Bismarck, N.D. – Northern State swimming opened their 2019-20 season UMary Quad on Friday and Saturday competing against UMary, Augustana, and Sioux Falls. The Wolves recorded top finishes from five freshman Friday evening and added several more on day two.
 
THE QUICK DETAILS
Scores: NSU 128, UMary 292 / NSU 89, AU 319 / NSU 78, USF 329
Record: NSU 0-3 (0-3 NSIC)
 
HIGHLIGHTS
· Despite the three loss in the record book, Northern State saw some great performances from their freshman class in the first competition of their Northern State career.
· The Wolves recorded 35 top-10 finishes over the course of the three-season meet
·  Northern opened the meet with a sixth place finish in the 200 medley relay, from the team of Emma Murdock, Shayna Asuncion, Marialuisa Avila, and Josie Gillund with a time of 1:55.56
·  Delaney Ryken opened her NSU career taking seventh in the mile with a time of 19:03.17 and was followed by fellow freshman Hannah Kiernan in eighth, hitting the wall at 19:20.49
·  Jordan Metz rounded out the top-10 in the mile with a time of 20:14.21
·  Ryken went on to place eighth in the 1000 free with a time of 11:20.90, while Kiernan notched a tenth place finish in the 200 back with a time of 2:19.95
·  NSIC swimmer to watch, Lauren Forsyth finished sixth in the 400 IM with a time of 4:56.76, followed by Kiernan in seventh with a time of 5:00.88
·  Forsyth continued her solid weekend on day two, taking fifth in the 100 fly with a  time of 1:00.69, followed by Avila in seventh with a time of 1:01.32, and rounded out her weekend finishing tenth in the 200 IM with a time of 2:23.31 and seventh in the 50 fly with a time of 27.85
·  Avila and Lexie Malimanek rounded out the top-10 of the 200 fly with times of 2:24.92 and 2:29.74
·  Annalise Bishop finished sixth in the 100 breaststroke at 1:12.46, with Delanee Grier close behind in eighth with a time of 1:14.06
·  The Wolves 400 free relay placed fourth on day one in 3:47.79, composed of Emma Murdock, Delanee Grier, Connor Doran, and Josie Gillund
·  In addition the second 400 free relay team of Avila, Cassie Williams, Melani Mercer, and Kristen Collingswood finish in 3:52.39 in seventh overall
·  Northern's 400-medley relay team of Kiernan, Bishop, Forsyth, and Connor Doran placed fifth overall hitting the wall at 4:16.06
·  Grier opened her second team of competition in the 200 breaststroke with a time of 2:36.03 in eighth overall
·  Josie Gillund recorded her first individual top-10 finish of the meet in the 50 free, taking ninth with a time of 25.88
·  The 200 free relay team of Avila, Ryken, Forsyth, and Gillund landed in sixth with a time of 1:44.96, while the squad of Kenna Smith, Georgy Turner, Williams, and Mercer took eighth with a time of 1:47.78
·  Bishop and Asuncion tied for ninth in the 50 breaststroke, each hitting the wall at 33.86 in separate heats
·  Avila, Doran, and Gillund went 8-9-10 in the 100 free with times of 56.49, 56.68, and 56.94
·  Ryken closed out her individual swims taking ninth in the 500 free with a time of 5:30.63
 
BEYOND THE RESULTS
· Bishop's time in the 100 breast was a lifetime best for the freshman
· Mercer also recorded a lifetime best on the weekend in the 100 and 200 backstroke
 
UP NEXT
Northern State swimming returns to Aberdeen next weekend for their 2019-20 home opener versus Vikings from Augustana.  The dual meet is set to begin 5 p.m. on Friday October 11 at the Aberdeen YMCA. This will be the Wolves first Gypsy Days competition.