Macalester Women’s Swimming & Diving Dominate St. Catherine in Convincing Victory
The Macalester College women’s swimming & diving team delivered a commanding performance Saturday afternoon, securing a decisive victory over St. Catherine with a final score of 187-109 at Riley Pool. The Scots showcased both individual brilliance and strong relay teamwork throughout the meet.
Scots Surge to Early Lead with Relay Wins
Macalester began the competition strongly, claiming victory in the 400-yard medley relay. The team of seniors Emma Henry and Izzy Uhlhorn-Thornton, alongside sophomores Molly Nuckolls and Amalia Shields, finished with a winning time of 4:07.58. The Macalester B relay team – comprised of senior Nadia Lanz, sophomore Carolyn Wolking, senior Hannah Zurn, and junior Megan Chopskie – also demonstrated impressive speed, securing a second-place finish in 4:13.01.
Individual Performances Highlight Scots’ Depth
The Scots continued their success in individual events, winning a total of six races. A particularly dominant showing came in the 100-yard breaststroke, where Macalester swimmers swept the top three positions. Wolking secured first place with a time of 1:11.73, followed closely by first-year Jay Young (1:13.34) and sophomore Julia Goh (1:15.42).
Sophomore Annika Hensel also delivered a standout performance, winning the 200-yard butterfly in 2:25.18. In the sprint events, Chopskie claimed victory in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 25.57, while Shields finished a close second at 25.93.
Backstroke and Breaststroke Domination
Macalester continued to demonstrate its versatility, sweeping the top three spots in the 200-yard backstroke. First-year Poppy Wedding led the charge with a winning time of 2:20.40, followed by Téllez (2:20.79) and Zurn (2:20.89). Uhlhorn-Thornton added another win for the Scots in the 200-yard breaststroke, finishing in 2:29.69, with junior Nicole Tilzer taking third place (2:44.92).
Henry also secured a win in the 100-yard butterfly, clocking in at 1:01.20, while Nuckolls finished second with a time of 1:02.34.
Diving and Freestyle Contributions
The Scots’ success extended to the diving events, where first-year Ainsley Kashat emerged victorious on both the 1-meter board (222.10) and the 3-meter board (248.25). Sophomore Alex Koplovsky contributed with third-place finishes in both diving events.
In the freestyle events, sophomore Anna Wuurtz led the Scots in the 1000-yard freestyle, finishing second in 12:02.33, while junior Claire Stretanski touched third in 12:02.93. Sophomore Maya Téllez placed second in the 200-yard freestyle (2:03.47), closely followed by Nuckolls in third (2:03.70). Uhlhorn-Thornton finished second in the 100-yard backstroke (1:06.25), while Lanz secured second in the 100-yard freestyle (58.23) and Wolking followed in third (59.74). Young placed second in the 500-yard freestyle (5:30.32), with Shields finishing third (5:31.53). Nuckolls finished second in the 400-yard individual medley (4:55.40), and Wedding placed third (4:59.48).
Scots Close Out Meet with Relay Victory
The Macalester women concluded the meet on a high note, winning the 200-yard freestyle relay with a time of 1:42.61. The winning team consisted of Henry, Chopskie, Shields, and Téllez.
Macalester will continue its season at the Luther College Invitational on November 21-22 in Decorah, Iowa. Complete results from Saturday’s meet can be found [here](Click here for complete results.).
