MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Senior Paige Steenblock and sophomore Olivia Small claimed individual event titles as the St. Olaf College men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams maintained their spots in the standings on day three of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Swimming & Diving Championships on Friday at Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center.
Steenblock won her third consecutive MIAC title in the 400-yard individual medley and Small was the conference champion in the 100-yard backstroke as the Ole women remained in second place with 414.50 points, 105.5 adrift of Gustavus Adolphus College. Seniors Aiden Yung and William Wallace turned in All-MIAC performances for the men, who stayed in fifth place with 282 points, 51.5 back of fourth-place Macalester College.
Steenblock three-peated as the conference champion in the 400-yard individual medley, out-touching Annika Beck of Gustavus Adolphus College by .32 seconds in 4:35.14 to claim the fourth individual MIAC title of her career. The All-MIAC accolade was the fourth in a row for Steenblock, who was the runner-up as a first year in 2023.
Small, who was the 200-yard backstroke champion one year ago, won the 100-yard backstroke by four one-hundredths of a second over Katelyn Sears of Gustavus with a time of 56.59 seconds to become St. Olaf’s first conference champion in the event since Kelly Punyko in 2019. Small also secured Honorable Mention All-MIAC honors in the 100-yard butterfly with a sixth-place finish (58.91).
Junior Alana Schmitzer and sophomore McKenna Hultgren added all-conference swims with third-place performances in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:06.63) and 100-yard butterfly (58.33), respectively. Schmitzer tied for third in the 100-yard breaststroke for her second All-MIAC accolade in the event, while Hultgren moved up to seventh on St. Olaf’s all-time list in the 100 fly with her time.
An Honorable Mention All-MIAC performer in the event in each of the last two seasons, Yung collected all-conference honors with a third-place swim in the 400-yard individual medley (4:11.20) while improving his time from the prelims by over three seconds in the finals. Wallace posted a third-place finish in the 100-yard butterfly (50.37) to rise to sixth on St. Olaf’s all-time list in the event.
Senior Nick Starcevich picked up honorable-mention honors in the 100-yard breaststroke by placing fifth (58.02) for his second top-six conference finish in the event in his career. Starcevich’s time also slotted the senior into ninth in program history in the event.
The MIAC Swimming & Diving Championships will conclude on Saturday, Feb. 14 with a prelims session at 10:30 a.m. and a finals session at 6:30 p.m.
St. Olaf College, home to the Oles, is a small private liberal arts college located in beautiful Northfield, Minnesota. The St. Olaf Swim and Dive team, led by Head Coach Bob Hauck, competes DIII in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC). When it comes to recruiting, Hauck prioritizes attitude, work ethic, and accountability, seeking athletes who are goal-oriented and team-focused. “Our program’s culture is centered on family,” Hauck says. “It’s a welcoming, supportive environment that’s both encouraging and challenging.” This close-knit team culture, along with a rich history and supportive coaching staff, has helped to create a unique space where athletes not only compete at high levels but also form lifelong bonds. Hauck invites student-athletes who are excited for a rewarding college experience—where academics, swimming, and diving work in harmony. He looks for well-rounded individuals who are ready to contribute to St. Olaf’s long-standing tradition of excellence. “If you’re looking for a program with history, support, and the chance to develop into the best version of yourself, St. Olaf is the place to be,” he says.