DECORAH, Iowa – The Macalester College women's swimming and diving team started the 2021-22 season with a strong performance at Luther on Saturday. The Scots beat Nebraska Wesleyan, 208-49 and Luther, 197-80, and lost to St. Catherine, 205-79.
Sophomore
Jocelyn Radke (Indianapolis, Ind.) swam well in the sprint events, placing second in the 50-yard freestyle (25.58) and third in the 100 free (57.18). First year
Anna Rakowski (Vergennes, Vt./Vergennes Union) was fourth in both sprints with times of 26.21 and 58.29. In the distance events, junior
Grace Turner (Northborough, Mass./Worcester Academy) was fourth in the 1000-yard freestyle (12:34.53), and first year
Eleanor Parker (Milton, Wis./Milton) and junior
Grace Madigan (Middleton, Wis./Middleton) were fourth and fifth, respectively in the 500-yard freestyle.
Other Scots placing fourth in their events included
Verity Wray-Raabolle (Owatonna, Minn./Bethlehem Academy) in the 100-yard backstroke (1:04.11) and first year
Caroline Chapon (Evanston, Ill./Evanston Township) in the 200-yard butterfly (2:24.77). Wray-Raabolle also took fifth in the 200-yard backstroke (2:26.01), while Chapon was fifth in the 200-yard individual medley (2:22.53). Others placing fifth were first year
Natalie Pollock (Madison, Wis./Madison West) in the 200 free (2:06.14), first year
Olivia Johnson (Milwaukee, Wis./Shorewood) in the 200 butterfly, (2:27.21) and first year
Olga Merkadeau (Lafayette, Calif./The College Preparatory School) in the 50 free (26.48).
In the relays, the foursome of Wray-Raabolle, Chapon, Pollock and Merkadeau took fourth in the 200-yard medley relay, defeating the top teams from both Luther and Nebraska Wesleyan with a time of 1:57.09. In the 200-yard freestyle relay, Parker, Radke, Merkadeau and Chapon placed second in 1:43.97, while Madigan, Rakowsky, Pollock and first year
Elizabeth Batsaikhan (Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia/East Chapel Hill) finished fourth in 1:46.81.
Macalester was strong in the diving events, with junior
Katie Kelbrants (Minneapolis, Minn./Minneapolis South) taking first and first year
Kate Yehle (Madison, Wis./James Madison Memorial) finishing second on the 3-meter board. On the 1-meter board, Yehle took second and Kelbrants was third.
Macalester continues its schedule next weekend against the College of Saint Benedict. The swimming events will take place at Saint John's on Friday, Oct. 29 at 7:00 p.m., with the diving events host by Macalester on Saturday, Oct. 30 at 1:00 p.m. in Riley Pool.
Click here for complete results
Click here for team scores
