Sioux Falls, SD – The Lakers made the journey over to the Midco Aquatic center to compete in the Augustana Invite for their Mid-Season meet over the November 17-19^th weekend. The Lakers started the meet with a bang, breaking 2 school records on day 1 while competing against nearly 600 other athletes.

Every November college teams around the Nation start preparing for their Mid-Season Meet, these meets are usually very similar to their conference or national tournament, typically hosting a full format, prelim/final, championship-style meet. The Lakers compete in the Augustana Invite in Sioux Falls. This year the meet hosted 14 different schools, from the University of South Dakota to South Dakota State University, to SMSU, a strong mix of Division 1, 2, 3 and NJCAA programs. Though there was a lot of competition, and harsh pool conditions, the Lakers banded together as a strong team and swam an extremely high percentage of personal best times, and even some of the fastest swims in school history.

Women's Highlights:

• The Laker Women were led by Allison Graff who competed in 4 events, earning a personal best time in 2 events and a season-best time in another. Graff earned a personal best time in the 200 IM (2:30.94), and the 100 back (1:07.53), and a season-best in the 200 free (2:16.39). Graff also competed in the 200 backstroke where she earned, her highest finish of the meet, 51^st, in a time of (2:34.41).
• Rylee Valentine led the Laker women in personal best times by racing her way to 4/4 personal best times. Valentine raced in the 50 free (29.75), the 100 free (1:07.74), the 200 free (2:32.93), and the 100 back (1:16.63).

Men's Highlights:

• The Laker men launched the Mid-Season Championship meet by breaking our third longest-lasting school record, the 200 Medley Relay, Eduardo Martiniano, Andres Santana, Marcelo Rojas, Troy Maivusoaoroko, combined for a time of 1:35.73, breaking the record by 0.25 seconds
• The 500 freestyle saw three Lakers in the C finals session, Rhys Cheer swam a personal best time of (5:07.83) to earn the 22^nd overall spot. Chasing his teammate down in en route to dropping a whopping 35.79 seconds in the event, Erik Graff nearly out-touched his teammate in a time of (5:07.87) placing 23^rd overall. Andres Santana joined them in the C final placing 26^th with a time of 5:32.82)
• Eduardo Martiniano highlighted the 50 free by breaking his own school record (set at the 2022 NJCAA National Championships) by 0.43, lowering the record to 20.34 and placing 7^th overall. Troy Maivusoaroko and Patrick Voller raced their way into the packed C final, placing 22^nd (21.26) and 28^th (22.01).
• Marcelo Rojas earned the highest overall finish for the Lakers in the 200 IM where he placed 5^th in a time of 1:53.59 in the A finals, making him the 2^nd fastest all-time performer in the event for the Lakers Swim Program. The Lakers had a packed C final where Eduardo Sarmiento led the group placing 22^nd in (2:03.85), followed by Erik Graff 23^rd (2:06.50) and Andres Santana 24^th (2:08.37).
• In the 400 IM, Marcelo Rojas showed the other programs his strength by earning a spot in the A finals and placing 6^th overfall in a time of (4:10.42), making him the 3^rd fastest in school history to swim the event. Rhys Cheer represented the Lakers in the B final of the event, earning a 20^th overall finish in a time of (4:36.65).
• The Laker breaststroke group packed the finals with three making the B final and one making the C final. Erik Graff led the group by dropping -1.66 seconds in the sprint, putting up the third-fastest time in school history and placing 12^th overall in a time of (57.95). Graff was closely followed by teammate Andres Santana who placed 17^th in a time of (58.66), the fifth fastest time in the event. Marcelo Rojas rounded out the B final finishing 19^th (59.61). Eduardo Sarmiento represented the Lakers in the C final placing 23^rd overall in a time of (1:00.78).
• The Laker backstroke group had a good showing in the 100 backstroke where Troy Maivusoaroko led the way in the B finals, placing 18^th overall in a time of (54.30), followed by Patrick Voller in the C finals placing 21^st in a time of (55.65), and teammates Phillip Kinono 23^rd (1:06.99) and Braeden Noel 24^th (1:09.73).
• Eduardo Martiniano blazed the path and rounded out the meet in the 100 free, placing 10^th in a time of 46.38, while teammate Patrick Voller was 14^th in a time of 47.64.

Up Next:

The Lakers will travel to Florida for their training trip, and when they return from break the Lakers will compete in the Norse Sprint Invite, hosted by Luther College on January 14^th.