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Men are Victorious While Women Suffer Second Loss

Sawara Karimi
January 21, 2002

The St. Olaf swimming and diving team traveled to St. Cloud, Friday, January 19, to take on the St. Cloud State University Huskies. The men pulled off an easy victory with a final score of 158-81, but the Ole women narrowly lost to the Huskies with a final score of 129-110.

There were many close races on the women?s side as the Oles gave it their best effort until the very end. Although the women lost, Coach Bob Hauck was satisfied with the team?s performance. "After a tough week of practice, the team was very broken down, but they still managed to be competitive in all of their races."

The meet began with the momentum on the Oles side. Liz Hathaway (So., Lincoln, Neb.), Kate Nygaard (Jr., Franktown, Colo.), Sonia Karimi (Jr., Rochester, Minn.), and Katie Brentz (FY., Arden Hills, Minn.) joined forces to win the 400 yard medley relay with a time of 4:13.49. Katie Detwiler (FY., Fort Atkinson, Wis.) then had the first of her two exciting races of the meet. After trailing the lead swimmer from St. Cloud in the 1000-yard freestyle, Detwiler came back in the last 500 yards to win by over six seconds. Detwiler has been trying to break the 11-minute mark all season, and her time of 10:53.70 not only shattered this barrier but was only four seconds off Detwiler?s lifetime best. Detwiler then went on to win the 200-yard butterfly by the narrowest margins. She was once again trailing the lead swimmer from St. Cloud for the majority of the race. It appeared that the Huskie was out of her reach, but in the final strokes of the race, Detwiler somehow managed to steal the victory with a final time of 2:17.07. After two exhausting and demanding races Detwiler was not yet finished. She gave all that she had left in her to finish second in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 5:23.87. Detwiler?s performances reinforced her role as one of the leaders of the Ole squad, and as a swimmer who came come through when it really matters.

Brentz?s sprinting abilities once again benefited the Oles. Brentz won the 50- yard freestyle with a time of 25.57, and was runner up in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 56.14.

Although Brentz and Detwiler captured the only individual victories for the women, various other women turned in some impressive swims. Nygaard not only had an outstanding split in her breaststroke leg of the victorious 400 medley relay she also turned in a season best time of 2:34.38 in the 200-yard breaststroke to finish second. Sonia Karimi shaved two seconds off her 200-yard butterfly time to finish third in the event with a time of 2:20.51. The Oles are happy to have Karimi back in top shape after recovering from a small tear in her shoulder.

The Ole men came out on top against the Huskies, as the team put together their best effort to out swim their opponents. The men followed in the same suit as the women with an easy victory in the 400-yard medley relay. Jake Hvistendahl (So., Minnetonka, Minn.), Eric Palmer (So., Roseville, Minn.) , Adam Garret (So., Cannon Falls, Minn.), and Drew Vanderwert (FY., St. Paul, Minn.) finished with a winning time of 3:39.23.

Both Hvistendahl and Palmer had their own individual victories to contribute to the win. Hvistendahl won the 200-yard backstroke in his usual fashion. He has been consistent in this race through out the season, and was once again when he finished with a time of 1:57.19. Palmer was victorious in the 200- yard breaststroke turning in a time of 2:17.81.

Tom Dow (Sr., Poway, Calif.) and Lee Thomsen (So., El Cajon, Calif.) led the men in the freestyle events. Dow out touched teammate Adam Lukens (Jr., Witchita, Kan.) in the 1000-yard freestyle with a final time of 10:35.62, and Thomsen won the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:47.95 and was second in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 4:56.83. Gabe Korteum (Sr., Andover, Minn.) led the divers with wins on both the 1-meter and 3-meter boards with scores of 280.45 and 277.45 respectively. Ian Kleats (FY., Shorewood, Wis.) captured the win the 200-yard butterfly with a final time of 2:06.14.

The most exciting and suspenseful swim of the meet came in the men?s 400- yard freestyle, where Thomsen, Vanderwert, Garret and Bo Connelly (Sr., Hutchinson, Minn.) teamed up to take on a tough foursome from St. Cloud. The race came down to the final leg that was swum by Connelly, who raced the Huskie swimmer stroke for stroke until the very end. Connelly had a phenomenal last turn and finish to out touch the Huskie by a tenth of a second. The Ole relay turned in a final time of 3:18.46.

Both the men and the women will travel to Stevens Point, Wisconsin this coming weekend, for a two-day invitational. The meet will consist of a preliminary and final format, and will be a chance for each Ole to swim their three or four best events and see where they are at heading into the championship phase of the season.

Contact Judy Stromayer at 507-786-3315 or stromaye@stolaf.edu.