MARSHALL, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Morris swimming & diving team competed well but lost to a pair of NCAA Division II opponents on Saturday. The Cougars were defeated by the day's hosts, Southwest Minnesota State University, 180-43, and by Northern State University, 151-50.

The day opened with the 200 Medley Relay. In that event, the Cougar 'A' team of Madelynn Murley, Madi Gerdes, Paulina Bekkum, and Shannon Dougherty came in fourth in 2:03.21. The 'B' team swam an exhibition with Lucia Rainbow, Lydia Dahlager, Hannah Wellens, and Natalie West combining for a 2:15.63 and finishing sixth.

The longest individual event of the day, the 1000 Freestyle, followed the opening relay. Jenna Gutterman turned in a fourth-place finish with a time of 11:53.41, while Morgan Ball was seventh in 13:08.86.

Lilly Radintz had a pair of PRs on Saturday, with the first coming in the 200 Freestyle. Radintz ended in fourth place in the race with a time of 2:05.90, the eighth-fastest time in program history. Dougherty followed that with a fourth-place finish of her own in the 50 Freestyle, touching the wall in 27.02 seconds.

Lexi Gerdes turned in the top performance of the afternoon for Minnesota Morris in the 400 IM, setting a PR with a 5:21.54 to take seventh in the race. Back in the pool following a break for a diving event, Lexi Gerdes then took fourth in the 100 Butterfly with a 1:05.73. 

Radintz returned for the 100 Freestyle and once again placed fourth, this time turning in a 56.69 that was good for the ninth-fastest time in program history.

In the final three individual events, the top times for Minnesota Morris belonged to Murley in the 100 Backstroke (1:11.21), Abby Doyle in the 500 Freestyle (6:02.03), and Madi Gerdes in the 100 Breaststroke (1:15.67).

Wrapping up the day was the 200 Freestyle Relay. The Cougar 'A' team of Radintz, Ball, Doyle, and Dougherty earned a third-place finish in 1:47.31, while the 'B' team of Bethany Knopp, Lexi Gerdes, West, and Gutterman were sixth in 1:55.21.

Minnesota Morris will return to Cougar Pool next Saturday for Senior Day, facing Concordia College-Moorhead in a dual meet beginning at 12 p.m.