MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - The Saint Mary's University of Minnesota swimming and diving teams saved their best for last-their best times of the season, for the last meet before the Christmas break.
And no one was better than the Cardinals'
Grace VanBeest (Flossmoor, Ill.).
The Cardinal junior broke the school record in the 100 breaststroke to highlight Saint Mary's efforts during the opening day of the two-day Jean Freeman Invitational Friday afternoon at the University of Minnesota.
VanBeest clocked a school-record time of 1:09.39, bettering the old mark of 1:09.49, and earning a spot in the event's finals-where she placed 13th with a time of 1:10.70.
It was the second event of the day for VanBeest, who also cut six seconds off her season-best time in the 200 IM, stopping the clock in 2:24.72.
Christina Weldai (London, England) added a 27.46 in the 50 freestyle and a 2:16.75 in the 200 freestyle, while
Chloe Morrison (Ashkum, Ill.) posted a career-best 6:21.13 in the 500 freestyle,
Reese Galewski (Winona, Minn.) chipped in a time of 2:42.96 in the 200 butterfly, and
Sarah Fanning (Sparta, Wis.) and
Caroline Hoffmann (Chicago, Ill.) added times of 28.41 and 28:71, respectively, in the 50 freestyle.
In the women's diving, Allie Davidson finished with 150.50 points in the three-meter competition, while
Kierra Walske (Rochester, Minn.) added a 143.70 total.
Joe Tonda (St. Paul, Minn.) shaved five seconds off his season-best time in the 200 IM, while
Brian Mockler (Dubuque, Iowa) and
Andrew Eggersgluss (Mound, Minn.) whittled more than two seconds off their previous bests to pace the Cardinal men in the non-team-scored event.
Tonda posted a time of 2:08.09 in the 200 IM, while Mockler put together season-best times in both the 50 freestyle (25.23) and 100 breaststroke (1:07.25), and Eggersgluss chipped in a time of 2:16.82 in the 200 backstroke-by far his best showing of the season.
Lucas Rukavina (Winona, Minn.) led a quartet of swimmers in the 50 freestyle, clocking a time of 23.33.
P.J. Heller (St. Cloud, Minn.) chipped in a 24.26, followed by Mockler and Nick Sawchuk (Rochester, Minn. / 25.24). Rukavina also clocked a time of 1:53.51 in the 200 freestyle. Lucas Gerards (St. Cloud, Minn.) also added a time of 2:18.68 in the 200 butterfly.
The Cardinals return to the University of Minnesota pool on Saturday for the second day of competition, which is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m.
