University of St. Thomas Athletics
Summit League Championships
Tommie swim and dive set for Summit League Championships
2/19/2024 4:02:00 PM | Men's Swimming & Diving, Women's Swimming & Diving
ST. PAUL, MINN. – It all comes down to this. After a long season, the University of St. Thomas swim and dive program is set to compete at the Summit League Championships in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The four-day meet will run from February 21 – 24 at the Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center at the University of Minnesota, a place where the Tommies have found plenty of success this season.
Both St. Thomas men's and women's swim and dive teams were picked to finish sixth at the Summit League Championship in the 2023-24 Preseason Poll, released back in late September. In just their second appearance in the conference championship, the Tommie men scored 242 points, fueled by a championship swim by former standout Will Goldman. Though Goldman graduated, St. Thomas' brings plenty of experience to the pool. Preseason Swimmer to Watch Alex Foti (Waukesha, Wis. / West) ranks top-20 in the Summit League in 500 free thanks to his season best time of 4:40.84. The junior freestyle specialist also ranks top-40 in the 200 free with a time of 1:43.41. Philip Jensen (Hastings, Minn. / Hastings) looks to make a splash after an outstanding debut at the Summit League Championships in 2022-23. As a first year, Jensen earned top-8 finishes in both the 100 and 200 back races, finishing seventh and fifth respectively.
St. Thomas men also look to be strong on the boards at the Summit League Championships this week. Preseason Diver to Watch Ben Linde (Andover, Minn. / Andover) will be joined by two other divers, first year Austin Kantor (Elk River, Minn. / Elk River) and Julius Krumenacher (Waukesha, Wis. / North), at the conference championships this year, as they all look to make their mark for Tommie swim and dive. Linde finished just outside the top-10 at last year's Summit League Championships, finishing 11th and 12th on the 1-meter and 3-meter boards. Both Kantor and Krumenacher will make their Championship debutes this week.
The women will be led by Grace Urkiel (Rosemount, Minn. / Rosemount) and Elizabeth Bonneville (Lakeville, Minn. / Lakeville South), who are both putting together superb seasons for St. Thomas. Urkiel has made her final season with the Tommies count, as she holds the top time on the team in five different events, including the 100 free, 50 breast, 100 breast 200 breast and 200 IM. Urkiel's season highlight came at the midseason Phoenix Fall Invite, where she won the 100 breast with the second fastest time in program history, Urkiel won the race with a time of 1:03.11, .02 off her own program record of 1:03.09. She additionally has found plenty of success in the pool at the Summit League Championships, finishing fourth in the 100 breast, seventh in the 200IM and ninth in the 200 breast in 2022-23.
Bonneville will also be a swimmer to watch at the Summit League Championships this season, as she currently holds the No. 1 time on the team in the 1650 free and ranks top-2 in the 200 and 500 entering the championships. Sophia Hayes (Naperville, Ill. / Central) could shock the conference at this week's championships. Currently, Hayes ranks second on the women's team in points scored behind Urkiel and recorded seven season best times at the midseason meet in Chicago.
Tickets for the Summit League Swimming and Diving Championships are currently available for purchase through www.thesummitleague.org/tickets. Fans can purchase an all-session pass for $60, and single-day passes range from $15-$25. Spectators can park in the University Ave, Washington Ave and Oak Street Ramps all four days of the championships and two surface lots: Lot 37 and Maroon Lot. All four days of the meet will be streamed on the Summit League Network, available through a subscription to Midco Sports Plus, and live results will also be available on the Summit League's website.
Players Mentioned
