Minnesota Invite Day 3: Recap and Final Team Scores

2017 MINNESOTA INVITATIONAL

• Live Results
• University of Minnesota, Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center
• 25 Yards
• Invite Format
• NCAA Qualifying

The final session of the 2017 Minnesota Invite concluded with victories for both University of Minnesota teams… but also for both University of Iowa teams. Here’s how: The Minnesota Invite was not strictly a dual between Minnesota and Iowa, though they were the only college teams present. When the results were tallied between the “collegiate” competitors, the Minnesota women came away with 1,360.5 points to Iowa’s 1,128.5, while the Minnesota men reaped 1,264 to Iowa’s 1,261. When club teams are taken into consideration, however, the Iowa women came away with 390 points to Minnesota’s 344, and the Iowa men with 388 to Minnesota’s 346.

Women’s 1650 Freestyle

• NCAA “A” – 15:53.50
• NCAA “B” – 16:30.59

Brooke Zeiger got some pressure from teammate Erin Emery for the first 500 yards of the women’s 1650, with Zeiger splitting 4:53.20 to Emery’s 4:54.78, but gradually pulled away to eventually win the race by over 10 seconds, 16:13.70 to 16:23.91. Zeiger’s swim tonight was well off her PR of 15:44.00 from the 2016 Winter National Championships where she claimed gold, but it slides comfortably under the NCAA “B” standard and puts her at 13th in the NCAA. Emery’s time, though not a PR, is well within the NCAA “B” standard, and moves her up to 18th in the NCAA.

Men’s 1650 Freestyle

• NCAA “A” – 14:40.75
• NCAA “B” – 15:30.39

Minnesota’s Cameron Kelley claimed the men’s mile in 15:30.15, followed by teammate Nick Plachinski taking 2nd in 15:31.94. Though Kelley slides just under the NCAA “B” time, it will likely take a time under 15:20 to get invited to the big show next March, given that 22 men have already gone under 15:20, 10 of which have also gone under 15:00.

Women’s 200 Backstroke

• NCAA “A” – 1:50.99
• NCAA “B” – 1:59.19

Tevyn Waddell broke away from the field at 125 yards and didn’t look back as she stormed ahead to win the women’s 200 yard backstroke in 1:54.84, just missing her personal best of 1:54.40. Teammate Chantal Nack followed up to take 2nd place with a 1:56.93, adding one-tenth to her time from the prelims. Waddell is now tied for 5th in the Big Ten Conference standings, while Nack sits at 13th.

Men’s 200 Backstroke

• NCAA “A” – 1:39.66
• NCAA “B” – 1:46.39

Kenneth Mende maintained his top position to win the men’s 200 backstroke in a 1:44.02, though he added a couple tenths from his prelims time. Minnesota’s Thomas Rathbun tried to make it interesting on the back half of the race, but didn’t have enough to catch Mende, finishing in 1:45.68, barely edging teammate Nicholas Saulnier, who touched 3rd in 1:45.79. Mende is now 2nd in the Big Ten this season in the 200 back.

Women’s 100 Freestyle

• NCAA “A” – 47.53
• NCAA “B” – 49.99

Zoe Avestruz barely out-touched teammate Mackenzie Padington, who has been on fire this weekend, to win the 100 freestyle 48.43 to 48.45, and nearly struck her best time of 48.33 from the B1G Championships last season. Though she flipped nine-one-hundredths behind Padington at the 50, and still trailed at 75, Avestruz utilized her underwater kick on the last turn to pull slightly ahead and touch first. Padington, who won the 500 (4:38.54) Thursday night and the 200 Friday night, took another 1.2 seconds off her already massive best time from morning prelims. In prelims Padington swam a 49.68, breaking 50 for the first time (though this is her first season swimming yards).

Avestruz’s time ties her for 15th in the NCAA, while Padington’s jumps her up to 17th.

Men’s 100 Freestyle

• NCAA “A” – 42.11
• NCAA “B” – 44.29

Bowen Becker improved upon his morning swim, but just missed going 42, hitting the wall for 1st in 43.02. Becker’s time ties him with Maxime Rooney (Florida) for 12th in the NCAA this season, though is still about eight-tenths off his best time from the B1G Championships last season. Jack Smith from the University of Iowa held on for 2nd and broke 44, touching in 43.93, which is good for 3rd in the Big Ten Conference so far this season, behind Becker and Indiana’s Blake Pieroni.

Women’s 200 Breaststroke

• NCAA “A” – 2:07.18
• NCAA “B” – 2:15.99

Post-grad Kierra Smith took the women’s 200 breaststroke, surging ahead on the second 100 to win 2:07.14 to Lindsey Kozelsky‘s 2:09.98. Kozelsky added half-a-second to her time from the prelims, but still sits at 19th in Division I with that swim, and 2nd in the Big Ten.

Men’s 200 Breaststroke

• NCAA “A” – 1:52.94
• NCAA “B” – 1:59.79

Conner McHugh won the men’s 200 breaststroke easily, though did not eclipse his own best time (school record) in the event, finishing in 1:54.12, which moves him up to 2nd in the NCAA for the season so far. Iowa’s Daniel Swanepoel took 2nd in 1:57.18, which moves him up to 19th in Division I.

Women’s 200 Butterfly

• NCAA “A” – 1:53.80
• NCAA “B” – 1:59.59

Danielle Nack greatly improved upon her prelims time in the 200 fly, though missed her own school record, finishing in a 1:56.46. Nack’s time moves her up to 16th in the NCAA this season. Kelsey Drake of Iowa took 2nd in 1:59.45, but missed her PR of 1:59.03. In the Big Ten Conference Nack and Drake now sit at 3rd and 14th, respectively.

Men’s 200 Butterfly

• NCAA “A” – 1:41.44
• NCAA “B” – 1:47.99

Minnesota’s Matt Thomas cruised to victory in the men’s 200 butterfly this evening, touching in a 1:46.76, just missing his best time of 1:46.55. Iowa’s Michael Tenney claimed 2nd in 1:47.49, followed by 100 fly champion Tuomas Pokkinen of Minnesota. Thomas now moves up to 7th in the Big Ten conference, while Tenney jumps to 8th in the conference.

Women’s 400 Freestyle Relay

• NCAA “A” – 3:15.43
• NCAA “B” – 3:16.93

The Gopher women won their final event of the meet by nearly 4 seconds, finishing in 3:16.54 to Iowa’s 3:20.31. Mackenzie Padington led off the relay with a 48.58, and teammate Zoe Avestruz matched her split exactly on the 2nd leg. Danielle and Chantal Nack took over the back-half of the relay splitting 49.65 and 49.73, respectively. Only one Iowa swimmer broke 50: Hannah Burvill, who touched in 49.54, serving as the lead-off leg for the Hawkeyes.

Men’s 400 Freestyle Relay

• NCAA “A” – 2:52.10
• NCAA “B” – 2:53.23

Bowen Becker broke the tie he temporarily established with Florida’s Maxime Rooney for the 12th-fastest time in Division I this season, leading off the Minnesota A relay in a 42.99. Becker was pursued by Iowa’s Joseph Mhyr who touched in 43.99. Becker’s lead-off split was the 2nd-fastest in the field, but was eclipsed by Iowa’s Jack Smith who anchored in a 42.96.