University of St. Thomas Athletics
Grace Forsberg prepares to participate in the 2024 Summit League Championships.
Photo by: Wesley Dean
Tommies in eighth after opening day of Summit League Championship
2/22/2024 10:10:00 PM | Women's Swimming & Diving
St. Thomas scores 70 points on opening days of competition
MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. – The University of St. Thomas women's swim and dive put together two strong days to open the Summit League Championships. After the opening two days of competition, the Tommie women's swim and dive team sits in eighth place, scoring 70 total points from Wednesday to Thursday. St. Thomas set the bar high on the opening night of competition, as the Tommies broke the program record in the 200 medley relay, the first event of the championship.
DAY ONE:
Though St. Thomas only swam in two events Wednesday night, the team got off to a hot start, breaking a program record on the first night of competition. The Tommies "A team not only earned a top-5 in the 200 medley relay, but also swam the fastest time in program history in the process. The team of Libby Fischer (Eagan, Minn. / Visitation), Grace Urkiel (Rosemount, Minn. / Rosemount), Lily Linden (Rochester, Minn. / Century) and Grace Forsberg (Rice Lake, Wis. / Rice Lake) finished fifth in the event, earning 28 points towards the team's overall score with a season best time of 1:42.64. Not only was that the team's best time of the season, but it also broke the program record, previously set in last year's championship.
With a program record under its belt, St. Thomas put up another strong performance in the second relay of the night: the 800 freestyle relay. The Tommies "A" team of Elizabeth Bonneville (Lakeville, Minn. / Lakeville South), Sophia Hayes (Naperville, Ill. / Naperville Central), Ella Palmquist (Dundas, Minn. / Northfield) and Brecken Baller (Sioux City, Iowa / Sioux City North) clocked a time of 7:45.49 in the race, finishing in seventh place overall. The St. Thomas "B" team of Mariah Reynolds (Mequon, Wis. / Homestead), Megan West (Shoreview, Minn. / Mounds View), Caroline Peterson (Northfield, Minn. / Northfield) and Makenna Monday (Grafton, Wis. / Cedarburg) provided a huge highlight as well Wednesday night. Though they did not finish in the top-10, the team shaved nearly 20 seconds off their seeded time of 8:08.51, clocking a season best time of 7:58.29 in the event.
DAY TWO:
The Tommies good fortunate continued on day two, as they continued to see people qualify for finals. Hayes followed up her strong performance in the 800 freestyle relay by qualifying for finals in the 500 free with a time of 5:03.84. She would end up claiming 11th place in Thursday's finals session, closing with a time of 5:03.57 in the race. Monday also competed in the race, swimming a season best time of 5:27.49 in Thursday's prelims.
Urkiel just missed a spot in the top-8 of the 200 IM, as she finished ninth in prelims with a time of 2:05.75. She would go on to swim in "B" finals, clocking a time of 2:05.74 to earn a top-16 finish. Teammates Bonneville, Peterson and Megan Toal (San Clemente, Calif. / San Juan Hills) also competed in the event, though they did not qualify for finals.
Fischer was the first alternate for the 50 free thanks to a PR in the finals. The sophomore was the fastest swimmer in the pool for St. Thomas, finishing just outside the top-16 with a time of 23.78. Forsberg also finished in the top-30 thanks to her time of 24.12.
The women's one meter diving competition also took place during Thursday's finals session, with Hattie Opdahl (Lindstrom, Minn. / Chisago Lakes) making her Summit League Championships debut. The first year finished in 10th place for the Tommies thanks to a six dive score of 231.60.
UP NEXT
After two day s of competition, St. Thomas sits in eighth place as a team with 70 total points. The Tommies will be back in action on Friday, as they partake in prelims, starting at 10:00 a.m. in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
DAY ONE:
Though St. Thomas only swam in two events Wednesday night, the team got off to a hot start, breaking a program record on the first night of competition. The Tommies "A team not only earned a top-5 in the 200 medley relay, but also swam the fastest time in program history in the process. The team of Libby Fischer (Eagan, Minn. / Visitation), Grace Urkiel (Rosemount, Minn. / Rosemount), Lily Linden (Rochester, Minn. / Century) and Grace Forsberg (Rice Lake, Wis. / Rice Lake) finished fifth in the event, earning 28 points towards the team's overall score with a season best time of 1:42.64. Not only was that the team's best time of the season, but it also broke the program record, previously set in last year's championship.
With a program record under its belt, St. Thomas put up another strong performance in the second relay of the night: the 800 freestyle relay. The Tommies "A" team of Elizabeth Bonneville (Lakeville, Minn. / Lakeville South), Sophia Hayes (Naperville, Ill. / Naperville Central), Ella Palmquist (Dundas, Minn. / Northfield) and Brecken Baller (Sioux City, Iowa / Sioux City North) clocked a time of 7:45.49 in the race, finishing in seventh place overall. The St. Thomas "B" team of Mariah Reynolds (Mequon, Wis. / Homestead), Megan West (Shoreview, Minn. / Mounds View), Caroline Peterson (Northfield, Minn. / Northfield) and Makenna Monday (Grafton, Wis. / Cedarburg) provided a huge highlight as well Wednesday night. Though they did not finish in the top-10, the team shaved nearly 20 seconds off their seeded time of 8:08.51, clocking a season best time of 7:58.29 in the event.
DAY TWO:
The Tommies good fortunate continued on day two, as they continued to see people qualify for finals. Hayes followed up her strong performance in the 800 freestyle relay by qualifying for finals in the 500 free with a time of 5:03.84. She would end up claiming 11th place in Thursday's finals session, closing with a time of 5:03.57 in the race. Monday also competed in the race, swimming a season best time of 5:27.49 in Thursday's prelims.
Urkiel just missed a spot in the top-8 of the 200 IM, as she finished ninth in prelims with a time of 2:05.75. She would go on to swim in "B" finals, clocking a time of 2:05.74 to earn a top-16 finish. Teammates Bonneville, Peterson and Megan Toal (San Clemente, Calif. / San Juan Hills) also competed in the event, though they did not qualify for finals.
Fischer was the first alternate for the 50 free thanks to a PR in the finals. The sophomore was the fastest swimmer in the pool for St. Thomas, finishing just outside the top-16 with a time of 23.78. Forsberg also finished in the top-30 thanks to her time of 24.12.
The women's one meter diving competition also took place during Thursday's finals session, with Hattie Opdahl (Lindstrom, Minn. / Chisago Lakes) making her Summit League Championships debut. The first year finished in 10th place for the Tommies thanks to a six dive score of 231.60.
UP NEXT
After two day s of competition, St. Thomas sits in eighth place as a team with 70 total points. The Tommies will be back in action on Friday, as they partake in prelims, starting at 10:00 a.m. in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Players Mentioned
Freestyle/Breaststroke
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Freestyle/Distance/IM
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Freestyle/Backstroke
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Freestyle/Backstroke
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Butterfly/Backstroke
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Backstroke/Butterfly/IM
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Diving
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Freestyle/Butterfly
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Butterfly/IM
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Breaststroke/IM
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Freestyle/Backstroke
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