COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Morris men’s swim and dive team opened the 2025-26 season by finishing second at the St. John’s University Fall Invite on Saturday in Collegeville, Minn.
St. John’s claimed the team title with 822 points, followed by the Cougars in second with 602 points. Hamline University placed third with 393 points.
In his collegiate debut, Riley McKenzie opened the meet with a fifth-place finish in the one-meter dive. The Cougars then earned a second-place finish in the 200-yard medley relay with the team of John Gulon, Jakob Linscheid, Ethan Bad Heart Bull, and Max Lundgren.
Ben Caron, also making his debut for the Cougars, secured third place in the 200-yard freestyle. He was followed by teammates Bad Heart Bull and Riley McRoberts, who finished fourth and fifth, respectively. Gulon added a second-place finish in the 100-yard backstroke, with Austin Dunn close behind in third.
In the 100-yard breaststroke, Sam Oster finished third, and Dillion Thorstad followed in fourth by less than a second. Gulon and Thorstad both placed in the top three in the 50-yard freestyle. Caron recorded another podium finish with a third-place result in the 100-yard freestyle, while Dunn posted his best finish of the day with a second-place showing in the 200-yard backstroke.
The Cougars’ lone individual event win came from Gulon, who dominated the 500-yard freestyle, finishing six seconds ahead of the runner-up. Oster continued his strong debut with another third-place finish in the 100-yard butterfly.
Minnesota Morris closed the meet with a first-place finish in the 200-yard freestyle relay. The team of Thorstad, Dunn, Oster, and Caron sealed the Cougars’ second-place team result with a strong performance.
The Cougars return to action on Thursday, Oct. 24, when they travel to Nebraska Wesleyan University for a 6 p.m. meet.
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