Saint John's swimming and diving visits Division II St. Cloud State for a 5:30 p.m. dual meet on Thursday, Jan. 18, and hosts Carleton at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 20, in the Warner Palaestra Pool. – Live Video (Saturday)

A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: Saint John's recorded 34 top-16 finishes, including 15 in the top eight, at the three-day Rochester Invitational, hosted by Division II St. Cloud State, back on Nov. 30-Dec. 2. The Johnnies and host Huskies were joined on the men's side by Carleton, Iowa Central C.C., Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Division I Wisconsin-Green Bay and Wisconsin-La Crosse.
 
Junior Eli Grabinski (Sauk Rapids, Minn./Sauk Rapids-Rice) led the Johnnies with wins in both the 1-(432.95) and 3-meter (445.10) dives. Freshman Cody Watts (St. Cloud, Minn./Tech) followed in 11th on the 3-(298.85) and 12th on the 1-meter (359.80) boards.
 
Sophomore Brayden Slavik (Green Isle, Minn./Chaska) was right behind Grabinski on the podium with three top-four finishes individually, including two in second place. He claimed second in the 500-yard freestyle (4:36.77) on Thursday and second in the 1,650-yard freestyle (15:59.16), 0:00.07 behind Eau Claire's Kadin Denner on Saturday, and tied for fourth in the 400-yard individual medley (4:11.10). The time of 15:59.16 shattered Slavik's own program record in the 1,650 Free by 20 seconds (16:19.67) and his time in the 500 Free was the second-fastest in SJU history.
 
Junior Carter Larson (Sartell, Minn./Sartell-St. Stephen) tallied three top-eight finishes - fourth in the 200-yard freestyle (1:41.85), sixth in the 100-yard freestyle (45.96) and eighth in the 100-yard individual medley (54.52) - and claimed 11th in the 50-yard freestyle (21.37).
 
Freshman Alex King (Minot, N.D.) placed fifth in the 200-yard individual medley (1:55.40), sixth in the 400-yard individual medley (4:13.38) and 12th in the 100-yard butterfly (52.42). His time in the 400 IM broke SJU's record for a freshman set by Phil Steger in 1993 (4:13.74).
 
Sophomore Clay Megaw (Monticello, Minn.) touched the wall seventh in the 100-yard breaststroke (58.30) Friday and 11th in the 200-yard breaststroke (2:09.67) Saturday.
 
Junior Colby Kern (Delano, Minn.) won the consolation final in the 200-yard freestyle (1:43.84), placed 11th in the 200-yard individual medley (1:59.71) and 14th 100-yard freestyle (47.64). Classmate Connor Thayer (Prior Lake, Minn.) took 10th in the 1,650-yard freestyle (17:24.00), 15th in the 500-yard freestyle (4:57.75) and 16th in the 200-yard butterfly (2:02.13). Senior Alex Heer (St. Paul, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall) finished 15th in the 400-yard individual medley (4:31.98) and 16th in the 200-yard backstroke (2:03.13).
 
Five more Johnnies recorded top-16 times:
-Senior Brogan O'Donnel (Rosemount, Minn.), 16th in the 200-yard breaststroke (2:20.60);
-Junior Langston Philion (Maple Grove, Minn.), 15th in the 200-yard butterfly (2:01.12);
-Sophomore Carsten Reuter (St. Cloud, Minn./Tech), 14th in the 50-yard freestyle (21.78);
-Senior Parker Scanlon (St. Paul, Minn./Highland Park) 15th in the 1,650-yard freestyle (18:04.86);
-Junior Jack West (Otsego, Minn./Elk River) 14th in the 1,650-yard freestyle (18:03.49).
 
SJU's relays all finished in the top 10:
-800-yard freestyle (Larson, Kern, King, Slavik), fourth (6:56.35);
-200-yard freestyle (Reuter, Larson, Kern, King), eighth (1:24.25);
-400-yard freestyle (Reuter, Larson, Kern, King), eighth (3:07.63); 
-400-yard medley (Slavik, Megaw, Reuter, Larson), eighth (3:29.03);
-200-yard medley (Slavik, Megaw, King, Larson), 10th (1:35.01).

DIVER OF THE WEEK…AGAIN: Grabinski earned his second-consecutive MIAC Men's Diving Athlete of the Week honor, and fifth overall, after he won both dives at the Rochester Invitational. A two-time MIAC Diver of the Year, Grabinski won the 3-meter dive (476.10) for the second-consecutive season a year ago and finished second (465.50) to his older brother Jack Grabinski '23, in the 1-meter dive. He then went on to finish seventh in both dives at the NCAA Central Regional in Chicago.

A LOOK AT THE HUSKIES: St. Cloud State picked up a 155.5-142.5 victory over Division l South Dakota State last Friday (Jan. 12) at home. Freshman Reid Tigges collected a win in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 21.27 seconds and also finished third in the 100-yard freestyle (47.57). Senior Raf Hendriks swept the backstroke events (49.89 in the 100 and 1:48.35 in the 200) and freshman Jimmy Nord earned first place in both the 1- (288.65) and 3-meter (304.10) dives.

LAST SEASON: SJU won two events and totaled 11 top-three finishes in a 189-73 loss to Division II St. Cloud State last season (Oct. 28, 2022) in Collegeville. The dual meet consisted of swimming events only.

Larson won the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:47.07 and Kern followed in third (1:47.85). Larson also placed fourth in the 500-yard freestyle (4:57.75).

Slavik touched the wall first in the 500-yard freestyle (4:49.98) and claimed second in the 1,000-yard freestyle (9:54.91). Thayer and Scanlon were fourth (11:02.73) and fifth (11:36.62), respectively in the 1,000-yard freestyle. Phillion (Maple Grove, Minn.) claimed second in the 200-yard butterfly's six-man field with a time of 2:02.51.

Megaw (Monticello, Minn.) and Ren Kitko finished second (1:01.54) and third (1:03.23), respectively, in the 100-yard breaststroke. The duo also followed in the same sequence, but third (2:21.68) and fourth (2:25.88), in the 200-yard version.

Reuter placed third in the 50-yard freestyle (22.09) and junior Liam Noble (Plymouth, Minn./Benilde-St. Margaret's) was fifth (22.17). Noble also claimed fifth in the 100-yard butterfly (54.86).

Ethan Huber '23 and Heer finished fourth (2:07.85) and fifth (2:09.49), respectively, in the 200-yard backstroke. Huber also took fifth in the 200-yard individual medley (2:07.19).

A LOOK AT THE KNIGHTS: Carleton suffered a 127-171 loss to Gustavus Adolphus last Friday (Jan. 12) in Northfield.  Sophomore Hans Anderson swept the diving competitions, while junior Ethan Tun took home a pair of wins in both the 200 Breaststroke and 200 IM. Freshmen John Rosseel and Jackson Rankin had the other victories for the Knights. Rosseel was first to the wall in the 1,000-yard freestyle, while Rankin triumphed in the 200-yard butterfly. The Knights have recorded 43 top-10 times/scores in the MIAC this season. Rankin boasts the MIAC's top time in the 200-yard butterfly  and Anderson is second behind SJU's Grabinski in both the 1- and 3-meter dives. 

A YEAR AGO: The Johnnies won six events and post 22 top-three finishes in a 167.5-130.5 loss at Carleton last Jan. 21 (2023).

Larson led SJU with two wins – in the 50- (21.96) and 200-yard (1:47.38) freestyles – and a third-place finish in the 500-yard freestyle (5:03.04). 

On the boards, Jack Grabinski '23, Eli Grabinski and Connor Reed '23 swept both the 1- and 3-meter dives in order.

Kern took first in the 200-yard freestyle (1:47.38) and second in the 100-yard butterfly (55.11), while Reuter placed second (22.20) in the 50-yard freestyle (22.20) and in the 100-yard freestyle (49.47), 0.52 of a second behind Carleton's Josh Wu.

Megaw touched the wall second in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:02.01) and third in the 200-yard breaststroke (2:18.98).

Four other Johnnies placed third:

-Huber in the 400-yard individual medley (4:33.46);
-Philion in the 200-yard butterfly (2:03.57);
-Junior Zach Ruoff (Melrose, Minn./Melrose Area) in the 100-yard freestyle (49.90);
-Thayer (Prior Lake, Minn.) in the 1,650-yard freestyle (18:06.59)

The Johnnies' 200-yard freestyle relay (Reuter, Kern, Larson, Beau Brinkman) took first in 1:27.58 and the 200-yard medley relay (Joe Koller, Megaw, Kern, Reuter) was second (1:39.76).

IN THE MIAC: The Johnnies currently boast 47 top-10 times/scores in the MIAC this season, including 19 in the top three. 

50-Yard Freestyle
2. Carsten Reuter, 21.27
3. Carter Larson, 21.32
7. Brayden Slavik, 21.76
10. Colby Kern, 22.08

100-Yard Freestyle
1. Carter Larson, 45.96
4. Carsten Reuter, 47.43
5. Colby Kern, 47.56

200-Yard Freestyle
1. Carter Larson, 1:41.85
2. Colby Kern, 1:43.84
8. Carsten Reuter, 1:47.43

500-Yard Freestyle
1. Brayden Slavik, 4:36.77
3. Carter Larson 4:45.45
7. Connor Thayer, 4:57.75
10. Parker Scanlon, 5:00.64

1,000-Yard Freestyle
1. Brayden Slavik, 9:45.63
4. Carter Larson, 10:20.80
9. Connor Thayer, 10:39.74

1,650-Yard Freestyle
1. Brayden Slavik 15:59.16
6. Connor Thayer 17:24.00

50-Yard Backstroke
4. Brayden Slavik, 24.84
9. Simon Nyangamoi, 25.67
10. Alex Heer, 25.86

100-Yard Backstroke
3. Brayden Slavik, 52.76

200-Yard Backstroke
1. Brayden Slavik, 1:56.79
7. Alex Heer, 2:03.13
8. Simon Nyangamoi, 2:03.17
10. Andrew Roggeman, 2:03.80

50-Yard Breaststroke
2. Clay Megaw, 26.69

100-Yard Breaststroke
3. Clay Megaw, 57.73

200-Yard Breaststroke
4. Clay Megaw, 2:09.67

50-Yard Butterfly
5. Alex King, 24.57
10. Jake Tschida, 25.07

100-Yard Butterfly
5. Alex King, 52.21
9. Langston Philion, 53.35

200-Yard Butterfly
8. Langston Philion, 2:01.12
10. Connor Thayer, 2:01.87

200-Yard Individual Medley
1. Alex King, 1:55.40
5. Colby Kern, 1:59.71

400-Yard Individual Medley
1. Brayden Slavik, 4:11.10
3. Alex King, 4:13.38
10. Alex Heer, 4:26.03

1-Meter Dive
1. Eli Grabinski, 432.95
4. Cody Watts, 359.80
8. Tim Rotter, 208.55

3-Meter Dive
1. Eli Grabinski, 445.10
3. Cody Watts, 298.85
5. Tim Rotter, 271.10