By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
ROCHESTER, Minn. — Saint Mary's University of Minnesota swimming and diving coach Amber Lowe could not have scripted a better start to the Rochester Invitational.
 
• 25 season bests
 
• 7 lifetime bests
 
• 3 finals qualifiers
 
Not bad at all.
 
Alex Morrow, Cole Stepanovich, and Darren Anes Dy Quiangco led the charge for the Cardinal men, all reaching the evening finals in their respective events.
 
Morrow kicked off the day with a finals-qualifying time of 2:10.03 in the 200 butterfly, while Stepanovich and Anes Dy Quiangco touched in the wall in 2:09.74 and 2:20.19 to join Morrow in the 200 butterfly final.
 
And the trio bettered those marks in the finals.
 
Morrow placed second in the C Final with a time of 2:09.35, while Stepanovich added a 2:09.35 to finish third and Anes Dy Quiangco added a fourth-place time of 2:19.36.
 
Morrow also added season-best efforts in the 400 IM (4:45.78) and 500 freestyle (5:18.49), while Stepanovich recorded a season-best time of 23.69 in the 50 freestyle and Anes Dy Quiangco added a lifetime best of 1:06.87 in the 100 breaststroke.
 
Not to be left out of the season-best parade, Casey Hanson recorded lifetime bests in both the 50 freestyle (25.63) and 500 freestyle (6:01.91) and a season-best of 2:09.10 in the 200 freestyle.
 
Brooke Shefchik led the way, posting lifetime bests in both the 400 IM (5:11.94) and 500 freestyle (5:36.44), and a season-best in the 200 freestyle (2:09.31). The sophomore's 5:36.44 in the 500 freestyle was not only a lifetime best, but also ranks No. 2 all-time in program history.
 
And Shefchik wasn't alone in the season-best, lifetime-best categories.
 
Emme Quandt recorded season-bests in both the 400 IM (5:31.49) and 200 butterfly (2:33.12), while Ashlyn Seifert added season-bests in the 50 freestyle (20.26), 200 freestyle (2:08.62), and 500 freestyle (5:58.19). Katie Beitz delivered her best efforts of the season in the 50 freestyle (27.32) and 500 freestyle (6:09.85), and Claire King notched her season-bests in the 50 freestyle (28.13), 200 freestyle (2:15.48), and 500 freestyle (6:08.05).
 
But wait, there's more.
 
Abby Propsom touched the wall in a season-best 28.96 in the 50 freestyle, Dakota Becera notched lifetime bests in three events — the 50 freestyle (31.36), 200 freestyle (2:31.16), and 500 freestyle (6:35.03) — and Amanda Hansen collected season-bests in the 200 freestyle (2:13.36) and 500 freestyle (6:04.05).
 
The Cardinals return to the Rochester Rec Center on Sunday for the final day of the three-day Rochester Invitational, hosted by St. Cloud State.