MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- The University of North Dakota women's swimming team wrapped up the Minnesota Challenge, hosted by the University of Minnesota, on Saturday in Minneapolis, Minn.
It was a positive end to the regular season for UND, as the Fighting Hawks can now turn their attention to the WAC Championships.
"Another great couple of sessions today," said head coach Chris Maiello. "I am really impressed with our team and how we handled multiple sessions and different events today."
Much like yesterday, UND received a boost from its relay teams as the Fighting Hawks picked up wins in two different relay events.
In the 800-yard freestyle relay, the team of Meredith Ubel, Anne Voigt, Paige Prestigiacomo, and Gabby Goerlinger finished first (7:48.04) by edging out teammates Sydni Robinson, Emily Ortner, Jennifer Thompson, and Fallon Ryan who placed second (8:01.24). The event saw a total of 19 entrants as the Fighting Hawks picked up first and second in the relay.
Later in the day, the team of Ubel, Goerlinger, Prestigiacomo, and Thompson grabbed first in the 400-yard freestyle relay (3:32.95) to give UND a pair of first-place finishes, three second-place finishes, a fourth-place finish, a fifth-place finish, and a seventh-place finish in its relay events on the weekend.
In the individual events, UND grabbed a total of four event wins on the day.
First, Syd Swanson (4:37.21) defeated teammate Emily Ortner (4:38.52) to finish first and second, respectively, in the 400-yard IM. Once again the event saw UND swim to the front of the pack as the pair defeated a total of 34 entrants.
Later, Anne Voigt (17:54.20) picked up a win in the 1650-yard freestyle event as she defeated another fellow teammate, Fallon Ryan (17:59.85), to grab another 1-2 finish for UND.
Another 1-2 finish for UND occurred in the 100-yard freestyle event when Jennifer Thompson (52.86) just edged out teammated Meredith Ubel (53.04) for the event win.
The final individual win for UND came in the 200-yard breaststroke as Emily Ortner (2:25.42) out-raced a pair of Gophers for the win.
With all the challenges placed in front of UND, the Fighting Hawks responded with a solid all-around weekend.
"This meet format can be challenging at times and our women did a great job handling all that was in front of them today," said Maiello on the day. "All of our athletes have positives to take from this competition. It was fun to see our athletes get some event wins tonight."
As UND turns its attention to the WAC Championships on Feb. 24-27 in Houston, Tex., Maiello knows how important it is to earn event wins in a championship format like this weekend.
"It is always good to get event wins in a championship format," said Maiello. "I am happy for our women that they were able to end the season on such a high note."
Both teams will begin to prepare for the WAC Championships on Feb. 24-27 in Houston, Tex.
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