|
Swim teams finish second and third
The SCSU swim and dive team received a test this weekend when they hosted the St. Cloud Invitational at the Halenbeck Hall pool. They would be tested by the one of the nation’s best, the University of North Dakota, along with other strong teams including Minnesota State University, Mankato and University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire. The SCSU men finished second with a score of 398.50, while the women finished third, scoring 516.
According to head coach Jeff Hegle, the Huskies passed the test.
“This was a good competition for us and it was a good experience for these kids to compete against top competition,” Hegle said.
Being the Huskies’ fourth competition of the year, consistency began to show. “We’re starting to find our places, as far as where we are supposed to be, and we’re getting used to our coach and his style,” said junior co-captain Tesia Zuba.
Zuba along with senior co-captain Kim Braun continued to lead the squad with stellar performances. Zuba was the first Husky to get a B-cut this season with her second consecutive win in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:08.04) and a win in the 200-yard breaststroke (2:26.89). Braun recorded her fastest time ever in a season in the 200-yard freestyle timing in at 2:00.85, while finishing second in the 500-yard freestyle (5:24.80).
The SCSU women dominated in the relays. Braun and Zuba teamed up with junior Beth Lococo and first year swimmer Tara Gonia to win the 400-yard freestyle relay (3:47.77). Then, senior Beth Mattson took the place of Braun to help the squad win the 400-yard medley relay, finishing at 4:15.04.
“The relay squads are getting stronger in the water and are getting in better shape,” Hegle said. “The more they practice, the better they’re going to get and I think that’s starting to pay off for them now. We have also been working on (relay) exchanges a lot in practice.”
First-year swimmer Tennyson Anseth would continue to prove herself by winning the 500-yard freestyle for the second consecutive time (5:19.83) and finishing third in the 200-yard freestyle (2:03.17).
The men continued their strong season, finishing second behind one of the nation’s best, UND.
“They’re awesome. They had a kid from Brazil that was a national champion for the butterfly. They were a lot of fun to watch,” said sophomore captain Micah Eberle. “Coach Hegle thinks we will be able to beat them in a few years when we get some recruits.”
Eberle continued his strong season placing second in the 200-yard backstroke (2:02.30), while placing third in the 200-yard individual medley (2:04.60) and the 100-yard backstroke (56.51). Eberle would join teammates Gabe Kern, Tim Hillen and Ryan Rotramel to win the 400-yard freestyle relay for the second consecutive week.
“There are a lot of guys fighting for relay spots right now,” Eberle said. “What we do individually for the rest of the year will help determine who will be on the squad later in the year for nationals.”
After a record setting performance last week, junior Sean Gonia would continue his strong swimming finishing second in the 200-yard freestyle (1:48.22) and the 500-yard freestyle (4:49.25).
With a team that is marked by uncertainty and potential breakthrough talent, the Huskies are starting to find a comfort level early in the season.
“They’re getting consistent in a way that they’re starting to swim the races faster because they’re beginning to learn how their bodies react at certain points in the races,” Hegle said.
The Huskies will travel to South Dakota for their next competition on Dec. 1.
Bobby Hart can be reached at: [email protected]
|
|
|
|
Privacy Policy Network Advertising Article Syndication
|
|
