Swimmers on verge of historic victory

After the second day of racing, the men’s and women’s swim teams are still in the hunt to make historic runs at the MIAC Swimming and Diving Championships.

The men’s team jumped to first place and the women’s team remained in third place after Friday’s races, positioning both for a potential championship bid on Saturday. The men lead Gustavus by nine points, while the women will need to track down first-place Gustavus and second-place Carlton.

The women’s team has never won a championship, while the men’s team has not won a championship since 1954.

Senior All-American Peter Mullee led the Tommies Friday, winning the 100-yard backstroke, while senior Jena Root won the same event for the women. Junior Becca Ney and freshman Sam Rauchwarter won in the 200-yard freestyle on both the women’s and men’s sides, and sophomore Erik Huls won in the 100-yard butterfly on the men’s side. The women’s team finished second and the men’s team grabbed first in the 200-yard medley relay.

St. Thomas swimmers broke three school records during Friday’s racing.

The championships continue through Saturday evening. Check back on TommieMedia for continued coverage.

Brian Woitte can be reached at bmwoitte@stthomas.edu.