By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
WINONA, Minn. — They weren't able to come away with dual-meet victories—but it certainly wasn't for a lack of effort.
 
The Saint Mary's University of Minnesota swimming and diving teams combined for 18 Top-3 finishes in their dual meets against Ripon Saturday afternoon.
 
Unfortunately, those 18 Top 3s—including seven first-place efforts—were not enough, as Ripon dealt the Cardinal men a 116-42 setback, while beating the Saint Mary's women 128-89 at the Jul Gernes Pool.
 
Kierra Walske (Rochester, Minn.) led the way for the Cardinal women, sweeping the diving events with totals of 192.10 in the three-meter and 173.00 in the one-meter. Claire King (Red Wing, Minn.) and Emme Quandt (Shawno, Wis.) also recorded first-place efforts for the Saint Mary's women, as King won the 50 freestyle (27.78) and Quandt won the 200 butterfly (2:35.46).
 
Erica Camarato (Deforest, Wis.) chipped in a pair of seconds in the 200 breaststroke (2:56.07) and 200 IM (2:35.73), while Brooke Shefchik (Stevens Point, Wis.) equaled that second-place double with seconds in the 1000 freestyle (11:48.33) and 500 freestyle (5:49.07). Kayla Boettcher (Colfax, Wis.) added a second in the one-meter diving (169.40) and Alyssa Haram (Maple Grove, Minn.) delivered a third in the 200 freestyle (2:17.42).
 
On the men's side, Griffin Rades (Shawno, Wis.) led the charge, winning both the 200 IM (2:05.37) and the 200 breaststroke (2:23.22), with Nick Sawchuk (Rochester, Minn.) adding seconds in the 1000 freestyle (12:00.15) and 500 freestyle (5:48.11). Jack Wells (Glenview, Ill.) touched the wall in 52.21 to place second in the 100 freestyle, and Brian Mockler (Dubuque, Iowa) chipped in third-place showings in the 50 freestyle (25.45) and 200 breaststroke (2:33.99).
 
The Cardinals return to the Jul Gernes Pool next Saturday for Senior Day, as the Cardinals host Hamline and Augsburg in a triangular.