SAINT PETER, Minn. – The Gustavus men’s swimming team capped its season Sunday by winning a four-team meet at the Vic Gustafson Pool. The Gusties totaled 1705.5 points, followed by St. Thomas at 894, Saint John’s at 497, and Hamline with 249.5. In day two of the meet, the Gusties set six pool records and one school record, while winning seven of nine events.
“It really was an amazing weekend after all the obstacles that were put in their way, all the carrots that have been taken away, from hardly any meets during the season, and no conference championship, and no national championship,” Head Coach Jon Carlson said. “I can’t believe how everyone stepped up and embraced this weekend and make it as much like a conference atmosphere as they could. The one bonus is that everyone was all together on the last day. Normally we only have our conference roster there so it made it extra special to have everybody there and racing.”
The 200 medley relay team of Dane Hudson (So., Eden Prairie), Taylor Vander Jeugdt (So., Jurnee, Ill.), Nolan Larson (Sr., West Des Moines, Iowa), and Andrew Becker (So., Northfield) started the afternoon in style by setting a pool and school record with a time of 1:32.25. In the 400 IM, Peyton Richardson (Fy., Crystal Lake) set a pool record by clocking a time of 4:04.48. Larson ensued with yet another pool record in the 200 free with a time of 1:40.28. In the fourth event, Becker won the 100 butterfly in 50.82.
After St. Thomas won the 100 breaststroke and 200 backstroke, Becker set a pool record in the 50 free with a time of 20.58. The 400 free relay team of Larson, Kieran Ripken (Fy., Blaine), Becker, and Matt Allison (Sr., Grand Rapids) set another pool record at 3:02.86. And Callen Zemek (So., Victoria) closed out the meet by breaking his own pool record in the 1650 free with a time of 16:04.20.
“To break a school record in a non-championship meet, in a timed final meet, is something special,” Carlson said. “We have a great pool but it’s not a championship meet pool. To have them to continue to step up and break pool record after pool record after school record after first-year records, it was inspiring.
“I want to thank the teams that competed, especially St. Thomas. Their coach, Scott, and I talked and we both agreed that it’s only fitting that we swam each other in their last meet as a member of the MIAC. Scott and I shared a nice moment at the end and they will definitely be missed. I think we made each other better because we kept ratcheting up how fast we had to swim to try to beat each other. Good luck to them as they go Division I.”