By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
WINONA, Minn. — It was a quick turnaround for the Saint Mary's University women's swim team — but the Cardinals proved to be up to the challenge.
 
Less than 24 hours after squaring off against UM-Morris in a nonconference dual, the Cardinals were back at the Jul Gernes Pool for a double-dual against the Cougars and Ripon.
 
And for the second day in a row, Mara Caples (Rochester, Minn.) led the way for the Cardinals.
 
Caples — coming off a first- and second-place showing against UM-Morris Friday evening, turned in a pair of first-place performances in the Cardinals' dual-meet losses to the Cougars and Ripon on Saturday.
 
Caples stopped the clock in 2:25.66 to win the 200 IM, while adding a first-place time of 1:06.18 in the 100 backstroke.
 
Brooke Shefchik (Stevens Point, Wis.) also recorded a first-place finish, touching the wall in 11:51.19 to win the 1000 freestyle. Shefchik also notched a third-place time of 5:53.29 in the 500 freestyle, Katie Beitz (Blaine, Minn.) recorded a second in the 200 (2:13.56) and a third in the 100 freestyle (1:00.92). Olivia Fleming (Hugo, Minn.) chipped in a second in the 100 butterfly (1:07.38) and a third in the 50 freestyle (26.89), and Erica Camarato (DeForest, Wis.) notched a second in the 100 breaststroke (1:19.07).
 
Casey Hanson was the top performer for the Cardinal men, stopping the clock in 6:18.44 to place second in the 500 freestyle, while adding third-place times of 25.62 in the 50 freestyle and 56.62 in the 100 freestyle
 
The Cardinals are now off until Dec. 6, when they head to the Rochester (Minn.) Rec Center for the three-day Rochester Invitational, hosted by St. Cloud State.