ST. PAUL, Minn. – The St. Olaf College men's and women's swimming and diving teams began their seasons with second-place finishes at the Hamline University Relay Invite on Saturday at Bush Center Pool.

The St. Olaf women recorded four first-place finishes at the season-opening, relay-and-diving-only meet and were second with 668 points, just two points behind Carleton College. Meanwhile, the St. Olaf men also won four events to place second with 490 points, trailing Carleton's total of 656 points.

Sophomore William Wallace was part of all four first-place finishes for St. Olaf on the men's side, winning the three-meter diving (211.78) and one-meter diving (192.22) events and swimming on two first-place relays. Wallace was joined by senior Marcus Hauck, sophomore Nick Starcevich, and senior Daniel Bloedow on the winning 200-yard medley relay (1:39.1) and the winning 400-yard freestyle relay (3:22.86).

Junior Ellen Varley swam on three of the St. Olaf women's four first-place relays, while first year Alana Schmitzer, first year Samantha Sylvester, and junior Lexi Cucchiaro all swam on two. Varley, Schmitzer, Cucchiaro, and sophomore Olivia Hopewell teamed up to win the 200-yard freestyle relay (1:43.82), while Varley, Sylvester, Schmitzer, and Cucchiaro won the 400-yard freestyle (3:48.59).

Sophomore Rowan Krueger-Barth joined Varley and Sylvester on the first-place 6x50-yard relay (3:01.11), while sophomore Paige Steenblock, senior Rachel Stumpf, and senior Charlotte Thomson were the first to touch in the 3x366-yard relay (12:59.41).

Both St. Olaf teams return to action at the Cows, Colleges, and Contentment Classic on Saturday, Oct. 28 at 11 a.m. The swimming will take place at Northfield Middle School and the diving will be at Carleton.