Provisional cuts lead Mustangs in season-opener

SIOUX CITY, IOWA – Mustang swimmers hit the water on Saturday as part of Family Weekend, hosting a dual with Midland in their home pool. Members of the men's team kicked off the season with provisional cuts, landing the overall men's team score in second place in the team rankings with 94 points, just two points behind Midland.

In the 200-yard medley relay, the first event of the day, Jake Bolda, Caden Morton, Walker Goebel, and John Spicer finished in second place with a time of 1:41.56.

Jack La Rue had a great first place finish in the 50-yard freestyle, out-touching Midland's Radek Ruzicka with a time of 22.92. In the same event Cael Jensen, Jacob Haase and Lionel Hynes placed fourth, fifth, and seventh with times of 23.74, 24.32, and 28.67.

In the 200-yard individual medley, MK Mkhize had a strong second place finish with a time of 2:07.12. Morton touched the wall in third place with a time of 2:09.29, and Gabe Marthaler touched in sixth place with a time of 2:26.84.

Morningside was well-represented in the 100-yard freestyle event. Spicer had a speedy first place finish with a time of 48.07, good for an NAIA provisional cut. In the same event La Rue placed third at 50.18, and Jensen placed sixth at 56.06.

In the 500-yard freestyle Bolda and Midland's Mohamed Saleh raced side by side to the wall. Bolda had a first place finish with a time of 4:56.10. In the same event Alejandro Plaza placed fourth with a time of 5:20.84, Ethan Van Tassel placed sixth with a time of 6:02.82, and Mitchel Cross finished in seventh place with a time of 6:37.24.

Concluding the meet, the 200-yard freestyle relay of Spicer, Mkhize, La Rue, and Plaza had a strong last race and first place finish with a time of 1:31.04.

Morningside's swimmers will be back in their home pool at the Hindman-Hobbs Center on Saturday, Nov. 4 for the St. Ambrose dual.

Article by Josie Dike.