ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – Megan Lawson wrapped up her collegiate athletic career the way every athlete dreams of.
Lawson, a senior on the College of Saint Benedict swimming and diving team, finished in the top three, earned all-conference accolades, set a school record and qualified for the NCAA sectional meet Saturday at the third and final day of the MIAC Swimming and Diving Championships.
For her big weekend – and the fantastic end to her diving career with the Blazers – Lawson has been named the Blazer Athlete of the Week.
After Saturday morning’s preliminary round at the U of M Aquatic Center in Minneapolis, Lawson – a Rochester, Minn., native – sat in fourth out of 23 divers with a score of 223.95. She stayed in fourth after the semifinals Saturday afternoon, and headed into the finals Saturday night looking to move up one spot in order to earn All-MIAC honors for the second straight year.
In the finals, Lawson finished with a score of 402.55, good for third place and an All-MIAC honor for the Lourdes High School graduate. Her score was also a qualifying mark for the NCAA zone sectional meet in Chicago and set a CSB school record.
Lawson’s score Saturday bested her previous school record of 393.10, set at the 2013 MIAC Championships.
Lawson scored 372.10 to finish third at the 2014 conference championships. She just missed all-conference honors as a sophomore, finishing fourth with a score of 377.00. As a first year in 2011-12, Lawson took fifth with a score of 358.05.
In her senior season, Lawson won the one-meter diving competition three times. She took first at the Hamline Invite and won the diving at both the Concordia and St. Thomas duals.