body text = The last time the Minnesota women’s swimming and diving team took to the pool, it racked up a school-record 668.5 point at the Big Ten championships. Coach Jean Freeman was elected Big Ten coach of the year, and the Gophers knocked off 12-time champion Michigan by 173 points to claim their first Big Ten title.
On Saturday in Pullman, Wash., the stakes not nearly as high, but No. 16 Minnesota proved its power with a double dual win over Washington State and Florida State.
All teams were scored against each other separately in Saturday’s meet. It was a swimming-only affair because Washington State’s Gibb Pool does not accommodate diving. The 100-yard backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly events were also scratched.
The Gophers rolled past both the Huskies (56-31) and the Seminoles (54-41) en route to the win. Florida State edged Washington State 48-46 in the other scored match.
Sophomore Jinny Smedstad notched both of the individual wins for Minnesota on the day. She took the 1000 freestyle in a time of 10:23.09 and the 500 freestyle in 5:04.83.
The Gopher “A” 400 Medley Relay team also took first place.
Junior Emily Deppe had a strong day for Minnesota. She claimed a pair of second-place finishes in the 200 Individual Medley and the 200 backstroke.
Because of the absence of the 100 breaststroke event, senior Kelsey Hegner will have to wait another week to again show off her surprising early-season times. Hegner turned in an NCAA consideration time of 1:03.45 at the intrasquad meet, six one-hundredths of a second faster than her previous personal best. She finished third Saturday in the 200 breaststroke.
ù After the annual alumni meet this weekend, the Gophers will see their toughest competition to date Nov. 5-6. Minnesota will roll out the red carpet to 7th-ranked Michigan and 18th-ranked North Carolina in a two-day meet.