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Minnesota vs. South Dakota vs. Nebraska
- October 4, 2024
- Lincoln, Nebraska
- 25 Yards (SCY)
- Scores
- Women:
- #23 Minnesota, 196 – Nebraska, 104
- #23 Minnesota, 251 – South Dakota, 49
- Nebraska, 226 – South Dakota, 74
- Men:
- #21 Minnesota, 241 – South Dakota, 59
- Women:
- Full Results
The Golden Gophers began their season in the win column as the men’s and women’s teams took down the University of South Dakota, and the women also beat conference rivals Nebraska. The Big Red came out on top in their duel with South Dakota, with a decisive 226-74 win.
Women’s Meet
The #23 Golden Gophers started the meet by going 1-2 in the 200 medley relay and taking three out of the top four spots. Faith Johnson (25.89), Ava Goodno (28.50), Mina Kaljevic (25.39), and Livi Wanner (22.87) earned the win in 1:42.65.
Sophomore butterflier Claire Reinke led the Minnesota women with three individual event wins. Reinke, named Most Improved at the team’s 2023-24 season awards, swept the butterfly events. She won the 100 butterfly by over a second (54.73) and the 200 butterfly by 3.34 seconds (2:01.42). She held off Nebraska’s Marissa Laurin on the final 50 to win her third event, the 200 IM, 2:06.43 to 2:06.79.
Nebraska’s Gena Jorgenson matched Reinke with three individual wins of her own. Jorgenson finished 8th in the 1650 freestyle at 2024 NCAAs and kicked off the new season by winning the 500 freestyle (4:54.33), 1000 freestyle (10:02.71), and 200 backstroke (2:01.53). Jorgenson’s 1000 freestyle was six seconds faster than at this meet last season, and her 200 backstroke was .93 seconds faster.
Minnesota swept the butterfly thanks to Reinke, but Nebraska controlled the breaststrokes as senior Maia Hall—fifth in both events at 2024 Big Tens—tied to win the 100 breast in 1:03.43 with teammate JoJo Randby. Hall won the 200 breast later in the meet with a 2:17.43, capping off Nebraska’s event wins.
Minnesota got wins in the pool from Mina Kaljevic (200 free), Faith Johnson (100 back), and Wanner (50 free, 100 free) to build their lead. Diving was also huge for the Golden Gophers in securing the double win on the day.
They went 1-2-3 on the 1-meter as the reigning NCAA platform champion Viviana Del Angel and NCAA 1-meter ‘A’ finalist Elna Widerstrom battled it out. Del Angel won with 295.15 points ahead of Widerstrom’s 291.10, with NCAA qualifier Adeline Albrecht scoring 286.64 for third. Widerstrom won the 3-meter with 330.35 points.
South Dakota’s highest finishes on the women’s side of the meet were the 5th place finishes from freshman Emily DiProspero, sophomore Gabbie Ahrendt, and senior Sara Meyer.
Men’s Meet
The #21 Minnesota men won every event except the 50 freestyle, steamrolling to the win over South Dakota. The Gophers set the tone by taking the top four spots in the 200-medley relay.
Three of Minnesota’s newcomers earned wins in the season-opener. Jacob Johnson, ranked #7 in SwimSwam’s class of 2024 recruit rankings, won the 200 butterfly (1:45.51) by over six seconds. Then, He posted 45.50 to win the 100 freestyle as the only man sub-46, and finished off the day splitting 44.89 on the 400 freestyle relay, where he teamed with Ian Steffen (46.04), Connor Groya (45.25), and Omar Abdelwahab (46.28) for the win in 3:02.46.
Luke Brennan earned his first collegiate win in the first individual event of the meet, claiming the 1000 freestyle in 9:31.29, ahead of South Dakota freshman Alex Parkinson (9:38.29). After finishing second to Kaiser Neverman in the 100 breaststroke, Joe Polyak earned his first collegiate win in the 200 breaststroke, swimming 2:03.79.
South Dakota freshman Nick Rounds kept Minnesota from winning every event by winning the 50 freestyle with a 20.98. Rounds was .70 seconds off his lifetime best from earlier this year to grab his first collegiate win, being Minnesota’s Groya by a tenth. The Coyotes also got two third-place finishes from sophomore Joaquin Contreras-Fallico via the 100 and 200 backstroke (50.44/1:52.94) as the underclassmen led the way for South Dakota.
Neverman had a strong outing to begin his fifth year. In addition to winning the 100 breaststroke, Neverman led a 1-2-3 Minnesota sweep in the 500 freestyle, pacing the field with a 4:30.35. The time was a personal best for Neverman, and his first recorded time swimming in the event since 2016.
Minnesota picked up wins in the 200 freestyle (Tyler Hansen, 1:39.64), 100 backstroke (Steffen, 49.07), 200 backstroke (Luke Leonidas, 1:50.10), and 200 IM (Ryan Slonac, 1:50.39).
Like the women’s meet, the male divers dominated as YuTong Wang—who took 8th on both 1-meter and 3-meter at 2024 NCAAs—swept the two boards. He led a 1-2 Minnesota finish on 3-meter and a 1-2-3 finish on 1-meter.
Up Next
The South Dakota women were back in action on Oct. 5 for a dual against Minnesota State, while their men’s team next races at Kansas’ two-day meet from Oct. 25-26. Nebraska takes on the Iowa Hawkeyes on Oct. 18, while Minnesota hosts Army on Oct. 11.
