MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University swimming and diving teams close out their 2012-2013 season at the MIAC Championships this week at the University of Minnesota. Competition begins Thursday at 10:30 a.m. at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center and conclude Saturday.

The MIAC Championships Field:
Augsburg, Carleton, Concordia, Gustavus, Hamline, Macalester, Saint Benedict, St. Catherine, Saint John's, Saint Mary's, St. Olaf, St. Thomas

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MIAC Championships — A Year Ago:
2012 MIAC Championships Homepage
"Close" was the buzzword throughout the 2012 MIAC Swimming and Diving Championships, with too-close-to-call races for the men's and women's team championships and even closer races decided by hundredths of a second. And in the end, the Gustavus women and St. Thomas men emerged victorious to cap an incredible weekend at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center. All weekend long, the Tommies and defending champion St. Olaf were neck-and-neck for the men's title. The two were tied after one day, still extremely close after two days, and the trophy was up for grabs into the final event. St. Thomas pulled ahead of the Oles in the second half of the men's 400-yard freestyle relay and snatched the title from St. Olaf by just three points, 765 to 762. The title is the Tommies' second in two years. In the women's team competition, St. Olaf gave the Gusties their best shot, but in the end, Gustavus was just a little too deep and pulled out its third-consecutive championship and fifth title in six years. The Gusties won by a margin of 43, 687 to 643 over the Ole women. Complete team scores are listed below with the top three All-Conference performers in each of Saturday night's events.

Cardinals at the MIAC Championships — A Year Ago:
Mark Ross (Dubuque, Iowa) made the final day of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships his best, clocking a time of 1:57.54 in the 200 backstroke to place seventh overall. Anna Smaron (Maple Plain, Minn.) — part of three record-setting relay teams — touched the wall in 2:38.68 in the consolation finals to place 16th in the 200 breaststroke. Fueled by Ross' effort, the Cardinal men placed sixth in the team standings, while the record-setting SMU women finished ninth.

Saint Mary's Cardinals MIAC Qualifiers:
Sivan Fogel (Jr.): 100 Back,  200 Back
Sarah Jansen (Jr.): 3-meter diving, 1-meter diving
Abby Kratzke (Sr.): 50 Freestyle, 100 Butterfly, 200 Butterfly
Anna Smaron (Jr.): 200 IM, 100 Breaststroke, 200 Breaststroke
P.J. Heller (Fr): 50 Freestyle, 200 Freestyle, 100 Freestyle
Mark Ross (Sr.): 200 IM, 400 IM, 200 Backstroke
Relay Qualifiers: Robbie Doyle, Jimmy Lynch, Garen Merritt, Ashling Meehan, Kristin Wilkes, Kaitlyn McClay, Anne Raecker