ST. PAUL, Minn. — Through the first five weeks of the season, Saint Mary's University swimming and diving coach
Eric Lindquist has whispered a certain mantra under his breath …
“Watch out for
Mark Ross, watch out for Mark Ross …”
Saturday afternoon at the Macalester Invitational, Lindquist didn't have to whisper any longer — several of the fellow Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference schools in attendance got a first-hand look at the Cardinal freshman.
And they heard him loud and clear.
Ross picked up a first-place finish in the 200 IM, blowing away the rest of the field by more than four seconds, while also adding a third in the 200 backstroke and a fourth in the 100 backstroke in helping the Cardinal men to a third-place finish.
Liz Flynn (Mahtomedi, Minn.) led the charge for the SMU women, winning the three-meter diving competition to guide the Cardinals to a fifth-place showing.
“It was a very good meet — nice to see what we can do in an invitational-type setting,” said Lindquist, whose team is now off until Jan. 9, when they host the SMU Triangular at the Jul Gernes Pool. “I was very happy with the way everyone swam, and to see Mark come up with a big day like that, that was awesome.”
Ross touched in the wall in 2:08.40 to easily outdistance teammate
Neil Heacox (San Diego, Calif.), who was second in 2:12.67. In the 200 backstroke, the Dubuque, Iowa, native posted a time of 2:06.26 for third, then added a 58.02 in the 100 backstroke en route to his fourth-place finish.
Tim Tysk (St. Paul, Minn.) also made a little noise Saturday, taking second in the 100 butterfly (55.11), fourth in the 100 freestyle (50.85) and fifth in the 50 freestyle (22.95), while Heacox chipped in a third-place time of 2:29.92 in the 200 breaststroke.
Tom Walsh (Prior Lake, Minn.) chipped in a seventh in the 100 freestyle (53.50) and Robert Doyle (Hudson, Wis.) was eighth in the 500 freestyle (6:28.79).
Along with Flynn's winning total of 232.20 in winning the three-meter diving, the Cardinal women got three solid efforts from
Linda Tierney (Cloquet, Minn.), who placed fourth in the 100 breaststroke (1:15.13), seventh in the 200 breaststroke (2:49.16) and eighth in the 200 IM (2:28.39).
Jennifer Salzman (Hilo, Hawaii) and
Rachel Steinkamp (Lakeville, Minn.) also posted seventh-place efforts for SMU, with Salzman's coming in the 100 butterfly (1:07.23), while Steinkamp's was in the one-meter diving (161.85).
