Mid Season Taper Meet: The Rochester Invite

A unique aspect to college swimming is the mid season taper meet. Most college programs start in September or even earlier in some cases, which makes early December prime time for such a meet.

There are a few big meets this weekend where Minnesota colleges will be participating. Today, we take a closer look at the Rochester Invite.

Host School: St. Cloud State University
Location: Rochester-Olmstead County Recreation Center Natatorium
Dates: Thursday, Nov. 30th – Saturday, Dec. 2nd , 2023
Meet Format: Prelims/Finals for Friday, Saturday and Sunday individual events. Top 24 make finals
Teams Participating: University of WI-Eau Claire, St. Johns University, MN State Moorhead,
University of WI-LaCrosse, St. Ben’s, University of Green Bay, St. Cloud
State University, Iowa Central and Carleton College.
Livestream Link: https://www.youtube.com/RochesterSwimmingInc

For some history, St. Cloud State University started hosting the meet 11 years ago, when the University of Minnesota stopped running the MN Challenge as a midseason meet. It is a great opportunity for teams from all levels to compete against each other, we usually have several Division 1, Division 2, Division 3, and junior college teams participate.

We reached out to St. Cloud State University head coach Jeff Hegle about what he sees as the value of a mid season taper meet. “We put a lot of emphasis on our midseason meet because we feel there are several benefits. ” said coach Hegle. “One it gives our student athletes a little physical and mental break at the midpoint of the season. Two it allows us to taper them once before championships to see what works best for each individual. Three is it allows us to try for B cuts and for the student athletes to put themselves in a good position nationally. Four, who doesn’t like to put on a fast suit and feel good in the water. Five, it also allows our divers to dive in a championship format.”

Coach Hegle has bee n running a successful program for a long time and you can see the thought he puts into his season planning. As a swim fan, I always enjoy following this meet each year. With so many regional schools participating, you’re bound to see a lot of names you recognize from Minnesota and get introduced to some new ones as well. Take a break from holiday shopping and check out these amazing athletes and programs!!