MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University of Minnesota swimming and diving teams squared off against several familiar faces during the first day of the two-day University of Minnesota Jean Freeman Invitational Friday.
 
There were also plenty of unfamiliar foes.
 
And if competing against those familiar faces from the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, the Cardinals also found themselves staring at competitors from NCAA Division I teams like the University of Minnesota, Boise State, and South Dakota State.
 
In other words, this was a very big meet
 
"Today was a bit of an eye-opener," said Saint Mary's coach Eric Lindquist. "There were a lot of big-time swimmers out there today—not only the best in our conference, but some of the best in the nation.
 
"I was very happy with the way we performed on such a large stage."
 
Reese Galewski (Winona, Minn.) and Grace VanBeest led the way for the Saint Mary's women, as the Cardinal duo recorded times of 2:30.76 and 2:32.48, respectively in the 200 IM. Katie Heller (St. Cloud, Minn.) chipped in a 26.22 in the 50 freestyle, and Janelle Mueller recorded 155.35 points in the three-meter diving competition.
 
On the men's side, Joe Tonda (St. Paul, Minn.) touched the wall in 2:12.51 in the 200 IM, while adding a time of 1:09.27 in the 100 breaststroke. Jimmy Lynch (Chicago, Ill.), meanwhile, added a time of 25.65 in the 50 freestyle and a 2:15.75 in the 200 freestyle.