Gophers compete in CA, Gordon swims at International Merk Super Pokal

A group of Gophers spent the weekend competing at the 2015 TYR Fran Crippen Swim Meet of Champions in Mission Viejo, California. Minnesota has strong ties with the meet host Mission Viejo Nadadores. It is the club team for current Gophers Brooke Lorentzen, Logan Redondo and incoming freshman Erik Hunter, and before joining the Minnesota staff in 1998, current Minnesota head coach Kelly Kremer was a coach for the Nadadores.

The meet was headlined by incoming freshman Erin Emery collecting two first-place finishes, including an 8:42.26 in the 800-meter freestyle and 16:46.34 in the 1500-meter free. Emery also finished fourth in the 400-meter free (4:17.91), 11th in the 400-meter IM (4:57.71), 18th in the 200-meter free (2:03.44). 

Emery’s club teammate and Gopher teammate Bowe Becker finished 23rd in the 50-meter free with a time of 24.51.

Breanne Siwicki finished 5th in the 1500-meter free with a 17:15.08 and 17th in the 400-meter IM with a time of 4:56.89.

Noah Busch placed 11th in the 50-meter free (23.72), 18th in the 100-meter free with a time of 52.13.

Danielle Nack finished 9th in the 200-meter fly with a 2:15.18, 17th in the 200-meter free (2:03.24), 12th in the 50-meter free (26.76).

Eric Sande finished 18th in the 100-meter breast with a time of 1:05.31.

Recent Minnesota alum CJ Smith was also in attendance. He finished sixth both the in the 1500-meter free (15:39.44) and 400-meter free (3:59.00) and seventh in the 800-meter free (8:16.12).

Junior Ian Gordon and 2015 alum Chris Johnson competed at a swim meet in Darmstadt, Germany this weekend.

Check out Gordon’s recap of the events: 

Chris swam in each of these and eventually placed 2nd in the 50-meter backstroke with a time of 27.52. He also competed in the 200 IM, as well as the 100 and 200-meter backstrokes, both of which he swam again in finals. He finished the 100 meter backstroke with a time of 59.03 and placed first. His 200-meter backstroke was also a very well swum race, as he placed second with a time of 2:07.81, which is in my opinion a very respectable mid-season swim.

I swam the 50 and the 100-meter freestyle. The prelims, semi-finals, finals format was a new experience for me, particularly since prelims and semi-finals took place on the same night. After a rough start, I finished in second with a time of 24.64 in the 50 free. I’d rather not talk about the 100.