Dragons Win Third Straight Twin, Topple Cougars

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — For the second straight season, Minnesota State Moorhead swimming & diving bested the Sioux Falls Cougars in twin motion. The Dragons defeated the Coo for his or her third win of the 2025-26 season, 153-105. 

The 200-yard medley relay would open competitors on Friday night with the Dragon quartet of Kelsey Jackson, Rose Urick, Ruth Pavelski and Sophia Verke profitable the race with a time of 1:50.12. MSUM’s workforce of Lacie Stark, Cami Mayo, Fernanda Leon and Tresa Baumgard would place third with a time of 1:55.64. The Dragons would make it a clear sweep of relays, profitable the 400-yard freestyle relay with the workforce of Maggie Moore, Pavelski, Joanna Phillips and Verke. The workforce marked a 3:41.14 to earn the victory. 

In distance swimming, Turin Johnson would earn third-place marks within the 1,000-yard freestyle with a time of 12:03.61 whereas Claire Schlaefer would place fourth in the identical race (12:10.05). Anika Grunenwald could be the highest Dragon within the 500-yard freestyle, putting third with a time of 5:33.75 whereas Johnson positioned fourth behind a time of 5:50.74. 

Fernanda Leon owned the pool all night, profitable three occasions for the Dragons. Leon’s first victory got here within the 200-yard butterfly, clocking a 2:08.03 ending time. Cami Mayo would seize a workforce level for MSUM in the identical occasion, marking a 2:27.02. Leon would additionally win the 100-yard butterfly with a blazing time of 59.43. For the second straight week, Pavelski completed proper behind Leon with a time of 59.60. Mayo would place fourth within the race behind a 1:03.64 time. Finally, Leon gained the 200-yard IM with one other spectacular time of two:11.24. Kelsey Jackson would place fourth in the identical race behind a time of two:22.44. 

The dash freestyle occasions noticed Moorhead choose up essential workforce factors from high to backside. Maggie Moore would win the 50-yard freestyle for the Dragons with a time of 24.59. Pavelski (25.48) and Verke (25.77) would place third and fourth in the identical race. Moore would even have a pair of runner-up finishes within the 200-yard and 100-yard freestyles. The junior paced a 1:56.54 for the location within the 200-yard with the time simply over a second off her private greatest. Moore marked a 53.59 within the 100-yard installment, simply .06 off her private document. Grunenwald would place fourth within the 200-yard freestyle (2:03.24) whereas Verke (55.43) positioned third within the 100-yard. Phillips earned workforce factors for the Dragons within the 100-yard freestyle as effectively, clocking a 57.70. 

Jackson would earn a pair of backstroke wins for the Dragons, profitable the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 59.81. In the 200-yard backstroke, Jackson marked a 2:10.56 for the occasion win. Lacie Stark (1:04.05) and Adrianna Sullivan (1:05.34) would accumulate workforce factors for MSUM within the 100-yard whereas Sullivan (2:23.50) additionally earned factors within the 200-yard. Rose Urick would declare victory within the 200-yard breaststroke with a robust displaying of two:29.49 whereas Sarah Coe (2:54.55) and Haley Stainbrook (3:05.47) would stamp workforce factors. Urick would place runner-up within the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:08.99 with Coe (1:17.51) and Stainbrook (1:21.87) additionally grabbing useful workforce factors. 

In diving motion, Zoe Bjerke would proceed her spectacular begin to the season with two extra victories. Bjerke gained the 1-meter competitors with an total rating of 221.40 whereas teammate Isabelle Johnson completed runner-up with a rating of 209.20. Bjerke would additionally win the 3-meter dive with a six-dive mark of 254.40, enhancing on the third-best rating in program historical past. Kennedy Olson would earn runner-up marks on the excessive dive with a rating of 207.05. 

Up Next

The Dragons will look to stay excellent as they give the impression of being in the direction of a triangular with Southwest Minnesota State and Jamestown on Tuesday, November 11. Action from Marshall, Minn., is ready for 12 p.m.