MOORHEAD, Minn. -- MSU Moorhead swimming & diving is set to conclude the regular season with a pair of road tests against Concordia College on Friday and Minnesota State on Saturday.
The dual with the Cobbers is set to begin at 4:30 p.m. with MSUM turning around and dueling the Mavericks in Mankato at 2 p.m. Saturday. MSUM's divers will compete at the St. Cloud State Diving Invite on Saturday, January 27.
MSUM last competed at the Dragon Invite on January 12 and 13 where several Dragons earned event wins. The Dragons finished third overall in the team standings at the meet with 873.5 points.
To open competition on Friday evening, MSUM's 200-yard medley relay team of
Lacie Stark,
Linnea Edgren,
Ruth Pavelski and
Sophia Verke would finish second with a time of 1:52.20. The Dragon team of
Kelsey Jackson,
Iris Diaz,
Cami Mayo and
Maggie Moore would finish in fourth place with a time of 1:57.31. Jackson would go on to win the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 2:10.91 to win by almost three full seconds.
Linnea Edgren would pace MSUM in the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:40.80 to finish sixth overall.
Iris Diaz would collect a personal-best in the same race with a mark of 2:48.92. Mayo would take runner-up honors in the 1650-yard freestyle with a time of 19:11.71. Pavelski would also finish second in the 100-yard fly, clocking a time of 59.73.
In diving,
Zoe Bjerke led the Dragons, finishing second in the optional portion of 1M with a score of 323.15. To close action on day one, the 200-yard freestyle relay team of Pavelski, Moore, Verke and
Lily Lengerich would win the race with a time of 1:40.17. The Dragon team of
Taylor Cook, Mayo, Stark and Edgren would finish fifth in the same race with a time of 1:44.67.
Sophia Verke would begin day two, swimming a 1:59.46 to place fifth in the 200-yard freestyle. Jackson would continue her strong weekend, winning the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 1:00.7.
Lacie Stark would finish in fourth in the same race with a time of 1:02.38. Edgren would finish seventh in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:15.31.
Verke would swim a strong 50-yard freestyle, finishing third with a time of 25.52 as Pavelski would finish just behind her fellow freshman teammate with a mark of 25.69. Lengerich would finish in the top ten of the same race with a time of 26.05. In relay action, the team of
Maggie Moore,
Ruth Pavelski,
Cami Mayo and Verke would finish second in the 800-yard freestyle relay, putting in a time of 8:12.72
The Dragons would earn the second, third and fourth places in the 50-yard backstroke, led by Stark's time of 27.59 followed by Verke (28.28) and Jackson (28.40). Pavelski would win the 50-yard fly with a time of 26.56, winning by nearly a full second. Pavelski would also win the 100-yard IM later in the day with a time of 1:02.56, which is the 10th-fastest time in school history. Verke would finish just behind Pavelski with a mark of 1:02.79.
Isabelle Johnson would place runner-up in 3M with an overall score of 338.85. To close the meet, MSUM's 400-yard freestyle relay team of Pavelski, Lengerich, Moore and Verke would finish third with a time 3:43.
Charlie King is in his sixth season as MSUM's head swimming & diving coach.
