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Oles Preview Season at Tommie Relays

Katie Buecksler
October 31, 2001

On Saturday, October 27, the men?s and women?s St. Olaf Swimming and Diving team encountered this years MIAC competition at the annual Tommie Relays held at the College of St. Catherine. "Each year this is an exciting way for us to begin our season, by competing against all of the teams in the MIAC, but with no pressure because score is not kept. This also gives us a wonderful opportunity to tentatively see how we will line up with our competition for the season," said Coach Bob Hauck. As seen in Saturday?s meet, the men and women Oles prove to be contenders for the MIAC championship title in February. Hauck mentioned that "Both the men?s and women?s teams looked great on Saturday, but we will have to continue to better ourselves as the season progresses to stay in the running for the MIAC titles."

Each event in Saturday?s competition was a relay made up of three to four swimmers per team. The Ole women?s team gave the MIAC a taste of what lies ahead for this season. Anna Guenther (Jr, Minneapolis, Minn.), Kate Nygaard (Jr, Franktown, Colo.), Rachel Sattler (Jr, Madison, Wis.), and Amanda Johnson (So, Minneapolis, Minn.) were all members of the Ole?s 300 yard breaststroke team that had a first place finish with a time of 3:28.57. Taking second place in the 400 yard medley relay was the team of Liz Hathaway (So, Lincoln, Neb.), Guenther, Katie Detwiler (FY, Fort Atkinson, Wis.), and Katy Brentz (FY, Arden Hills, Minn.), these ladies recorded a final time of 4:13.9. The 1100 yard Animal relay team consisting of Jenna Kubat (FY, Des Moines, Iowa), Detwiler, and Laura Schutt (Jr, Niles, Ill.) had another second place finish with a time of 12:53.94. The St. Olaf 200 yard mixed medley relay team of Jake Hvistendahl (So, Minnetonka, Minn.), Guenther, Adam Garrett (So, Cannon Falls, Minn.), and Brentz captured a first place for the Oles with a time of 1:45.98. Coach Hauck remarked that, "It was fun to see both our men?s and women?s team in contention for the first place finish in every race."

The men?s 300 breaststroke relay consisting of Eric Palmer (So, Roseville, Minn.), Grant Vanlishout (Jr, Reedsville, Wis.), Ryan Lussenden (Sr, Morris, Minn.), and Tom Dow (Sr, Poway, Calif.) duplicated the women?s team and captured the first place finish, also, with a time of 3:07.15. Ian Kleats (FY, Shorewood, Wis.), Patrick Marzolf (So, St. Paul, Minn.), and Lee Thomsen (So, El Cajon, Calif.) made up the animal relay team for the men, and won the event with a time of 11:40.28. The men?s 400 freestyle relay team captured a second place finish with a time of 3:18.93- Jim Chase (Sr, Winnetka, Ill.), Thomsen, Lussenden, and Bo Connelly (Sr, Hutchinson, Minn.) all participated in swimming to this second place finish. The men?s 400 medley relay team of Hvistendahl, Palmer, Garett, and Connelly also captured a second place finish with a time of 3:43.66. "This meet was a great opportunity for both the men?s and women?s team to start competing, and anticipate the challenges ahead of them this season", commented Coach Hauck.

The diving team also came along to participate in the fun aspect of the Tommie Relays. All of the divers in the MIAC get together at the meet and prepare an exhibition diving show to wow the fans, and their fellow teammates. Once again, this year, the divers put a wonderful show of synchronized dives together. Saturday, November 3, the women?s team heads to the College of St. Catherine for dual meet action while the men?s team will have a bye.

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