MINNEAPOLIS (blugolds.com) — The UW-Eau Claire men's and women's swimming teams competed at the opening day of the Minnesota First Chance meet on Friday at Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center at the University of Minnesota. The men's 400-yard medley relay team earned the top finish for the Blugolds, placing second in the event.
The men's 400 medley relay unit of Vaughn Kromrey (Sr. - Hudson, Wis.), Luke Mandli (So. - McFarland, Wis.), Will Chatwin (Jr. - Forest Lake, Minn.) and William Taylor (So. - Albert Lea, Minn.) teamed up for a runner-up finish. They clocked in at 3:45.61, just about three seconds behind first place.
The Blugolds had several top-10 finishes overall on the first day of competition at the two-day meet. Emily Stover (Sr. - Plymouth, Minn./Wayzata) placed sixth in the women's 500-yard freestyle. Stover finished in 5:22.62 and was the top finisher from a Division III team in the event. The Blugold women also had two swimmers crack the top 10 in the 100-yard breaststroke. Cora Borroughs (Fr. - Stoughton, Wis.) took ninth in 1:11.62, and teammate Josie Bougie (Sr. - Falcon Heights, Minn./Roseville) was right behind in 10th at 1:12.11.
The women's 400-yard medley relay saw two Blugold teams place in the top five. Drew Smith (So. - Morris, Ill./Morris Community), Borroughs, Bella Thovson (Sr. - Hutchinson, Minn.) and Stover teamed up to take fourth in 4:16.32. Maddy Mjoen (Jr. - Savage, Minn./Prior Lake), Bougie, Cora Martin (So. - Detroit Lakes, Minn./Detroit Lakes) and Maya Frodl (Jr. - Racine, Wis./J.I. Case) followed in fifth place at 4:20.59.
The Blugolds also had many top-20 finishes in the 12 events held on the first day of swimming. The meet concludes on Saturday, Feb. 4.
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