Staff Writer- Nathan Swanson
The Gustavus Men’s and Women’s Swim & Dive Teams traveled to Decorah, Iowa, where they took part in the Luther Invitational. This two-day meet took place on Friday, Nov. 21st, and Saturday, Nov. 22nd. Both teams would place first overall for the weekend out of eight competing schools. The Men’s Team finished with a total of 980 points, and UW-Whitewater, which came in second behind the Gusties, finished with 572 points. The Women’s Team finished with 1,042 points, and Macalester came in second place, finishing with 655 points. Gustavus will compete in the Blizzard intrasquad meet, which will take place in St. Peter on Saturday, Dec. 6th, starting at 10:00 a.m.
The Men’s Swim & Dive Team was led by First-year Declah Vahey as he won the 200 backstroke with a time of 1:52.43, the 200 IM with a time of 1:55.55, and the 100 backstroke with a time of 50.94. Junior Aiden Carlson won the 200 breaststroke with a time of 2:08.79, and he won the 100 butterfly with a time of 51.37. In the 100 breaststroke, Junior Braden Ripken finished in first place, finishing at 54.73. Junior Ben Kell placed second in the 200 butterfly with a time of 1:58.52. In the 200 freestyle, First-year Charles Newton placed second, finishing at 1:45.21. First-year Aidynn Havermann came in as runner-up in the 400 IM with a time of 4:14.84. Junior Logan Cyr took third place in the 500 freestyle, with a time of 4:50.69. The men’s team placed first in the 400 medley with a time of 3:26.03, as well as the 200 medley relay with a time of 1:31.56. They would take second place in the 400 freestyle relay with a time of 3:08.47, and third place in the 200 freestyle relay with a time of 1:25.18.
For the Women’s Swim & Dive Team, First-year Annika Beck won the 1650 freestyle with a time of 17:58.12, and the 500 freestyle with a time of 5:17.20. She also placed second in the 400 IM with a time of 4:45.86. First-year Leah Felton was a runner-up in the 100 freestyle with a time of 53.56, and the 50 freestyle with a time of 24.58. Sophomore Katelyn Siers won the 100 backstroke with a time of 59.02. She also swam in the 100 IM and placed third with a time of 1:03.09. Sophomore Geneva Fackler came in first place in the 200 backstroke, finishing at 2:08.64. She was also runner-up in the 200 freestyle event with a time of 1:57.83. Junior Madison Witte swam in the 200 butterfly and came in second place with a time of 2:13.93. She took second place in the 100 butterfly, finishing at 59.64, and she finished fourth in the 200 IM with a time of 2:14.48. Junior Hadley Wartner took third place in the 200 breaststroke, finishing at 2:30.03. The women’s team placed first in the 400 freestyle relay with a time of 3:34.24, as well as the 200 medley relay, where they finished with a time of 1:48.57. They would come in second place in the 200 freestyle relay with a time of 1:38.43, and third place in the 400 medley relay, finishing at 4:03.23.
MIAC Swimmers of the Week
First-years Declan Vahey of the Men’s Swim & Dive team, and Annika Beck of the Women’s Swim & Dive team were both named MIAC Swimmers of the Week following the Luther Invitational meet. They talked about how they felt hearing the news, and how they were happy for each other.
“It was an honor to receive it alongside my friend Annika winning it on the women’s side,” Vahey said. “I was shocked and really excited that I was named MIAC’s Women’s swimmer of the week, but so happy to receive that honor with Declan that same week!” Beck said.
They also talked about the emotions of the Luther Invite.
“It was exciting to win some of my events and to hear the team cheer me on,” Vahey said.
“The relay races were such a blast, and our main goal during these races was to have fun, put our best foot forward, and try and go up in places by racing others!” Beck said.
Vahey discussed the Gustavus swim program and how it has helped him as a First-year swimmer with the team.
“It’s been a very welcoming environment with a competitive atmosphere that’s allowed me to reach my goals,” Vahey said.
The Luther Invitational meet was a great experience for both swimmers, as they took advantage of the team excitement and support, receiving impressive honors for their accomplishments.