MIAC Swimming & Diving Athletes-of-the-Week

http://www.miac-online.org/news/2011/12/5/MSWIM_1205112752.aspx

 

MIAC Men's Swimming and Diving Athlete-of-the-Week

 

Colby Kubat, St. Olaf
West Des Moines, Iowa / West Des Moines

After a week off, many of the MIAC swimming and diving teams were in action over the weekend at the Falcon Invite, hosted by UW-River Falls at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center. It's likely many of the MIAC men's teams in attendance took notice of St. Olaf's Colby Kubat (West Des Moines, Iowa) over the two-day event, as the sophomore standout had an outstanding weekend, winning two events and finishing second in another while making one NCAA 'A' cut and the 'B' cut in the other two events. For his performance, Kubat has been named the MIAC Men's Swimming and Diving Athlete-of-the-Week.

Kubat was extremely impressive in two breaststroke events and the individual medley against stiff competition at the site of the MIAC Championships. He won the 200-yard breaststroke and broke the NCAA's 'A' cut with a time of 2:02.52, which was also a new personal best for the Oles' second-year swimmer. He also won the 200-yard individual medley with a 'B' cut time of 1:52.88. His time of 56.30 in the 100-yard breaststroke also met the 'B' cut and led to a second-place finish. Those three times are the top time in the MIAC this season in each event.

After a job well done at the Falcon Invite, Kubat and his teammates will enjoy nearly four weeks off for finals and the Holidays. Their next competition will no doubt be circled on all the Oles' calendars, as they are scheduled to compete in the Ed Kennedy Classic in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on New Year's Eve. After that, they'll return home for a busy schedule in January leading up to February's MIAC Championships.

 

MIAC Women's Swimming and Diving Athlete-of-the-Week

 

Alissa Tinklenberg, Gustavus
Willmar, Minn. / Willmar

It's almost impossible to have a busier weekend than Gustavus' Alissa Tinklenberg (Willmar, Minn.) had last weekend. The sophomore swimmer competed in seven total events - three individual races and four relays - and set a new MIAC season-best time in each event while meeting four NCAA 'B' cuts and finishing no worse than fourth in a single event at the Falcon Invite, which was hosted by UW-River Falls at the University of Minnesota last Friday and Saturday. For her performance, Tinklenberg was named the MIAC Women's Swimming and Diving Athlete-of-the-Week.

In the seven events, Tinklenberg turned in five second-place performances, one third, and one fourth against good competition as one of the season's most popular meets. Tinklenberg finished second and met the NCAA 'B' cut in the 100-yard backstroke (58.00), 200-yard backstroke (2:05.44) and 400-yard medley relay (3:57.30). She also met the 'B' cut in the 200-yard medley relay (1:48.61) while turning in a third-place finish. She added second-place finishes in the 200-yard freestyle relay (1:35.83) and the 400-yard freestyle relay (3:31.83) and a fourth-place finish in the 500-yard freestyle (5:07.29). Team scores were not recorded at the Falcon Invite, but Tinklenberg's cumulative performance no doubt would have been worth big points to the Gusties, as each time is the best recorded in the conference this season.

After such a busy weekend, Tinklenberg and her teammates will get some well-deserved time off for finals and the Holidays, before heading to a warmer climate to resume their season at a fun event. The Gusties will participate in the Citrus Classic Dec. 26 to Jan. 2 in Mesa, Ariz., before returning to the north for a busy January scheduled, leading up to the MIAC Championships in late February, which will also be held at the U of M.

Courtesy of MIAC