Staff Writer- Alayna Boe
Over the weekend of Nov. 6th and 7th, Gustavus Adolphus College Swim & Dive hosted St. Olaf College on Friday night and a non-conference opponent Augustana University. Both the Men’s and Women’s teams had some great competition from these schools, and it is a good way to judge going into the mid-season taper. The men were victorious over St. Olaf on Friday night, but fell to DII Augustana on Saturday. The women’s team beat both St. Olaf and Augustana, capitalizing on the dual meet weekend.
On Friday, Nov. 6, the Gustavus Adolphus Women’s Swim and Dive team found immense success in the pool. This was a result much needed after all of their hard work and dedication throughout the season so far. Winning both meets by over 30 points each is good for morale and to push and keep going.
Starting strong was Sophomore Annika Beck, winning the 1000 freestyle on Friday with two more sophomore teammates trailing. Emmi Heers and Emily Foster had great races in the 1000 and showed the depth of this young long distance group.
First-year Bella Imholte won the 200 freestyle with Sophomore Leah Felton and Senior Stella Anderson Moye in third and fourth, respectively. The sprinting on Friday night was good for the Gusties, as they found their speed and placed podium in all of them.
“It was really fun to beat our rivals, the St. Olaf Oles. It’s always my favorite meet of the season because of the competitive nature,” Junior Emily Anderson explained.
Diving on Friday was led by first-year Karli Kirk who swept the events and won MIAC Women’s Diver of the Week after her performances on Friday and Saturday.
Saturday’s competition was very similar to Friday’s performance. Beck won both the 1000 freestyle and the 500 freestyle. “I am hoping to continue to improve on my long distance events like the mile and 500 freestyle as well as expand my capabilities with some newer events this year, like the 400 IM,” Beck shared.
The sprinting side also saw similar results and the Gusties excelled in the pool overall. This competition and tight schedule showed the women what they are capable of and the mindsets they need for the MIAC conference meet this year.
“It was really fun to be able to race a D2 team and perform so well. It made us better swimmers because it made us think about things like technique and turns,” Anderson said.
Friday night for the men was a success and they defeated St. Olaf. Winning 12 of the 16 events, the Gusties had a large victory over the Oles. Senior Ben Kell had three individual wins in the 1000 freestyle, 200 butterfly, and 500 freestyle. This showed his range and what he is capable of.
Winning MIAC Swimmer of the Week for his performance was First-year Mason Krings. On Friday night he swept the breaststroke events, and on Saturday he won the 50 breaststroke against Augustana. Facing off against a DII school provided wonderful competition for the Gusties and helped them get ready to conquer the MIAC again.
Sweeping the butterfly events on Saturday was First-year Elliot Bartell. He found his success in the pool and that success will carry for the next three years as he continues his journey as a Gustie.
The Saturday meet for the men was a narrow loss, but it showed them how they can still perform highly even after swimming in a meet the night before. Both teams showed grit and determination as they battled it out both nights.
Lastly, the swim team is getting prepared for their mid-season taper meet at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, on Nov. 20th and 21st. Both teams found success over the weekend which will give a boost to them as they start turning their attention to the MIAC championship.