MORRIS, Minn. - The University of Minnesota Morris Women's Swim and Dive team opened their season with a two-day matchup against the College of Saint Benedict, competing first at Cougar Pool Oct. 18 and then in Collegeville, Minn. Oct. 19. The Cougars came away from the weekend with two losses. 

OCT. 18
Saint Benedict's 148 - Minnesota Morris 74

The women started off the day strong, taking a third place finish in the 400 yard medley relay. The team, composed of McKenna Falak, Kaitlyn Mello, Samantha Haaf, and Faith Hamm, swam a time of 4:32.46 collectively. Falak swam in the next event of the meet, the 500 yard freestyle, with teammate Rita Erickson. Falak finished second with a time of 5:53.76. Erickson came in third, finishing with 6:00.63 in the event. Senior Lilly Radintz swam an impressive time of 26.39 in the 50 yard freestyle for a third place finish. Brynna York, also making her debut for the Cougars, competed in 1 meter diving, earning a first place finish with a score of 177.25. 

Haaf notched her own third place finish on the day, competing in the 100 yard butterfly and finishing with a time of 1:08.83. Shannon Dougherty brought in another first place finish for the Cougars in the 100 yard freestyle. She finished the event with a time of 57.09. Falak marked down yet another top three finish on the day, with a 1:05.95 finish in the 100 yard backstroke. Swimming the 200 yard freestyle, Radintz finished with a time of 2:06.52 to finish first in the event. Women's swimming and diving continued to battle through the day, marking a third place finish in the 100 yard breaststroke courtesy of then 1:19.93 time from Mello. Minnesota Morris dominated the 400 yard freestyle relay as the team of Radintz, Oloson, Hamm, and Dougherty swam 3:53.84 to finish in first place.

OCT. 19
Saint Benedict's 152 - Minnesota Morris 70

The Cougars started out the second day of competition with a second place finish in the 200 yard medley relay from the team of Falak, Mello, Radintz, and Rylie Wendt. The team swam a time of 2:03.90. In the next event of the day, the 1000 yard freestyle, Falak dominated the field. She came in at 11:46.18, almost forty seconds in front of the next swimmer. Erickson also swam the 1000, coming in third and marking a time of 12:29.88 in the event. Dougherty continued her impressive weekend of competition with a second place finish in the 50 yard freestyle, notching a time of 25.92. York took the diving board for the Cougars, placing first in the 1 meter with a score of 178.80. Haaf made another mark for Minnesota Morris' scoring on the day, finishing the 200 yard butterfly with a time of 2:35.12. 

Radintz, another dominant swimmer for the Cougars, earned another top three finish for her performance in the 100 yard freestyle. She finished second with a time of 57.57. Continuing to make a name for herself in Minnesota Morris swimming, Falak took second in the 200 yard backstroke while marking a time of 2:25.24. In event seventeen of the day, the 200 yard freestyle, Dougherty finished third with a time of 2:11.37. York took the diving board for the second time of the day, competing in the 3 meter and taking third place with a score of 152.30. Closing out the meet, Radintz, Hamm, Eve Zimmerman, and Dougherty took first place in the 200 yard freestyle with a time of 1:45.77. 

The Cougars will hit the road Nov. 1 and 2 to compete in Nebraska. Nov. 1 will feature matchups against Midland University and Nebraska Wesleyan University in Fremont, Nebraska. Nov. 2, Minnesota Morris will head to Lincoln, Nebraska to swim against Nebraska Wesleyan.