Gustavus Adolphus College

The 2005 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Swimming and Diving Championships are set for Thursday, February 17 through Saturday, February 19 at the University of Minnesota Aquatics Center in Minneapolis, Minn. The preliminary rounds are scheduled to begin each day at 10:30am with the finals beginning at 6:30pm on Thursday and Friday and 5:00pm on Saturday.

The regular season has ended and the race to the conference championship title looks to be a two-way battle. Gustavus Adolphus College, the returning MIAC champion, will need to out perform a St. Olaf College squad that completed the regular season undefeated in MIAC dual meet action. The Gusties are in search of their fourth consecutive conference title and 19th in school history, while the Oles hope to claim their first title since 2001 and increase their conference championship count to 26. Saint John's University would like to work its way into the top spots as the Johnnies have finished in the top three the past six seasons. These three teams will be tested by the rest of the conference teams who will try and make a push to the top of the MIAC.

Gustavus is looking to accomplish a feat that the program hasn't achieved in over 45 years — winning four consecutive MIAC titles. The Gusties return all but two swimmers from the 2004 championship team. In the relays, the Gusties are seeded number one in the 200-yard freestyle relay and 400 yard freestyle relay. Gustavus is seeded number two in the remaining three relay events. Individually, the Gusties are led by sophomore Scott Hagemeyer and senior Will Sutor. Hagemeyer, the 2004 MIAC swimmer of the meet, has put himself in great position to defend his three individual event titles from last year's conference meet. The sophomore is seeded number one in the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard freestyle. Hageymeyer also is seeded number two in the 100-yard backstroke. Senior Will Sutor has hopes of repeating as conference champion in the 100- and 200-yard butterfly. Sutor is seeded number one in the 100-yard butterfly and fifth in the 200-butterfly.

St. Olaf hopes to add another conference title to its MIAC leading total of 25. The Oles won 20 consecutive titles from 1980-1999 and claimed their most recent title in 2001. In the relays, St. Olaf is seeded number one in the 200 yard medley, 400 yard medley and 800 yard freestyle. The Oles hold an impressive nine number one times in the individual events heading into the conference meet. Joe Anderson accounts for three of those top times as he is seeded number one in the 200-, 500- and 1650- yard freestyle events. Anderson also has top-ten times in the 100- and 200-yard backstroke. Sophomore Ben Wareham will attempt to defend his 2004 title in the 100- yard breaststroke. Wareham holds the fastest conference time in the event this season. Mark Glineburg has the conference's top times in the 200 and 400-yard individual medley, and also has top-seven times in the 200-yard butterfly, 200-yard breaststroke and 200-yard backstroke.

Saint John's University brings a younger but talented team to the pool after finishing third at the MIAC Championships last season. Junior Luke Prokop, the two-time defending champion in the 200-yard breaststroke, has the fastest time in that event and the second fastest time in the 100-yard breaststroke heading into the conference meet. Senior David Williams currently has the second fastest time in the MIAC this season in the 50-yard freestyle. Senior Aaron Monson has the best scores this season in the MIAC in the one and three-meter diving at 254.95 and 262.50, respectively. In the relays, the 200-yard freestyle relay team has the second-fastest time in the MIAC, while the 200-yard medley and 400 yard medley teams have recorded the third fastest time in the MIAC.

Carleton will attempt to break into the top three as it has had a string of four place finishes. The Knights are led by sophomores David Friedlander-Holm and Will Kruesi. Friedlander-Holm is the second seed in four events heading into the conference meet. The sophomore is seeded number two in the 100-yard freestyle, 200-yard freestyle, 100-yard butterfly and 200 yard individual medley. Kruesi has recorded the third fastest time in the 200-yard backstroke and the fifth fastest time in the 100-yard backstroke. In the relays, Carleton is seeded in the top five in all five relay events. The Knights have recorded the third fastest relay time in the 400 and 800 yard freestyle relays.

Macalester moved up a spot a year ago from sixth to fifth, and would like to take another step up the ladder at this year's meet. Macalester went 2-4 in MIAC dual meet action this season, picking up wins over St. Mary's and Hamline. The Scots are led by senior Sjon Swanson, first-year Jared Rudolph and senior Chucky Baldner in the swimming events. Swanson is seeded seventh in the 50-yard freestyle and ninth in the 100-freestyle, while Rudolph is ranked sixth in the 100-yard backstroke and 11th in the 200-backstroke. Baldner has recorded top 20 times in the 200-, 500- and 1650-yard freestyle events. Bo Rydze leads the Scots in diving with a number two seed in the one-meter and three-meter diving events.

St. Thomas has seven individuals and two relays seeded in the top-10 for the conference meet as it shoots for a top-five team finish. The Tommies placed sixth at last year's conference championships. Coach Tom Hodgson's team is paced by senior Dave Linn, a two-time Academic All-American and four-time MIAC champion. Linn is seeded second in the 200- yard backstroke, third in the 100-yard backstroke and ninth in the 200-yard individual medley. First-year swimmers T.J. Hardy and Kevin Mullee are expected to have an impact at the conference meet. Hardy is seeded ninth in the 50-yard freestyle, 10th in the 200-yard backstroke and 10th in the 100-yard backstroke. Mullee is seeded ninth in the 100-yard butterfly.

Saint Mary's University recorded 149 points at last year's conference meet to place seventh overall. The Cardinals have recorded five top 20 times in the conference this season. Senior Sean Gibson is ranked 17th in the 50-yard freestyle and 12th in the 100-yard freestyle. First-year Brian Joyce is ranked 19th in the 100- and 200- yard breaststroke, while senior Logan Twedt is ranked 13th in the 1650-yard freestyle.

The Hamline men's swimming and diving team looks to improve upon last season's eighth place finish at the conference meet. The Pipers will be strongest in the diving competition where first-year Julian Borgia and sophomore Jake Kruger have both made strong showings on the season. Sophomore Ryan Beckman leads the swimmers with top 20 times in both the 100- and 200-yard butterfly.