Saint John's visits Carleton for a 1:30 p.m. dual meet this Saturday, Jan. 25, in Northfield. – Live Video

A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: Saint John's dropped a dual to Division II St. Cloud State, 180.5-115.5, last Saturday (Jan. 18) in the Warner Palaestra Pool. SJU won six events and totaled 18 top-three performances.

The reigning MIAC Men's Swimming and Diving Athletes of the Week at the time – junior Brayden Slavik (Green Isle, Minn./Chaska) and senior Eli Grabinski (Sauk Rapids, Minn./Sauk Rapids-Rice), respectively – continued  their prowess with a combined five wins on the day. Slavik claimed first place in three individual events by a combined 1:00.88: the 200-yard individual medley (1:58.36, by 0:02.78); 500-yard freestyle (4:44.39, by 0:09.84); and 1,000-yard freestyle (9:48.01, by 0:48.26).

Grabinski, meanwhile, swept both boards by taking first in the 1- (284.75) and 3-meter (297.00) dives. Sophomore Cody Watts (St. Cloud, Minn./Tech) was third in the 1-meter event (279.35).

Junior Clay Megaw (Monticello, Minn.) was responsible for the Johnnies' sixth win in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:00.36). He also took second in the 200-yard version (2:15.79).

Senior Carter Larson (Sartell, Minn./Sartell-St. Stephen) claimed second in the 100-yard freestyle (47.80), while he and classmate Colby Kern (Delano, Minn.) second (1:45.62) and third (1:46.77), respectively, in the 200-yard freestyle.

Junior Carsten Reuter (St. Cloud, Minn./Tech) touched the wall second in the 50-yard freestyle (22.12) and seniors Langston Philion (Maple Grove, Minn.) and Jake Tschida (Mendota Heights, Minn./Henry Sibley) took second (2:03.56) and third (2:22.22) in the 200-yard butterfly.

Senior Connor Thayer (Prior Lake, Minn.) and freshman Riley Yerks (Hutchinson, Minn.) placed third in the 1,000-yard freestyle (10:46.93) and 200-yard backstroke (2:07.73), respectively.

The Johnnies' 200-yard freestyle (Liam Noble, Larson, Reuter, Kern) finished second (1:26.06) and the 200-yard medley (Liam Noble, Megaw, Kern, Larson) was third (1:37.86).

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK…AGAIN: Slavik was named the MIAC Men's Swimming Athlete of the Week for the second-straight week on Tuesday (Jan. 21). The weekly honor was Slavik's third of the season and sixth of his career.

He currently holds the MIAC's top time in the 500- (4:34.69), 1,000- (9:37.89) and 1,650-yard (15:54.60) freestyles, as well as the 100-yard backstroke (51.88) and 400-yard individual medley (4:05.58); is second in the 50- (24.44) and 200-yard (1:54.76) backstrokes; fourth in the 200-yard individual medley (1:58.36); and fifth in the 200-yard freestyle (1:45.26).

LAST YEAR'S DUAL: SJU won 11 of the 16 events in a 156-144 victory over Carleton last Jan. 20 (2024) in Collegeville. The Johnnies totaled 21 top-three finishes/times.

Slavik led SJU with three wins: the 500- (4:52.38) and 1,650-yard (17:10.39) freestyles, and the 400-yard individual medley (4:21.56).

Larson followed with two wins of his own in the 100- (47.47) and 200-yard (1:44.62) freestyles and Reuter touched the wall first in the 50-yard freestyle (21.99).

Grabinski swept the diving events, posting a 287.85 in the 1-meter and a 287.25 on the 3-meter board, and Watts claimed third in both (220.15 in the 1-meter, 220.50 in the 3-meter).

Megaw won the 100-yard breaststroke (1:00.13) and took second in the 200-yard version (2:15.31). Kern claimed second in both the 100-yard butterfly (54.18) and 200-yard freestyle (1:46.35), while classmate Liam Noble (Plymouth, Minn./Benilde-St. Margaret's) was second in the 50-yard freestyle (22.42) and third in the 100-yard freestyle (49.88).

Three Johnnies placed third individually: Alex Heer '24, third in the 200-yard backstroke (2:04.84); Philion, third in the 200-yard butterfly (2:03.32); and Thayer, third in the 1,650-yard freestyle (17:53.09).

Both the Johnnies' 200-yard (1:26.33; Reuter, Kern, Noble, Larson) and 200-yard medley (1:37.26; Noble, Megaw, Kern, Larson) relays took first.

IN THE MIAC: The Johnnies currently boast 41 top-10 times in the MIAC so far this season, including 22 in the top five.

50-Yard Freestyle
3. Liam Noble, 21.30
4. Carsten Reuter, 21.31
7. Colby Kern, 21.59
8. Carter Larson, 21.65
9. Brayden Slavik, 21.80

100-Yard Freestyle
1. Carter Larson, 46.32
3. Liam Noble, 46.87
5. Colby Kern, 47.36
7. Brayden Slavik, 47.48
8. Carsten Reuter, 47.50

200-Yard Freestyle
1. Carter Larson, 1:42.58
4. Colby Kern, 1:44.09
5. Brayden Slavik, 1:45.26
8. Carsten Reuter, 1:46.53

500-Yard Freestyle
1. Brayden Slavik, 4:34.69
2. Carter Larson, 4:42.14
9. Connor Thayer, 4:58.76

1,000-Yard Freestyle
1. Brayden Slavik, 9:37.89
2. Carter Larson, 10:13.50

1,650-Yard Freestyle
1. Brayden Slavik, 15:54.60
8. Connor Thayer, 17:43.68

50-Yard Backstroke
1. Liam Noble, 24.31
2. Brayden Slavik, 24.44

100-Yard Backstroke
1. Brayden Slavik, 51.88
5. Liam Noble, 52.89

200-Yard Backstroke
2. Brayden Slavik, 1:54.76

50-Yard Breaststroke
6. Clay Megaw, 27.99

100-Yard Breaststroke
8. Clay Megaw, 1:00:21

200-Yard Breaststroke
9. Clay Megaw, 2:15.79

50-Yard Butterfly
2. Liam Noble, 23.93
8. Langston Philion, 24.63
9. Colby Kern, 24.74

100-Yard Butterfly
4. Liam Noble, 51.81
7. Langston Philion, 52.79
8. Colby Kern, 53.36

200-Yard Butterfly
7. Langston Philion, 2:01.64

100-Yard Individual Medley
9. Langston Philion, 58.79
10. Clay Megaw, 58.98

200-Yard Individual Medley
4. Brayden Slavik, 1:58.36

400-Yard Individual Medley
1. Brayden Slavik, 4:05:58
9. Langston Philion, 4:27.40