On the second day of competition at the USA Swimming Minnesota Grand Prix, the University of Minnesota women’s swimming and diving team once again won a relay event. This time Minnesota took the 400 medley relay, while the Golden Gophers won the 800 free relay yesterday.
    The Minnesota A squad took first place with a time of 3:43.30 in the 400 medley relay, while the Minnesota B squad finished in third place in 3:47.70. The A squad was comprised of Hannah Whitehead, Jillian Tyler, Kaylee Jamison and Marissa Davies, while the B squad had Castina Wabeke, Haley Spencer, Megan Braun and Alison Eggers.
In the 400 individual medley, Minnesota had three Gophers finish in the top eight. Leading the group in the event was sophomore Kristen Steenvoorden, who earned a fourth-place finish with a time of 4:21.33. Also earning top eight finishes for Minnesota was freshman Paige Bradley in sixth place (4:26.11) and freshman Katie Johnson in eighth place (4:29.54). Recently signed recruit Hailey Szews finished in fifth with a time of 4:24.86.
    Winning the consolation final and finishing ninth overall for the 400 IM was Ashley Steenvoorden in a time of 4:24.09. Freshman Elizabeth Weitz finished in 15th place (4:30.49) and freshman Eleanor Prewitt-Thomas finished in 16th place (4:36.33). Winning the event was Olympic gold medalist Rebecca Soni with a time of 4:14.41.
    Soni also won the 200 breaststroke in 2:07.68. Coming behind her was junior Jillian Tyler in a time of 2:12.91, which earned the Gopher swimmer a third-place finish. Freshman Haley Spencer finished right behind Tyler in fourth place (2:15.57), while Paige Bradley earned seventh place (2:20.53). Also finishing in the top 15 was Corina Hopkins-Vacca in 10th (2:21.51), Emma Jackson in12th (2:22.19) and Katie Johnson in 13th (2:22.35).
    Minnesota also had three swimmers finish in the top eight in the 50 free with junior Alison Eggers leading the group with a fourth-place finish in 23.69. The other Gophers finishing in the top eight were Kaylee Jamison in fifth (23.76) and Abigail Staats in eighth (24.22). Meagan Radecke finished in 11th-place (23.95 11), while Marissa Davies finished in 12th (23.99) and Megan Braun in 15th (24.39). U.S. Open champion Erika Erndl finished in third place with a time of 23.60.
    In the 100 backstroke, Castina Wabeke led Minnesota with a ninth-place finish and a victory in the consolation final with a time of 57.04. Gopher captain Andrea Hanson finished in 14th (58.48) and sophomore Cory Miller finished in 15th (58.79).
    Olympians Kate Ziegler and Chloe Sutton once again shined at the Minnesota Grand Prix with a 1-2 finish in the 200 freestyle. Ziegler took first in 4:41.52 and Sutton took second in 4:41.61. Ashley Steenvoorden led Minnesota in the 200 free with a fourth-place finish in 4:47.08. Hannah Whitehead finished in fifth (4:53.79 5), while Lauren Weis finished in seventh (4:56.68).
Incoming recruit Hailey Szews swam a time of 5:00.34 and took eighth in the 200 free. Other Gopher swimmers finishing in the top 15 for the 200 free were Loren Brandon in ninth (4:53.18), Marissa Davies in 13th (4:58.52), Kristen Steenvoorden in 14th (4:59.58) and Lissa Tommerdahl in 15th (5:00.06).
    The University of Minnesota women’s swimming and diving team will finish competing at the USA Swimming Minnesota Grand Prix tomorrow. The meet will begin with preliminaries at 9.am. and finals will start 6 p.m. at the University Aquatic Center in Minneapolis.