ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Gustavus swimming & diving teams swept the Macalester Roger Ahlman Invitational, with the men maintaining their spot at the top of the five-team field, while the women jumped the host Scots on the final day of competition in the mid-season meet. 

The Gustavus men finished first with 1158 total points, followed by Macalester (818), St. Olaf (508), and Hamline (158). The women edged Macalester 962.5 to 944, followed by St. Olaf (699.6), Concordia (216), and Hamline (139). The Gustie men took first in four events on Saturday, while the women took first in the 100 breaststroke and the 400 freestyle relay.

Day two of the invitational opened with the diving competition, in which Gabriella Stoudt (Jr., Delano, Minn.) and Ryan Lester (Sr., Hastings, Minn.) proved to be some of the best, with Stoudt sweeping both the 1- and 3-meters, while Lester took first on the 3-meter and second on the 1-meter. Stoudt posted a final score of 389.20 on the 3-meter, followed by a 379.85 to win the 1-meter. Lester won the 3-meter with a 375.66, and finished second with a 387.30 in the 1-meter behind Hamline's Kevin Bossou (403.00).

Peyton Richardson (5th, Crystal Lake, Ill.) has been a formidable opponent for every swimmer in the pool this season – and that didn't change on Saturday, as the fifth-year senior took first in a pair of individual events, as well as second as a part of three different Gustie relays. Richardson won the 100 butterfly in 48.69 that featured a nearly all-Gustie leaderboard, as Gustavus took third through sixth in the event. His time is an NCAA B cut and ranks first in the MIAC this season by over two seconds. He added his other individual win in the 200 butterfly in 1:52.94. The other individual wins came from Nyden Hill (Sr., Conway, Ark.), who won the 100 breaststroke in 56.89, and Logan Cyr (So., Maple Grove, Minn.), who took first in the 500 freestyle in 4:50.64.

Three Gustie relays finished second, with the 200 medley relay of Cyr, Brandon Wilcek (Jr., Farmington, Minn.), Richardson, and Logan Braley (Jr., Elk River, Minn.) finishing in 1:35.50. The 200 freestyle relay of Braden Ripken (So., Blaine, Minn.), Richardson, Will Sarkinen (Jr., St. Michael, Minn.), and Braley touched the wall in 1:25.73, while the 400 freestyle relay team of Ripken, Cyr, Richardson, and Braley finished in 3:07.96 for second.

Also adding second-place finishes were Brendan Collins (So., Maple Grove) in the 200 freestyle (1:46.57) and Jack Reilly (Fy., Sioux Falls, S.D.) in the 200 backstroke (1:59.72). The Gusties added third and fourth place finishes in the 200 back as well. Ben Kell (Jr., Minneapolis, Minn.) was the highest finisher for the Gusties in the 400 IM, touching the wall in 4:21.50, while Matthew Lillejord (So., Naples, Fla.) took third in the 100 backstroke in 54.85 to lead the event, which also featured Gusties finishing fourth through sixth. 

For the Gustie women, Lindsay Sundby (Jr., Randolph, Minn.) posted the only individual victory of the day, taking first in the 100 breaststroke in 1:07.46. Hadley Wartner (So., Minneapolis, Minn.) finished second behind her teammate in the event with a time of 1:09.41. In the 400 freestyle relay, the team of Mia Trifilette-Simons (Fy., St. Paul, Minn.), Stella Anderson Moye (So., Inver Grove Heights, Minn.), Marit Isaacson (Sr., St. Paul, Minn.), and Geneva Fackler (Fy., Plymouth, Minn.) took the top spot in 3:35.42.

The Gusties took second in four different events, including a pair of relays. The team of Eloise Cooper (Fy., Stevens Point, Wis.), Sundby, Isaacson, and Fackler took second in the 200 medley (1:48.58), while Trifilette-Simons, Anderson Moye, Linnea Reinsmoen (Fy., Doha, Qatar), and Olivia Koeneman (So., Mankato, Minn.) finished the 200 freestyle in 1:39.81.

Isaacson added another second place finish for the Gusties with a 1:56.71 performance in the 200 freestyle, while Sundby took second in the 200 breaststroke in 2:30.29.

Sommer Krause (Fy., Farmington, Minn.) was the highest finisher for the Gusties in the 400 IM, posting a time of 4:52.12 for third. Fackler added a third-place finish in the 100 backstroke in 1:00.11, while Isaacson was the top Gustavus finisher in the 200 backstroke with a time of 2:10.55. The Gusties also added fourth and fifth place finishes behind Fackler and Isaacson in the 100 and 200 backstroke.

Richardson and Isaacson both impressed in time trials as well, as Richardson posted a 59.26 in the 100 butterfly, and Isaacson posted a 59.2 in the 100 IM. Isaacson's time broke the previous school record of 1:00.75, and ranks first in the MIAC and third in the NCAA this season.

"It was a fun mid-season meet," said Head Coach Jon Carlson '88. "The women swam really well and pulled it out in the end. We had some great swimming in the last session, and really, our depth was really key. Our top people came through big time once more, and it was a really great weekend for the women.

"On the men's side, they showed their domination, and our depth really showed in our relays. Our second, third, and fourth relays were following right behind our top group, and I was really proud of our team for accomplishing that this weekend. I know the team is excited about this weekend, and there were too many season- and lifetime-bests to count. We're all pumped and excited for the second half of the season."

The Gusties are back in the pool next weekend for an intrasquad meet on Dec. 14 before heading to their annual winter break training trip, which will take place in Puerto Rico this season.