CSB swim beats Carleton for the first time in six years

On Saturday, Jan. 15, the CSB swim and dive team defeated the Carleton Knights in a dual meet for the first time since 2016.

The Bennies won 11 events in total, led by senior Ana Birklid and junior Madison Slavik, who contributed five of those wins.

Additionally, this meet served as senior night, as it was the last home meet of the season for the Bennies.

“Senior season has been bittersweet. Knowing this is my last season with people who have made my time at CSB so wonderful is hard to wrap my head around… I cannot tell you how grateful I am that we have had a mostly normal year,” senior Jes Milstroh said.

The Bennies had a shortened season with no meets last school year, so it is safe to say they are happy to be back in action this season.

“[My] senior season has been a rollercoaster of excitement, challenging practices and meets and a whole lot of fun,” senior captain Izzy Sonday said. “It’s bittersweet realizing this is my last season swimming competitively… so much dedication and hard work has gone into this sport, and I’m so thankful for the experience CSB has given me in my collegiate years of swimming.”

The Bennie seniors and the rest of the team left it all in the pool in their last home meet on Saturday.

Along with the success of Slavik and Birklid, many others picked up wins as well to help defeat Carleton.

Coach Mandy Wolvert highlighted sophomore Hannah Tatge, as she picked up her first collegiate win in the 100 freestyle, adding nine points to the team total.

Other notable performances came from sophomore Emi Wagner, juniors Molly Johanson and Emily Quill and the 200 medley and 400 freestyle relay teams.

Due to their success this weekend, the Bennies are confident that they will finish well in the MIAC championships this season.

“After beating Carleton on Saturday and coming close to St. Olaf in our dual against them in November, I’d say we have a pretty good chance of being a top-three contender in the MIAC in February,” Sonday said.

Wolvert has shared in her team’s excitement.

“They’ve trained hard, have aggressive goals and are excited to reach them. I’m excited to celebrate their success in these last two months,” Wolvert said.

The Bennies will be back in action on Thursday, Jan. 20, at St. Cloud State.