Junior Kate Minette (photo by Frank Novak)

Posted: Feb 22, 2024

Minette, relay teams lead Storm on first day of A-R-C Championships

DECORAH, Iowa - The Simpson College women's swimming and diving team got off to a successful start on the first day of the American Rivers Conference Championships.

Kate Minette led the Storm with an all-conference performance in the 50 yard freestyle, while the 200 yard freestyle relay team broke the previous school record.

"I was really proud of the whole group tonight," said Storm head coach Adam Cvetich. "They have put in all the physical work, we have been tweaking the little technical things, and they really pulled it all together and had great swims all around. The relay team had four great swims and an extremely complete relay, with Breana Hinson going in 25 seconds for the first time in the relay."

HIGHLIGHTS

Minette qualified for the A Final in the 50 yard freestyle in a time of 24.93.
She then earned the fourth all-conference honor by taking the bronze in the final with a time of 24.61, less than a tenth of a second off her own school record.
She was joined by Katie Oosterhuis, Keelin Curley, and Breana Hinson in the 200 yard freestyle relay, as the team broke the previous school record by over a second with a time of 1:41.18.
Minette swam a 24.34 anchor leg, the third-fastest of all competitors.
Maude Steinbeck set a new career-best in the 500 yard freestyle with a time of 5:46.50, while Katelyn Smith accomplished the same in the 200 yard individual medley in a time of 2:36.50.
On the men's side, Jay Ceperley set a career-best in the 50 yard freestyle prelims in a time of 22.84, qualifying for the final.
Christopher Olds also qualified for the final in the 500 yard freestyle, swimming a career-best 5:12.40 in the final.

WOMEN'S RESULTS

50 Yard Freestyle - 3. Kate Minette, 24.61 | 8. Keelin Curley, 25.66 | 10. Katie Oosterhuis, 25.95 (SB) | 14. Breana Hinson, 26.40 (PB) | 27. Layne Flynn, 38.92
500 Yard Freestyle - 10. Maude Steinbeck, 5:46.50 (PB)
200 Yard IM - 15. Katelyn Smith, 2:36.40 (PB)
200 Yard Freestyle Relay - 4. Oosterhuis, Curley, Hinson, Minette, 1:41.18 (SR)
400 Yard Medley Relay - 5. Curley, Oosterhuis, Smith, Steinbeck, 4:31.22 (SB)