A Pool-Record Setting Finale
MORRIS, Minn. (2/27/21)---In a year full of uncertainty, one thing will be certain – in the very last race of the 2021 season, the Concordia 800-yard freestyle relay team of Kaitlin Cramer, Rachel Andersen, Anna Backes and Alexandra Rasmussen broke the pool record at Minn.-Morris.
The Cobbers finished off their season by winning six individual events and the relay finale in their dual against Morris. Despite their individual success, it wasn't enough to overcome a deeper Cougar team and Concordia lost 140-108. The defeat represents a 48-point improvement over last year's dual when CC fell 149-69.
The final race of the day marked the first time that the Cobber had swam an 800 free relay this year. The quartet of Cramer, Andersen, Backes and Rasmussen proceeded to break off a time of 8:42.53 which set a new pool record. Their finishing time is also 14-seconds faster than any time that CC posted in the event last year and the fastest time for a Cobber relay since the 2019 MIAC Championship Meet.
Senior Anna Backes led by example in the final meet of her Cobber career. She captured three different individual event wins on the afternoon. Backes started her final meet by winning the 50-yard butterfly in a time of 29.29. She was the only athlete in the event to break the 30-second mark. Backes posted a surprise win over teammate Rasmussen in the 100-yard freestyle. Backes, who hadn't raced in a 100-free event this season clocked a 57.16 which was 1.91 seconds faster than Rasmussen who participated in the event on a more frequent basis during the year.
The 100-yard freestyle also provided the only 1-2-3 finish on the day for the Cobbers. In addition to the win by Backes and the second-place finish by Rasmussen, Jessica Bray recorded her first sub 1-minute time of the season in the event and placed third.
Backes then capped her career by making a huge drop in time off her previous season best in the 200-yard individual medley. Backes' best mark in the event heading into Saturday was 2:30.40 but she obliterated that time by touching the wall in 2:25.79.
Rasmussen, Cramer and Andersen were the other event winners for Concordia. Rasmussen clocked a 2:05.80 in the 200-yard freestyle to give the Cobbers their first win of the day in the third event. Her finishing time was 6.18 seconds faster than her previous season best.
Cramer kept the corn momentum going when she outpaced the group in the 200-yard backstroke. Her winning time of 2:20.57 was a season best by 4.55 seconds.
Andersen might have had the toughest path to a win on the day. She finished second in the 200-yard backstroke to Cramer and then five minutes later she had to dive in the pool for the 500-yard freestyle. Not only did the quick around not faze Andersen but she proceeded to post her first sub 6-minute 500 of the year. She swam a 5:55.78 which won the event by over 16 seconds.
Sophomore Lindsey Biebl had one of the biggest season-best drops of the day. She was third in the 200-yard breaststroke and carved 8.10 seconds off her previous season best in the event.
RECAP SPONSOR: Today's swimming recap is sponsored by Eventide. Located right next door to Concordia, Eventide has been a proud sponsor for Concordia Athletics for years and helps Cobber athletes post season best marks in every event.