SIOUX FALLS— In their regular season finale, the University of Sioux Falls Swimming Team (5-2) will compete in the Coyote Invitational on Feb. 1-2 at the Midco Aquatic Center hosted by the University of South Dakota.
 
At last year's Coyote Invite, USF wrapped up the meet with 10 event victories which included three individual first-place finishes from Cassie Wright. USF took all four combined events at the meet, and Giulia Marcon swept the 100 and 200 meter free races. Evelyn VanDeMark and Alex Sanchez Clark both logged top-eight finishes in the 200 butterfly. VanDeMark placed seventh with a 2:19.06 time and Sanchez Clark finished eighth in 2:21.31.
 
Following the Coyote Invite, USF will prepare for the NSIC Championships which will be hosted by USF and held on Wednesday, Feb. 13-16 at the Midco Aquatic Center.
 
Season in review
USF, directed by first year head coach Chris Hamstra, has opened with five wins in seven dual meets this season. The Cougars began their 2018-19 campaign by dominating U-Mary, 164-112 at the Midco Aquatic Center in Sioux Falls. At that meet, USF won 13-of-16 events and set two school records. USF then traveled to the NSIC preseason favorite Minnesota State and fell, 161-136, but won the swimming portion of the meet. USF defeated MSU Moorhead, 179-111, and traveled to rival Augustana and rolled to a 163-98 decision in a dominating performance. USF also swam to an impressive third-place finish at Rochester Invite and dropped a home dual to NCAA DI Nebraska Omaha, 169.5-124.5, on Dec. 18. The Cougars traveled to Aberdeen on Jan. 11, and won 9-of-11 events as they cruised to a 126-76 victory at Northern State. Most recently, USF beat Iowa Lakes Community College, 108-55 on Jan. 19 behind an all-around impressive team victory at the Midco Aquatic Center.
 
Last time out - USF posted a dominating performance against ILCC
USF, highlighted by double individual event winners Ella Johnson, Cassie Wright, and Keelin O'Connor, won all 12 individual events as well as both relays during their final home meet of the season against Iowa Lakes Community College.
 
Wright, a sophomore All-American, finished with the top overall time in the 50-yard backstroke (26.07) where sophomore USF Tori Bailey was second in 29.87. Wright also took the top spot in the 100 back (55.92) where she edged freshman teammate Lizzy Spaans at 58.58. Wright swam the opening leg of the first place 200-yard freestyle relay with teammates Lauren Gallick, Nina Groene, and Leah Eagleton.
 
Johnson was first in the 100 butterfly in 57.64 while teammate Chantal Kasch finished second in 1:04.77. Johnson also claimed first in the 50 butterfly with a time of 26.31 where she just edged out teammate Keelin O'Connor who finished in 27.49.
 
O'Connor claimed a pair of individual victories in the 50 breaststroke (33.68), as well as the 100 IM (1:03.99). In the 50 breaststroke, O'Connor finished just ahead of teammate Sydnie Saddoris who recorded a time of 33.85, and Eagleton who came in third with a time of 33.96. O'Connor fended off teammate Johnson (1:04.84) in the 100 IM.
 
Wright continues her stand-out sophomore season
Already this season, sophomore All-American Wright has captured the school record in the 100 breaststroke (1:05.33), the 200 back (2:05.70) by more than nine seconds, and the 200 IM (2:08.45). Wright set the 200 IM school record against U-Mary after posting a time of 2:11.08, but quickly passed that time in the meet against MSU. At the Rochester Invite, Wright finished first in the 100 back with a B cut time of 54.77 in which she beat the second place finisher by over two seconds. She also captured the 200 back title with another B cut time of 2:02.30. Against NSU, Wright claimed two individual victories in the 50 free (24.52), and the 200 back 2:05.43) where she defeated the second place finisher by almost 17 seconds. In her last meet against ILCC, Wright swam a NCAA 'B' qualifying time of 23.80 in her 50 free portion of the first place finishing 200 free relay. Wright also took the top time in the finished with the top overall time in the 50-yard backstroke (26.07) where sophomore USF Tori Bailey was second in 29.87.
 
So far this season, Wright has amassed 17 individual victories in eight contests and ranks first in NSIC in the 100 breaststroke, first in the 200 individual medley and second in the 200 backstroke.
 
After her most recent showcase against ILCC where she won two individual events (50 and 100 back) and posted a NCAA 'B' cut time in her 50 free portion of the first place 200 free relay, Wright received the NSIC Swimmer of the week honor for the fourth time in her career, and the third time this season. As a program, USF program has five total NSIC Swimmer of the Week honors (Ingelin Lima, Nov. 21, 2017; Wright, Feb. 6, 2018; Wright, Oct. 26 2018; Wright, Jan. 23, 2019) in three years in the league.
 
USF youth stands out
Freshman Ella Johnson, who has accumulated 12 individual victories this season, opened the season by capturing the 100 butterfly (58.51), and the 200 butterfly (2:08.68) against MSUM. Johnson also played a crucial role in both relays as she swam the first leg of the 400 free relay. She picked up two individual wins against MSU with a 2:08.32 clocking in the 200 butterfly for a pool record. She also won the 100 butterfly in 58.26. Johnson had a pair of wins against U-Mary in the 200 butterfly (2:08.62) and the 100 butterfly (58.95), as well as two wins against Augustana in the 200 butterfly (2:08.14) and the 100 butterfly (58.14). At the Rochester Invite, Johnson posted a new school record in the 200 fly with a time of 2:06.04 as she finished with the top overall time in that event. Against NSU, Johnson was victorious in the 100 butterfly in 57.92 and the 200 butterfly in 2:07.43. Most recently, Johnson was first in the 100 butterfly in 57.64 where she beat the second place finisher (Kasch, 1:04.77) by over seven seconds.
 
Sophomore Chantal Kasch, who has recorded seven individual titles this year, opened the year with a strong effort against U-Mary. She won the 200 breaststroke (2:24.06), which lowered her own school record. Kasch has also posted second place finishes in the 100 breaststroke (1:06.55) against U-Mary, and won both the 100 breaststroke in 1:07.47 and the 200 breaststroke in 2:27.72 against MSU. Kasch was a three-event winner against MSUM as she also captured two individual events of her own in the 100 breaststroke (1:07.77) and 200 breaststroke (2:25.85). Against Augustana, Kasch finished with the top time in the 200 breaststroke (2:26.56) as she defeated the second place finisher by over four seconds and grabbed second in the 100 breaststroke (1:08.57).
 
At the Rochester invite, Kasch set a school record in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:05.37 for a fifth place finish. The next day, Kasch set another school record in the 200 breaststroke with a time of 2:23.44, which was good for a fifth place finish in that event. Against NSU, Kasch recorded an individual first place finish in the 200 breaststroke with a time of 2:26.63 where she defeated the second place finisher, NSU swimmer Shayna Asuncion (2:41.08), by almost 14 seconds. 
 
Sophomore Giulia Marcon, who has recorded eight individual wins this year, has had an outstanding start to the season. Marcon just took the top individual place in the 100 free with a time of 54.47 where she edged out Eagleton who finished with a second place time of 55.03. Among her eight wins were the individual titles in the 200 free (1:57.84) and the 500 free (5:20.89) against MSUM.