolette Harvey finished with a lifetime best finish of 19:38.79. Rounding out the event was first-year Mackenzie Marthaler with a lifetime best of 20:37.93 for 24th place.
Senior Annie Voss posted a 2022 selection time in the 200-yard backstroke touching the wall first with a lifetime-best finish of 2:01.54. Rookie Ella Hochstetler was just behind in second with a time of 2:04.53 and senior Gillian Durand was sixth at 2:06.70. First-year Natalie Chandler recorded a lifetime best with a 14th place time in the event coming in at 2:14.74.
Junior Anneke van Oosterom was the Wildcats' lone competitor in the 100-yard freestyle finals on Saturday with a finish of 53.59.
Senior Jordyn Wentzel was the top finisher in the 200-yard breaststroke with a 2022 selection time of 2:12.94 as Weil came in third with a time of 2:23.95. Hermansen and Hocking recorded crucial finishes both posting lifetime bests coming in 10th and 11th, respectively. Hermansen had a time of 2:32.62 as Hocking finished just behind at 2:32.83.
Sophomore Emma Svendsen appeared in her final event of the meet taking first in the 200-yard butterfly with an NCAA B Cut Qualifying Time of 2:05.26. In the B final, J. Dombroski was the top finisher with a time of 2:14.98 and Forsmark was 11th overall with a time of lifetime best time of 2:17.01.
The four-day event closed with the 400-yard freestyle relay with the team of Wentzel, Hochstetler, Voss, and van Oosterom finishing second with an NCAA B Cut Qualifying time of 3:29.45.
"I have never been a part of a team like this before. Many people view swimming as an individual sport, but with this team it is far from that," says Durand. "I’m so proud of all that each of my teammates has accomplished and I'm excited to see what’s next in store!"
Read more about this win on the St. Kate's Athletics .