Upcoming Event: Men's Swimming and Diving versus Yellow and Blue Intrasquad on September 26, 2025 at 3 p.m.
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3 p.m.
Men's Swimming and Diving
vs Yellow and Blue Intrasquad
South Dakota State University Athletics
Photo by: SDSU Athletics
SMITH WINS 200 IM AT ST. THOMAS OPENER
11/21/2024 9:41:00 PM | Men's Swimming and Diving
ST. PAUL, Minn. — South Dakota State's Austin Smith and Cody Vertin claimed the top two spots in the 200-yard individual medley and Sam Johnson set a school record in the 500 freestyle to highlight the opening day of competition for the Jackrabbit men's swimming and diving squad Thursday at the Tommie Invitational.
A senior from The Woodlands, Texas, Smith clocked a winning time of 1 minute, 48.88 seconds in the 200 IM during Thursday night's finals session at the Anderson Athletics and Recreation Center Pool, putting him less than a second off his school-record time of 1:48.06 set in 2023.
Vertin, meanwhile, posted the top time in the event in the morning prelims at 1:50.21, then came back with a personal-best time of 1:49.59 during the evening session for his runner-up finish.
Johnson led a contingent of four Jackrabbits in the top seven of the 500 freestyle with a runner-up finish in his record-setting performance. A senior from Sioux Falls, Johnson turned in a time of 4:29.95 to finish a half-second behind champion Alex Parkinson of South Dakota.
The other top finishers for SDSU in the 500 freestyle were Denilson Cyprianos, fourth, 4:31.50; Jack Ellison, fifth, 4:32.33, and Kolden Kringen, seventh, 4:35.96. Ellison previously held the record with a mark of 4:30.74 set last season.
The trio of Smith, Vertin and Johnson made up three-fourths of the Jackrabbits' 400 medley relay team, which closed the evening session with a runner-up finish. Teaming with Aiden Carstensen, the SDSU quartet combined for a time of 3:18.95.
Also posting a top-eight finish in an individual event Thursday was senior Charles Sieglaff, who placed seventh in the 50 freestyle with a time of 20.98 seconds. Sieglaff swam the lead leg of the Jackrabbits' third-place 200 freestyle relay, teaming with Carstensen, Liam Murray and Bryan Wong for a time of 1:22.84 to open the finals session.
The Jackrabbits also featured a pair of finalists in 3-meter diving with freshman Seth Berens placing third with a season-best score of 235.35 points for six dives. Oscar Francis took seventh with 211.60 points.
SDSU stands in second place in the four-team race after Day 1. South Dakota leads with 544 points, followed by the Jackrabbits with 374. Host St. Thomas is third with 302 points, with Green Bay in fourth with 247 points.
Competition resumes Friday with preliminaries at 10 a.m. and event finals at 5:30 p.m.
THURSDAY EVENT WINNERS
3-Meter Diving: Austin Kantor, St. Thomas, 264.50
200 Freestyle Relay: South Dakota (Rounds, Carlson, Schreiber, Mayer), 1:21.67
500 Freestyle: Alex Parkinson, South Dakota, 4:29.45
200 Individual Medley: Austin Smith, SDSU, 1:48.88
50 Freestyle: Nick Rounds, South Dakota, :20.27
400 Medley Relay: South Dakota (Fisher, Berdahl, Carlson, Rounds), 3:14.04
TEAM SCORES
A senior from The Woodlands, Texas, Smith clocked a winning time of 1 minute, 48.88 seconds in the 200 IM during Thursday night's finals session at the Anderson Athletics and Recreation Center Pool, putting him less than a second off his school-record time of 1:48.06 set in 2023.
Vertin, meanwhile, posted the top time in the event in the morning prelims at 1:50.21, then came back with a personal-best time of 1:49.59 during the evening session for his runner-up finish.
Johnson led a contingent of four Jackrabbits in the top seven of the 500 freestyle with a runner-up finish in his record-setting performance. A senior from Sioux Falls, Johnson turned in a time of 4:29.95 to finish a half-second behind champion Alex Parkinson of South Dakota.
The other top finishers for SDSU in the 500 freestyle were Denilson Cyprianos, fourth, 4:31.50; Jack Ellison, fifth, 4:32.33, and Kolden Kringen, seventh, 4:35.96. Ellison previously held the record with a mark of 4:30.74 set last season.
The trio of Smith, Vertin and Johnson made up three-fourths of the Jackrabbits' 400 medley relay team, which closed the evening session with a runner-up finish. Teaming with Aiden Carstensen, the SDSU quartet combined for a time of 3:18.95.
Also posting a top-eight finish in an individual event Thursday was senior Charles Sieglaff, who placed seventh in the 50 freestyle with a time of 20.98 seconds. Sieglaff swam the lead leg of the Jackrabbits' third-place 200 freestyle relay, teaming with Carstensen, Liam Murray and Bryan Wong for a time of 1:22.84 to open the finals session.
The Jackrabbits also featured a pair of finalists in 3-meter diving with freshman Seth Berens placing third with a season-best score of 235.35 points for six dives. Oscar Francis took seventh with 211.60 points.
SDSU stands in second place in the four-team race after Day 1. South Dakota leads with 544 points, followed by the Jackrabbits with 374. Host St. Thomas is third with 302 points, with Green Bay in fourth with 247 points.
Competition resumes Friday with preliminaries at 10 a.m. and event finals at 5:30 p.m.
THURSDAY EVENT WINNERS
3-Meter Diving: Austin Kantor, St. Thomas, 264.50
200 Freestyle Relay: South Dakota (Rounds, Carlson, Schreiber, Mayer), 1:21.67
500 Freestyle: Alex Parkinson, South Dakota, 4:29.45
200 Individual Medley: Austin Smith, SDSU, 1:48.88
50 Freestyle: Nick Rounds, South Dakota, :20.27
400 Medley Relay: South Dakota (Fisher, Berdahl, Carlson, Rounds), 3:14.04
TEAM SCORES
- South Dakota – 544
- South Dakota State – 374
- St. Thomas – 302
- Green Bay – 247
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Players Mentioned
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