ST. PAUL, Minn. — For Saint Mary's University of Minnesota swimming and diving coach
Eric Lindquist, place finishes did not matter during the two-day Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Invitational—the Cardinals' final tune-up before the season-ending conference championships in two weeks.
Place finishes may not have matters—but individual times sure did.
"This weekend was all about times, not places," said Lindquist following Saturday's final events of the non-team-scored event. "We were using this event as a final tune-up—a chance for those who have already qualified (for the conference championships) to get in one final competition, and a chance to hit the qualifying mark for those who are still looking to get in."
And the times could not have made Lindquist happier.
Especially the performance of freshman Reese Galewski (Winona, Minn.).
Galewski picked up the Cardinals' lone first-place finish, wowing those in attendance with a school-record time of 1:01.45, shattering the 17-year-old mark of 1:02.01, set by Kellie Collins in 1997.
Galewski also added a time of 5:50.56 to place third in the 400 freestyle, while Grace VanBeest (Flossmoor, Ill.) was fifth in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:14.64. Janelle Mueller (Lewiston, Minn.) was third on both the one-meter (194.95) and three-meter (201.4) diving boards, while Christina Weldai (London, England) added the 100 backstroke to her conference-qualifying marks, and the quartet of Marit Christiansen (Cottage Grove, Minn.), Hannah Emeott (Chisago City, Minn.), Chloe Morrison (Ashkum, Ill.) and Anne Raecker (Cedar Falls, Iowa) posted a fifth-place effort in the 800 freestyle relay.
Joe Tonda (St. Paul, Minn.) and
Zac Finkelstein (Naperville, Ill.)—who have led the way for the Cardinals all season—were at it again, as the duo tied for fourth in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:05.53.
The Cardinals are now off until Feb. 19-21, when they take part in the three-day, MIAC Championships at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center in Minneapolis, Minn.
Meet Results
