ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – The College of Saint Benedict swim and dive team will look to continue a fast start in 2023-24 as the Bennies compete in the St. Kate's double dual against St. Catherine University and the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire on Saturday (Nov. 11) at 10:30 a.m., in St. Paul, Minn.  
  
Up Next 
After the double dual meet, the Bennies will compete in the Gustavus College Invite on Saturday, Nov. 18 at 9 a.m., in St. Peter, Minn.  
  
Bennies raise $1,240 to fight breast cancer 
In the lead-up to a dual meet on Oct. 21 with Macalester, the College of Saint Benedict swim and dive team raised more than $1,200 to benefit the fight against breast cancer. The team designed pink "Barbie Bennie" t-shirts, put them on sale and earmarked the money raised for the Minnesota Breast Cancer Coalition. Then, additional donations were taken at the Bennies' opening dual meet against Macalester at the Warner Palaestra pool at Saint John's University. 
 
Wagner named St. Cloud Orthopedic/CSB Athlete of the Week
 Senior Emi Wagner, who won the 50 free event and was part of the winning 200 free relay and second place 200 medley relay in a dual with St. Olaf on Saturday (Nov. 4), was named the St. Cloud Orthopedic / College of Saint Benedict Athlete of the Week. Wagner, a biology major from St. Cloud, Minn., led an impressive sprint performance by CSB in the dual, which was won by St. Olaf. She won the 50-free by clocking a season-best 25.67 with her third straight win in the event.  Wagner, along with senior Jocie Larson, Makayla Haskamp, and sophomore Rachel Schlueter, captured the 200-free relay in a season-best 1:42.70. The Bennies also had a solid relay effort in finishing second in the 200-medley relay. The squad of Wagner, Schlueter, sophomore Megan Bartels, and senior Laura Jennings placed second with a 1:56.10 clocking.
  
Season Review –  
 
Wagner wins third straight 50-free title in a dual with St. Olaf 
Senior Emi Wagner captured an individual title in the 50-free to lead a strong performance by the College of Saint Benedict Swim and Dive Team in a dual with St. Olaf in Northfield on Nov 4^th. The Bennies dropped a 163-78 decision to the Oles but totaled one individual title and one relay title and had 10 top-three individual finishes. CSB had four second place finishes while finishing third in five other events. Wagner was the only CSB swimmer with an individual title after capturing the 50-free in a season best 25:67. Wagner, who earned All-MIAC honors in the 50-free a year ago, started the season with an individual title in the 50-free at 25.92. In the race CSB had three of the top four finishers with senior Jocie Larson finishing second with a season best of 26.26. Sophomore Mikayla Haskamp placed fourth in the same event with a clocking of 26.50. In the 200-free relay, Wagner, Larson, Haskamp, and sophomore Rachel Schlueter won with a season best time of 1:42.70. CSB also took fourth place in the same event with first-year Emma Neely, sophomore Liz Hanson, sophomore Lauren Sitzman, and first-year Sydney Gustin earning a time of 1:51.94. In the 200-medley relay, Schlueter, sophomore Megan Bartels, senior Laura Jennings, and Wagner took second place with a time of 1:56.10. CSB also took fourth place in the same event with first-year Claire Canfield, Gustin, first-year Josey Jackson, and senior Hannah Tatge finishing in 1:59.59. The Bennies had a strong performance in the 100 free with Haskamp finishing second (57:41), Larson finishing third (57:79), and Tatge finishing fourth (58:76). In the 100 back, Schlueter took second place, earning a season best time of 1:02.05. Canfield took fourth (1:04.14) and Sitzman took fifth (1:04.66) in the same event. In the 200 free, Sitzman earned a season best with a time of 2:06.22. In the same event, Jennings took fourth place (2:08.66) and Hanson recorded a lifetime best in sixth place at 2:09.97. In the 100 fly, Jennings took second place, swimming 1:04.41. In the same event, Jackson took fifth place in 1:07.64, and Anna Boomgarden took sixth in 1:10.73. In the 100 breast, CSB recorded a 2-3 finish. Bartels earned second place with a time of 1:13.66 and Hansen placed third with a time of 1:15.77. Also in this event, Gustin placed fifth in 1:19.30. In the 200 IM, CSB swept fourth through sixth place with Canfield in fourth with a time of 2:22.98, Jackson in fifth with a time of 2:27.22, and Bartels in sixth with a time of 2:27.84. In the 1000 free, sophomore Maddy Ahlquist placed fourth in 12:39.88 while senior Emma Vicker took fifth in 12:42.95. In the other long-distance races, first-year Jada Alholm took fourth in the 500 free with a time of 6:04.33, while Vicker took fifth in the same event with a time of 6:18.17. In diving, first-year Ella Kowalczyk took fourth in the five-dives 1-meter event with a score of 119.25 points. She was third in the six-dives 1-meter board with a final score of 175.25 points.  
  
Bennies win triangular with Augsburg, Hamline 
Senior Lindsay Smutka won or was part of three of the 10 titles by the College of Saint Benedict swim and dive team, which continued an impressive early season start with a win in the Bennies Triangular with Hamline and Augsburg on Oct 27 at the Warner Palaestra Pool. In the triangular, the Bennies totaled 163 points with Hamline at 47 and Augsburg, 5.  Smutka won an individual title for the second straight competition by capturing the 200 back in 2:17.37. Senior Emi Wagner recorded her second straight win in the 50-free with a 26:13 clocking as she led a 1-2-3 finish in the event. Also, in the 50 free, senior Jocie Larson was second in 26:42 while sophomore Rachel Schlueter was third in 26.43. CSB also took the 100 free title as sophomore Mikayla Haskamp won with a 57.23 clocking, finishing just ahead of senior Hannah Tatge at 58.82. Sophomore Morgan Stout won her first title of the season with a victory in the 500 free with a clocking of 5:39.97 clocking. For the third time in two competitions, sophomore Megan Bartels won an individual title as she captured the 200 breast event in 2:37.82. Sophomore Liz Hansen placed third for CSB at 2:51.05 with first-year Jayda Alholm, fourth, 2:55.71. In the 200 fly, Laura Jennings captured the 200 fly in 2:25.38 as CSB took the top three spots. First-year Ella Kowalczyk continued a strong early season performance on the diving boards with her first individual title in the 3-meter board with 195.60 points. She also placed second on the 1-M board with 245.00 points. First-year Jayda Alholm led a 1-2 finish in the 1000 free. Alholm's first-career individual title included a clocking of 12:34.71 with Vicker, second at 12:53.93. Smutka helped the Bennies win both the 400 free and 400 medley relays. The team of Smutka, Larson, Schlueter and Haskamp won the 400 free relay in 3:49.07. Smutka, Bartels, Jennings and Larson teamed up to win the 400 medleys in 4:14.09. In the 200 free, the Bennies captured second through sixth place with Sitzman leading the way in 2:07.99. CSB claimed two of the top three spots in the 200 IM as Claire Canfield was second in 2:22.09 with Josey Jackson, third in 2:26.42. 
  
Smutka, Bartels, Wagner wins titles in dual with Macalester 
Sophomore Megan Bartels, junior Lindsay Smutka and senior Emi Wagner captured individual titles to lead a strong opening season performance by the College of Saint Benedict swim and dive team in a dual with Macalester at the Warner Palaestra Pool on Oct. 21. The Bennies dropped a 162-131 decision to the Scots but totaled five titles and had 24 top-three finishes. CSB had eight second place finishes while finishing third in nine other events. Bartels was the only CSB swimmer with a pair of individual titles after capturing the 100 breasts in 1:14.49 and the 200 breast in 2:39.25. Wagner, who earned All-MIAC honors in the 50-free a year ago, started the season with an individual title in the 50-free at 25.92. In the race CSB had three of the top four finishers with sophomore Rachel Schlueter finishing second in 26.20. Senior Jocie Larson placed fourth in the same event with a clocking of 26.26. Smutka captured the 100-back title in 1:01.11 with Schlueter finishing third in 1:02.94. Smutka also led a strong effort by CSB in the 200-back as she took second in 2:16.95.  The Bennies won the 200-medley in 1:52.65 as Smutka, Bartels, Schlueter and Wagner raced to the title. CSB was also third in the race at 1:58.32 with a team of Canfield, sophomore Liz Hansen, senior Laura Jennings and sophomore Mikayla Haskamp. The Bennies also placed second in the 200-free relay with Wagner, Larson, Haskamp and Hannah Tatge combining for a clocking of 1:42.85. Haskamp also placed second in the 100 free with a clocking of 56.63 while CSB's Hannah Tatge took fourth in 58.65. In diving, the Bennies were led by first-year Ella Kowalczyk, who had a 1-meter diving score of 200.25, just 3.70 behind the leader. She was second on the 3-meter board at 190.70 and finished 4.25 behind Macalester's Kate Yehle, who also won the 1-meter board, at 194.95. The Bennies also had a second-place finish in the 100 fly from Schlueter at 1:04.35 with Jackson grabbing third in 1:05.41. Also, for CSB, senior Laura Jennings was second in the 200 fly in 2:23.66 with Jackson, third, in 2:27.44.