Cobbers Cap Record-Setting MIAC Meet

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (2/21/15)—Concordia made it three straight days of record-breaking performances at the MIAC Championship Meet. The Cobbers broke at least one school record in all three days at the conference meet and finished in ninth place in the final team standings.

Concordia capped their record-breaking meet by having Sarah Nelson break the school record in the 200-yard butterfly and Libby Hardwick better the Cobber record in the 200-yard backstroke. All told, Concordia had swimmers break school records on seven different occasions and in four different events.  

The Cobbers finished the MIAC Meet with 122 total team points. Concordia finished only six points behind eighth place. One of the key team-point factors for CC at the meet was that their entire point total was scored from swimming events. It is the first time in program history that they haven't scored any points from the two diving events.

Hardwick started the day by qualifying for the "B" finals in the 200-yard backstroke. She swam a lifetime-best time of 2:16.59 and qualified in 16th place.

Six events later Nelson continued the record-breaking trend of the meet when she swam a 2:18.19 in the 200-yard butterfly and broke the school record by a full 1.35 seconds. Her qualifying time was 12th fastest in the MIAC. The old school record was set by Megan Johnson back in 2003.

Nelson's record-breaking time was a part of the best event for the Cobbers on Day 3. The prelim heat of the 200-yard butterfly saw CC swimmers post one season-best mark and three lifetime-best times. The other three Concordia athletes in the event that posted top times were Ann Marie O'Connell, Siri Berry and Abbey Benson.

Lily Johnson and Jordyn Olson set the tone for the evening session as they both posted personal record times in the 1650-yard freestyle. Johnson came home in 19:04.27 while Olson clocked a 19:35.80. Johnson's time is the fastest by a Cobber athlete in the event since CC record holder Katie Coleman swam an 18:08.28 in 2011. Olson's time is over 14 seconds faster than she swam at last year's conference meet.

Hardwick then put the Cobber record-breaking train on full steam when she busted the mark in the 200-yard backstroke by touching the pad in 2:14.91 and finishing in 14th place. Her finals time was .90 of a second faster than the previous school record of 2:15.81 set by Aleina Weisz back in 2010. Hardwick broke both of Weisz' records in the backstroke at the meet.   

Nelson then finished off her individual events at the MIAC Meet by swimming a 2:18.60 in the finals of the 200-yard butterfly and finishing in 13th place.

The final event of the conference meet was more of the same for Concordia as the 400-yard freestyle team of Joleen Plekkenpol, Nelson, O'Connell and Berry swam a 3:46.04 and placed eighth in the event.

Their finishing time represents a 10-second drop from their previous season best. It is also the fastest 400-yard freestyle time posted by a CC quartet since 2011.


Final MIAC Meet Team Scores
1. Gustavus - 858.5
2. University of Saint Thomas - 817 
3. St. Olaf College - 514.5
4. Carleton College - 356 
5. College of Saint Benedict - 304 
6. Saint Catherine University - 220 
7. Macalester College - 209 
8. Hamline University - 128 
9. Concordia College - 122 
10. Augsburg College - 96 
11. Saint Mary's University - 88