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It had been over 20 years since the Saint John’s University swimming and diving team had as many individual conference championships as it did a year ago.
The Johnnies claimed five MIAC crowns in all in 2023-24, the most since 2003. SJU placed third out of six teams –marking the program’s fourth-straight top-three finish at the conference meet. And with 89 percent (566 or 635) of the points earned in that competition – including eight All-MIAC performers – returning, optimism is running high inside the pool at Warner Palaestra.
Diving Prowess
A three-time MIAC Diver of the Year and four-time MIAC champion, senior Eli Grabinski (Sauk Rapids, Minn./Sauk Rapids-Rice) returns for his fourth and final season. He is a four-time MIAC champion – winning three times in the 3-meter dive (including in 2024) and once on the 1-meter board – and a six-time All-MIAC honoree. Grabinski qualified for the NCAA Regional for the third-straight season and just missed one of the six bids to the NCAA Championships. He took fourth in the 1-meter dive and sixth in the 3-meter. Grabinski placed seventh on both boards at the 2023 NCAA Regional.
A Duo with a Pair With a Pair of Titles
A pair of Johnnies, senior Carter Larson (Sartell, Minn./Sartell-St. Stephen) and junior Brayden Slavik (Green Isle, Minn./ Chaska), each won two individual MIAC championships in 2024. Larson won the MIAC title in both the 100- (45.90) and 200-yard (1:39.82) freestyles and is a 10time All-MIAC honoree. He led SJU with five All-MIAC honors last season and broke his own program record to win the MIAC title in the 200 Freestyle, missing the NCAA B-cut time by just 0:00.11 of a second. The conference championship was SJU’s first in the event since 1980. Larson set four SJU freshman records in 2021-22.
Slavik, meanwhile, won the 400-yard individual medley (4:03.98) and 1,650yard freestyle (15:48.67) and totaled four All-MIAC honors at the meet. He broke his own school record in the 1,650 Freestyle by 31 seconds (15:48.67) and set two other program records in the 500 Free (4:32.97) and 1,000 Freestyle (9:30.45) last season. The time of 4:03.98 to win the conference title in the 400 IM was second-fastest in SJU history for Slavik, who broke three of Larson’s SJU freshman records in 202223 (500 Free, 1,000 Free and 1,650 Free).
Double-Digit All-MIAC
Two Johnnie seniors, Liam Noble (Plymouth, Minn./Benilde-St. Margaret’s) and Colby Kern (Delano, Minn.), have combined for 26 All-MIAC performances in their first three seasons at SJU. Noble has 15 (nine on relays and six individual), thanks to five as a freshman in 2022, a team-best six in 2023 and four more last season. The crowning achievement of the top-three finishes was his first MIAC title with a time of 51.0 seconds flat in the 100-yard backstroke in 2023. The result came hours after he took first in the event’s prelim with a school-record time of 50.77 seconds. He touts the program’s second-fastest time in the 50-yard freestyle (20.61) and is fourth in the 100 (45.68).
Kern finished second at the MIAC Championships behind Larson in the 200-yard freestyle with the fourthfastest time in program history (1:42.53). He also touched the wall sixth in the 100-yard freestyle (46.74) and raced in the 200-yard individual medley’s B final last spring. All told, Kern is an 11-time All-MIAC honoree, has the fourth-fastest time in the 200-yard freestyle (1:42.53) and is a member of two SJU record relays, the 200-yard freestyle (1:22.31 in 2023) and 800-yard freestyle (6:48.30 in 2023).
Upperclassman Leadership
Seven returning upperclassmen
combined for 140 individual points for SJU last season. The 2022-23 MIAC Men’s Co-Rookie of the Year, junior Carsten Reuter (St. Cloud, Minn./Tech) was All-MIAC in four events at his first conference meet in 2022-23 and added two more as a member of SJU’s secondplace 200- and 400-yard freestyle relays last season. Individually, he placed fifth in the 50-yard freestyle, won the 100-yard freestyle’s B final and took 15th in the 100-yard butterfly.
Junior Clay Megaw (Monticello, Minn.) finished seventh at the 2024 conference meet in both the 100- and 200-yard breaststrokes with the events’ fourth-fastest times in SJU history. He recorded the second-fastest times by an SJU freshman in both events at the 2023 MIAC Championships.
Senior Connor Thayer (Prior Lake, Minn.) just missed All-MIAC honors in fourth place in the 1,650-yard freestyle and touched the wall seventh in both the 200- and 500-yard freestyles. He served as the second leg of SJU’s second-place 800-yard freestyle relay, which recorded the second-fastest time in school history (6:50.32).
Junior Tim Rotter (Blaine, Minn.) placed seventh in the 3-meter dive and eighth in the 1-meter board, while senior Langston Philion (Maple Grove, Minn.) served as SJU’s butterfly specialist last season, claiming seventh in the 200yard event and ninth in the 100-yard version. Philion also took 13th in the 400-yard individual medley.
Two Johnnies registered points in all three of their B finals. Junior Andrew Roggeman (St. Cloud, Minn./Tech) finished 11th in the 200-yard backstroke, 12th in the 100-yard backstroke and 16th in the 200-yard individual medley, while senior Zach Ruoff (Melrose, Minn./ Melrose Area) was 13th in the 50-yard freestyle, 15th in the 100-yard freestyle and 16th in the 200-yard freestyle.
2024-25 ROSTER
NAME YR EVENT(S)
Max Arntson So. Free
HOMETOWN/HIGH SCHOOL
Lindstrom, Minn. / Chisago Lakes
Elijah Avent So. Fly/Free Minneapolis, Minn. / St. Anthony Village
Brennan Close So. Breast/IM Princeton, Minn. / Princeton
Ben Edwards So. Fly/IM Burnsville, Minn. / Burnsville
Luis Flores So. Free Hugo, Minn. / Mahtomedi
Joe Fuller Jr. Breast/Free Omaha, Neb. / Creighton Prep
A pair of sophomores scored points for SJU at the MIAC Championships as freshmen in 2024. Cody Watts (St. Cloud, Minn./Tech) reached the podium in third place in the 1-meter dive and cracked SJU’s top five in all four diving categories for a freshman: third in the 1-meter (six dives, 249.20); fourth in the 1-meter (11 dives, 419.50); and fifth in the 3-meter, both in the 6- (220.50) and 11-dive (383.85) competitions. Simon Nyangamoi (Harrisburg, S.D.) claimed ninth in the 200-yard backstroke, 11th in the 100-yard backstroke and 14th in the 200-yard individual medley.
SJU’s 2024-25 Schedule
The Johnnies open the season with four-consecutive dual meets, including two dates in the Warner Palaestra Pool: the second day of a split-dual against Minnesota-Morris (Oct. 19) and St. Olaf (Nov. 2). SJU travels for threestraight road trips – Gustavus Adolphus Invitational (Nov. 23), Rochester Invitational (Dec. 5-7) and Luther (Iowa) Invitational (Jan. 11) – before hosting Division II St. Cloud State for a dual on Jan. 18. The team visits Carleton Jan. 25 and hosts Gustavus Feb. 1 for its home finale. Two more road meets, including a diving invitational, lead up to the 2025 MIAC Championships on Feb. 19-22 at the University of Minnesota’s Jean Freeman Aquatic Center in Minneapolis.
The 2025 NCAA Division III Championships are scheduled for March 19-22 in Greensboro, N.C. for the third season in a row.
Sports coverage to yo u . J o h n n i e s
ANDY RENNECKE Sports Editor
COACHING STAFF
BEN GILL
Gill is in his sixth season as SJU’s head swimming and diving coach in 2024-25. He became the fourth head coach in the program’s 46-year history on Aug. 12, 2019. He also serves the SJU athletic department as an assistant strength and conditioning coach.
2023-24 Season:
SJU swimming and diving finished third out of six teams at the MIAC Championships. Eli Grabinski ’25 won the 3-meter dive and was named the MIAC Men’s Diver of the Year for the third-straight season, while Carter Larson ’25 placed first in both the 100- and 200-yard freestyles and Brayden Slavik ’26 won the 400-yard individual medley and 1,650-yard freestyle to give SJU a total of five conference titles, the program’s most since 2003 (6). Grabinski competed at the NCAA Regional in Ohio and just missed qualifying for one of the six NCAA bids and was an alternate for the NCAA Championships. He finished fourth in the 1-meter dive and sixth on the 3-meter board.
2022-23 Season :
SJU placed second out of six teams at the MIAC Championships for the second-straight season in 2022-23. A trio of divers – Jack Grabinski ’23, Eli Grabinski ’25 and Connor Reed ’23 – competed at the NCAA Regional in
ASSISTANT COACHES
Chicago. Jack just missed qualifying for one of the nine NCAA bids and was a first-alternate for the NCAA Championships. Eli was named MIAC Diver of the Year after he won the 3-meter dive and took second to his brother Jack on the 1-meter board at the MIAC Championships. Liam Noble ’25 was SJU’s other MIAC champion in the 100-yard backstroke.
2021-22 Season:
The Johnnies finished second out of six teams at the 2022 MIAC Championships. Eli Grabinski ‘25 was named the MIAC Men’s Diver of the Year after he won both events, the first Johnnie to do so since John Deters ‘92 - a seven-time All-American and the 1991 national champion on the 1-meter boardwho accomplished the feat three consecutive years from 1990-92. Joe Koller ‘23, like Grabinski, also won two conference titles. He became the first Johnnie to win the 100-yard backstroke since 2012 (Logan Arnold) with a school-record time of 50.88 seconds.
Past Experience:
• A 2007 graduate of St. Cloud State, Gill served as head swimming and diving coach for the men’s and women’s teams the last four seasons at Loras College (Iowa). Loras sent student-athletes to the NCAA
PAUL DEMORETT ASSISTANT SWIMMING COACH
DeMorett is in his first season as an assistant swimming coach at SJU in 2024-25. A 1988 graduate of Saint John’s, DeMorett was a four-year member of the Johnnies’ swimming and diving team and was an All-American as a member of the 800-yard freestyle relay team in 1988. He has coached in a number of different settings since graduation, including as an assistant coach at Saint John’s, head boys and girls coach at Robbinsdale Cooper H.S., head coach at Sauk Centre H.S. and a swim club coach. DeMorett has spent 35 years in public education in a number of different roles. He and his wife, Pam, have four grown children and live outside of St. Joseph.
Division III Championships each of the last three seasons and collected six All-America honors. The Duhawks totaled 64 AllConference honors, including 14 conference champions.
• Prior to Loras, Gill was the head coach at the La Crosse (Wis.) Area Family YMCA from 2014-15. Eight of Gill’s athletes qualified for YMCA Nationals and his team placed third at the YMCA state meet, in which multiple state champions were crowned across different age groups.
• Gill was a graduate assistant coach at his alma mater for two seasons (2012-14) and coached nine Division II AllAmericans. The SCSU women won back-to-back Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference championships during his tenure.
• His coaching experience also includes stops at the St. Cloud YMCA (2011-12), the Fox Cities YMCA in Appleton, Wis. (200911) and as an assistant at the College of Saint Benedict (200708). Gill was also a deck coach at Stanford’s swim camp during summer 2008.
ELISE MORELL DIVING COACH (SECOND SEASON)
Elise (Genereux) Morell is in her third season as the Johnnies’ diving coach in 2022-23. A 2012 graduate of Saint Benedict, Morell qualified for the MIAC Championships in the 1- and 3-meter dives all four years, and finished 12th on both boards as a senior in 2012. After graduating from CSB, Morell coached the boys’ and girls’ diving squads at St. Cloud Apollo High School for seven seasons. She currently teaches math at Apollo and is working towards her master’s degree in learning design and technology from Saint Mary’s University.
Facilities
WARNER PALAESTRA POOL
The Warner Palaestra pool is home to the Johnnie swimming and diving team. The pool was built as part of the original Warner Palaestra Athletic Complex in 1973. The Warner Palaestra Pool includes a regulation sized, eight-lane, 25-yard pool, onemeter and three-meter spring boards and a five-meter platform.
The Warner Palaestra Pool is also open to club sport and general student use during the course of the academic year. Saint John's water polo has seen significant success in the Warner Palaestra Pool in recent years.
1975 (3) - Paul Cleeremans (Second, 100yard butterfly), Paul Cleeremans (Third, 200-yard butterfly), Bob Greelis (Third, 50yard freestyle)
1976 (15) - Tom Dwyer (Champion, 400-yard freestyle relay), Tom Dwyer (Second, 100yard freestyle), Tom Dwyer (Third, 200-yard freestyle), Tom Dwyer (Third, 500-yard freestyle), Joe Ehlert (Champion, 400-yard freestyle relay), Robbie Gibbs (Third, 1,650yard freestyle), Jon Habben (Champion, 50-yard freestyle), Jon Habben (Champion, 100-yard freestyle), Jon Habben (Champion, 400-yard freestyle relay), Jon Habben (Second, 200-yard freestyle), Mark Tracy (Champion, 400-yard freestyle relay), Joe Tucker (Champion, 200-yard breaststroke), Joe Tucker (Second, 200-yard individual medley), Skosh Wenner (Third, 1-meter dive), Skosh Wenner (Third, 3-meter dive)
1977 (10) - Tom Dwyer (Champion, 400yard freestyle relay), Jeff Eastman (Second, 1-meter dive), Joe Ehlert (Champion, 400-yard freestyle relay), Dale Feichtinger (Second, 100-yard breaststroke), Dale Feichtinger (Second, 200-yard breaststroke), Jon Habben (Champion, 50-yard freestyle), Jon Habben (Champion, 100-yard freestyle), Jon Habben (Champion, 400-yard freestyle relay), Steve Remole (Second, 3-meter dive), Mike Salchert (Champion, 400-yard freestyle relay)
1978 (15) - Dale Feichtinger (Champion, 100-yard breaststroke), Dale Feichtinger (Champion, 200-yard breaststroke), Jon Habben (Champion, 50-yard freestyle), Jon Habben (Champion, 400-yard freestyle relay), Jon Habben (Second, 100-yard freestyle), Greg Krenik (Third, 500-yard freestyle), Mike Salchert (Champion, 400yard freestyle relay), Mike Salchert (Second, 100-yard backstroke), Mike Salchert (Second, 200-yard individual medley), Mike Salchert (Third, 200-yard backstroke), Mark Schwietz (Champion, 400-yard freestyle relay), Mark Schwietz (Third, 1,650 yard freestyle), Mark Tracy (Champion, 400-yard freestyle relay), Joe Tucker (Second, 200yard breaststroke), Skosh Wenner (Second, 3-meter dive)
1979 (13) - Jim Connor (Champion, 100yard freestyle), Jim Connor (Third, 50-yard freestyle), Jeff Eastman (Third, 3-meter dive), Dale Feichtinger (Champion, 200-yard breaststroke), Dale Feichtinger (Second, 100-yard breaststroke), Jon Habben (Second, 200-yard freestyle), Steve Remole (Champion, 3-meter dive), Steve Remole (Second, 1-meter dive), Dan Rukavina (Champion, 200-yard individual medley), Dan Rukavina (Second, 400-yard individual medley), Dan Rukavina (Third, 1,650-yard freestyle), Dan Williams (Second, 200-yard butterfly), Dan Williams (Third, 100-yard butterfly)
1980 (11) - Jim Connor (Champion, 100-yard freestyle), Jim Connor (Champion, 200yard freestyle), Jim Connor (Third, 50yard freestyle), Dale Feichtinger (Second,
100-yard breaststroke), John Hessburg (Champion, 50-yard freestyle), Pete Magnuson (Third, 200-yard breaststroke), Steve Remole (Champion, 3-meter dive), Steve Remole (Third, 1-meter dive), Dirk Westveer (Third, 100-yard breaststroke), Dan Williams (Champion, 200-yard backstroke), Dan Williams (Second, 100-yard backstroke)
1981 (14) - John Hessburg (Second, 50-yard freestyle), Pete Magnuson (Champion, 200-yard breaststroke), Pete Magnuson (Third, 100-yard breaststroke), Jack Perry (Third, 200-yard backstroke), John Podolinsky (Second, 500-yard freestyle), John Podolinsky (Second, 1,650-yard freestyle), John Podolinsky (Third, 400-yard individual medley), Dean Roll (Third, 1-meter dive), Dirk Westveer (Champion, 100-yard breaststroke), Dirk Westveer (Third, 200yard breaststroke), Jerry Will (Second, 200yard freestyle), Jerry Will (Third, 100-yard freestyle), Dan Williams (Champion, 200yard backstroke), Dan Williams (Champion, 400-yard individual medley)
1982 (14) - Tom Duxbury (Third, 200-yard freestyle), John Hessburg (Champion, 50yard freestyle), John Hessburg (Third, 100yard freestyle), Pete Magnuson (Third, 100yard breaststroke), Pete Magnuson (Third 200-yard breaststroke), John Podolinsky (Second, 500-yard freestyle), John Podolinsky (Second, 1,650-yard freestyle), John Podolinsky (Third, 400-yard individual medley), Dean Roll (Third, 1-meter dive), Dean Roll (Third, 3-meter dive), Jerry Will (Second, 200-yard freestyle), Dan Williams (Champion, 400-yard individual medley), Dan Williams (Second, 100-yard backstroke), Dan Williams (Second, 200-yard backstroke)
1983 (9) - Tom Duxbury (Third, 50-yard freestyle), John Hessburg (Second, 50-yard freestyle), John Hessburg (Third, 100-yard freestyle), Tom Kubinski (Champion, 50-yard freestyle), Tom Kubinski (Champion, 100yard freestyle), Tom Kubinski (Second, 100yard butterfly), Jack Perry (Third, 200-yard backstroke), Dean Roll (Champion, 1-meter dive), Dean Roll (Third, 3-meter dive)
1984 (9) - Paul Eure (Second, 500-yard freestyle), Paul Eure (Second, 1,650-yard freestyle), Paul Eure (Third, 200-yard freestyle), Tom Kubinski (Champion, 50-yard freestyle), Tom Kubinski (Champion, 100yard freestyle), John Podolinsky (Champion, 1,650-yard freestyle), John Podolinsky (Third, 400-yard individual medley), John Podolinsky (Third, 500-yard freestyle), Jerry Will (Third, 50-yard freestyle)
1985 (10) - Scott Backus (Second, 1-meter dive), Chris Barta (Third, 200yard backstroke), Paul DeMorett (Third, 400-yard individual medley), Paul Eure (Champion, 1,650-yard freestyle), Paul Eure (Second, 500-yard freestyle), Tom Kubinski (Champion, 50-yard freestyle), Tom Kubinski (Second, 100-yard freestyle), Troy Loeb (Third, 200-yard butterfly), Mike McNeil (Second, 100-yard butterfly), Ken Sondgeroth (Third, 3-meter dive)
1986 (9) - Chris Barta (Champion, 100-yard backstroke), Chris Barta (Second, 200-yard
backstroke), Pat Beskar (Second, 200-yard breaststroke), Paul DeMorett (Third, 400yard individual medley), Paul Eure (Second, 500-yard freestyle), Paul Eure (Third, 200yard freestyle), Paul Eure (Third, 1,650-yard freestyle), Tom Kubinski (Second, 50-yard freestyle), Mark Patton (Third, 200-yard breaststroke)
1987 (8) - Chris Barta (Second, 100-yard backstroke), Chris Barta (Second, 200-yard backstroke), Pat Beskar (Third, 200-yard breaststroke), Eric Boyer (Third, 1-meter dive), Eric Boyer (Third, 3-meter dive), Paul DeMorett (Third, 1,650-yard freestyle), Paul Eure (Second, 1,650-yard freestyle), Robert Schmidt (Third, 200-yard backstroke)
1988 (18) - Chris Barta (Champion, 100yard backstroke), Chris Barta (Second, 200-yard backstroke), Pat Beskar (Champion, 100-yard breaststroke), Pat Beskar (Second, 200-yard breaststroke), Eric Boyer (Champion, 1-meter dive), Eric Boyer (Second, 3-meter dive), Jim Casey (Champion, 200-yard freestyle relay), Jim Casey (Champion, 400-yard freestyle relay), Ken Krull (Champion, 200-yard freestyle relay), Ken Krull (Champion, 400-yard freestyle relay), Ken Krull (Third, 100-yard freestyle), Mark Lange (Champion, 200-yard freestyle relay), Mark Lange (Champion, 400-yard freestyle relay), Matt Lawrence (Champion, 200-yard freestyle relay), Matt Lawrence (Champion, 400-yard freestyle relay), Matt Lawrence (Third, 200-yard freestyle), Rob Schmidt (Champion, 200yard backstroke), Rob Schmidt (Third, 500yard freestyle)
1989 (8) - Eric Boyer (Third, 1-meter dive), John Deters (Second, 1-meter dive), John Deters (Second, 3-meter dive), Ken Krull (Champion, 100-yard freestyle), Ken Krull (Second, 50-yard freestyle), Ken Krull (Second, 200-yard freestyle), Tom Schutte (Second, 200-yard breaststroke), Tom Schutte (Third, 100-yard breaststroke)
1990 (10) - Mark Biscan (Third, 100-yard backstroke), Eric Boyer (Second, 1-meter dive), Eric Boyer (Second, 3-meter dive), John Deters (Champion, 1-meter dive), John Deters (Champion, 3-meter dive), Chad Kelly (Third, 50-yard freestyle), Chad Kelly (Third, 100-yard freestyle), Ken Krull (Champion, 100-yard freestyle), Ken Krull (Second, 50yard freestyle), Ken Krull (Second, 200-yard freestyle)
1991 (7) - John Deters (Champion, 1-meter dive), John Deters (Champion, 3-meter dive), Bret Beecher (Second, 1-meter dive), Chad Kelly (Third, 100-yard freestyle), Chad Kelly (Third, 200-yard freestyle), Ken Krull (Second, 50-yard freestyle), Ken Krull (Champion, 100-yard freestyle)
1992 (7) - John Deters (Champion, 1-meter dive), John Deters (Champion, 3-meter dive), Ryan Flannery (Second, 1,650-yard freestyle), Chad Kelly (Champion, 50-yard freestyle), Chad Kelly (Second, 100-yard freestyle), Chad Kelly (Third, 200-yard freestyle), Brian Murphy (Third, 100-yard breaststroke)
1993 (5) - Ryan Flannery (Third, 1,650-yard freestyle), Brian Murphy (Third, 100-yard breaststroke), Phil Steger (Champion, 200yard breaststroke), Phil Steger (Champion, 400-yard individual medley), Phil Steger (Third, 200-yard individual medley)
MIAC HONOREES continued...
1994 (5) - Steve Espeland (Third, 100-yard butterfly), Steve Espeland (Third, 200-yard butterfly), Phil Steger (Champion, 400-yard individual medley), Phil Steger (Second, 200-yard breaststroke), Phil Steger (Second, 200-yard individual medley)
1995 (4) - Steve Espeland (Third, 200-yard butterfly), Pat Underhill (Champion, 50-yard freestyle), Pat Underhill (Champion, 100yard backstroke), Pat Underhill (Champion, 100-yard freestyle)
1996 (21) - Jake Bastien (Champion, 200-yard medley relay), Kris Bowman (Champion, 200-yard medley relay), Kris Bowman (Champion, 400-yard medley relay), Kris Bowman (Third, 100-yard breaststroke), Ryan McGovern (Third, 200-yard breaststroke), Mark Schmitz (Champion, 200-yard freestyle relay), Mark Schmitz (Champion, 400-yard medley relay), Phil Steger (Second, 400-yard individual medley), Carl Stevens (Champion, 200-yard freestyle relay), Pat Underhill (Champion, 50-yard freestyle), Pat Underhill (Champion, 200-yard freestyle relay), Pat Underhill (Champion, 200-yard medley relay), Pat Underhill (Champion, 400-yard medley relay), Pat Underhill (Third, 100-yard butterfly), Pat Underhill (Third, 100-yard freestyle), Matt Zelen (Champion, 100-yard freestyle), Matt Zelen (Champion, 200-yard freestyle relay), Matt Zelen (Champion, 200yard medley relay), Matt Zelen (Champion, 400-yard medley relay), Matt Zelen (Second, 100-yard backstroke), Matt Zelen (Second, 100-yard butterfly)
1997 (9) - Jeremy Hoglund (Second, 1-meter dive), Jeremy Hoglund (Second, 3-meter dive), Matt Sharp (Second, 400-yard individual medley), Matt Sharp (Third, 1,650yard freestyle), Scott Welle (Third, 100-yard backstroke), Scott Welle (Third, 200-yard backstroke), Matt Zelen (Champion, 100yard butterfly), Matt Zelen (Champion, 100yard freestyle), Matt Zelen (Second, 50-yard freestyle)
1998 (14) - Jeff Dingman (Champion, 400-yard medley relay), Jeremy Hoglund (Second, 3-meter dive), Jeremy Hoglund (Third, 1-meter dive), Matt Murray (Champion, 200-yard medley relay), Matt Murray (Champion, 400-yard medley relay), Matt Murray (Third, 100-yard breaststroke), Carl Stevens (Champion, 200-yard medley relay), Scott Welle (Champion, 200-yard medley relay), Scott Welle (Champion, 400yard medley relay), Matt Zelen (Champion, 100-yard butterfly), Matt Zelen (Champion, 100-yard freestyle), Matt Zelen (Champion, 200-yard medley relay), Matt Zelen (Champion, 400-yard medley relay), Matt Zelen (Second, 50-yard freestyle)
1999 (3) – Matt Zelen (Champion, 50-yard freestyle), Matt Zelen (Champion, 100-yard butterfly), Matt Zelen (Champion, 100-yard freestyle)
2000 (7) - Soren Peterson (Champion, 50yard freestyle), Soren Peterson (Second, 100-yard freestyle), Matt Sharp (Third, 500yard freestyle), Matt Sharp (Third, 1,650-yard freestyle), Luke Vestrum (Champion, 200-
yard backstroke), Luke Vestrum (Champion, 200-yard individual medley), Luke Vestrum (Second, 100-yard backstroke)
2001 (6) - Christian Filiaggi (Second, 1,650yard freestyle), Dan Morgan (Second, 200-yard breaststroke), Philip Nielsen (Third, 200-yard breaststroke), Luke Vestrum (Champion, 200-yard individual medley), Luke Vestrum (Second, 100-yard backstroke), Luke Vestrum (Third, 200-yard backstroke)
2002 (11) - Jim Arnold (Champion, 200-yard freestyle relay), Jim Arnold (Champion, 400-yard freestyle relay), Aaron Bidle (Champion, 200-yard freestyle relay), Luke Vestrum (Champion, 200-yard individual medley), Luke Vestrum (Champion, 200-yard freestyle relay), Luke Vestrum (Champion, 400-yard freestyle relay), Luke Vestrum (Second, 100-yard freestyle), Luke Vestrum (Third, 100-yard breaststroke), Chris Waldorf (Champion, 200-yard freestyle relay), Chris Waldorf (Champion, 400-yard freestyle relay), David Williams (Champion, 400-yard freestyle relay)
2003 (24) - Eric Anderson (Third, 1,650-yard freestyle), Jim Arnold (Champion, 50-yard freestyle), Jim Arnold (Champion, 200-yard freestyle relay), Jim Arnold (Champion, 400yard freestyle relay), Jim Arnold (Champion, 400-yard medley relay), Jim Arnold (Second, 100-yard freestyle), Dan Morgan (Second, 200-yard breaststroke), Sam Omann (Third, 1-meter dive), Kerry O’Neill (Champion, 200-yard freestyle relay), Kerry O’Neill (Champion, 400-yard freestyle relay), Luke Prokop (Champion, 100-yard breaststroke), Luke Prokop (Champion, 200yard breaststroke), Luke Prokop (Champion, 400-yard medley relay), Luke Vestrum (Champion, 200-yard freestyle relay), Luke Vestrum (Champion, 400-yard freestyle relay), Luke Vestrum (Champion, 400-yard medley relay), Luke Vestrum (Second, 100yard breaststroke), Luke Vestrum (Third, 200-yard breaststroke), Luke Vestrum (Third, 200-yard individual medley), David Williams (Champion, 200-yard freestyle relay), David Williams (Champion, 400-yard freestyle relay), David Williams (Champion, 400-yard medley relay), Kip Winden (Second, 500-yard freestyle), Kip Winden (Second, 1,650-yard freestyle)
breaststroke), Luke Prokop (Second, 200yard medley relay), Luke Prokop (Second, 400-yard medley relay), David Williams (Second, 100-yard butterfly), David Williams (Second, 200-yard freestyle relay), David Williams (Second, 400-yard freestyle relay), David Williams (Second, 200-yard medley relay), David Williams (Second, 400-yard medley relay)
2005 (6) - Eric Anderson (Third, 400-yard individual medley), Aaron Monson (Third, 1-meter dive), Aaron Monson (Third, 3-meter dive), Luke Prokop (Champion, 200-yard breaststroke), Luke Prokop (Second, 100yard breaststroke), David Williams (Third, 50-yard freestyle)
SJU Soccer at Gustavus in MIAC Quarterfinals (image courtesy of Graham Miller).
Defender Noah Hermanson, scored what proved to be the gamewinning goal in the 72nd minute on Oct. 11. (image courtesy of
Defender Noah Hermanson, scored the game-winning goal in the 72nd minute on Oct. 11. (image courtesy of
INTERNATIONAL TEAM TRAVEL
The Saint John’s swimming and diving team makes an annual training trip to Puerto Rico between the first and second semesters, soaking up the sun while putting in valuable work.
SCHOLARSHIP FEATURE
Scholarships help Deutschman thrive at SJU
It was one of his high school coaches who first put Saint John’s University on Jacob Deutschman’s radar.
Ben Sieben – an All-MIAC standout at wide receiver for the Johnnies in the late 1990s – is now an assistant coach at Anoka High School where Deutschman was the starting quarterback before graduating in 2022.
“I didn’t know much about Saint John’s before that,” Deutschman said. “But (Sieben) went here and he talked to me about it. So I took a visit and I really enjoyed the campus. When I discovered more about the quality of education that’s offered here, I knew this was where I wanted to be.”
And it was scholarships that helped make that possible. Deutschman – an exercise and health science major who will be a junior this fall –currently receives the Agee Family Scholarship, as well as an academic achievement scholarship.
“It takes away so much stress when you know you have scholarships in place to help make everything work financially,” said Deutschman, who hopes to one day pursue a chiropractic career. “It allows you to focus your energy on academic success.”
Deutschman is doing just that while continuing as a member of the SJU football team.
“Jacob is a testament to the kind of young men that we have here at Saint John’s,” Johnnies head
coach Gary Fasching said. “As a member of our football team, Jacob has battled through a couple of injuries but has persevered. He had a very good spring for us, and we hope that he can carry that into the coming season”.
Deutschman is the oldest in a family of four children – two of whom are cousins whom his parents Brent and Sarah adopted after his aunt died of cancer and his uncle died of complications from ALS within a month of one another in 2016.
“That was a really rough moment to go through as a family,” he recalls. “My cousins lost their mother and father and we lost an aunt and uncle. It was hard, but we got through it, and it drew us even closer together.
“We’re a very tight-knit family.”
Those close familial ties are part of why he values so deeply the sense of community he’s found at SJU and the College of Saint Benedict.
“If I hadn’t been able to come here, I would have missed out on the bonding experiences I’ve had with my classmates, as well as the oneon-one relationships I’ve formed with my professors and coaches,” he said. “I’ve made such great friends during my time here. I can’t imagine being anywhere else.”
Which is why he’s so appreciative of the assistance scholarships have provided, and so grateful to the donors who’ve helped make that possible.
“I want to say thank you for giving me this opportunity,” he said. “It’s meant so much to me to be here.”
ALL-AMERICANS
1978 Jon Habben 10th 50 Free
1978 Jon Habben 11th 100 Free
1978 Jon Habben 12th 400 Free Relay
1978 Greg Krenik 12th 400 Free Relay
1978 Steve Remole 5th 3M Dive
1978 Mike Salchert 12th 400 Free Relay
1978 Mark Schwietz 12th 400 Free Relay
1978 Mark Tracy 12th 400 Free Relay
1979 Jim Connor 3rd 100 Free
1979 Jim Connor 7th 50 Free
1980 Jim Connor 8th 100 Free
1980 Steve Remole 5th 3M Dive
1981 Dean Roll 11th 3M Dive
1981 Dan Williams 11th 400 IM
1982 John Hessburg 7th 50 Free
1983 Tom Duxbury 11th 400 Free Relay
1983 John Hessburg 10th 50 Free
1983 John Hessburg 11th 400 Free Relay
1983 Tom Kubinski 6th 50 Free
1983 Tom Kubinski 11th 400 Free Relay
1983 Dean Roll 8th 3M Dive
1983 Tom Thompson 11th 400 Free Relay
1984 Tom Kubinski 8th 50 Free
1984 Dean Roll 11th 1M Dive
1986 Chris Barta 4th 100 Back
1986 Chris Barta 10th 400 Medley Relay
1986 Pat Beskar 10th 400 Medley Relay
1986 Paul Eure 14th 500 Free
1986 Tom Kubinski 7th 400 Free Relay
1986 Tom Kubinski 8th 50 Free
1986 Tom Kubinski 10th 400 Medley Relay
1986 Doug Lawrence 7th 400 Free Relay
1986 Matt Lawrence 7th 400 Free Relay
1986 Matt Lawrence 10th 400 Medley Relay
1986 Chris Stuart 7th 400 Free Relay
1987 Chris Barta 4th 100 Back
1987 Chris Barta 9th 200 Back
1987 Chris Barta 12th 400 Medley Relay
1987 Pat Beskar 12th 400 Medley Relay
1987 Pat Beskar 12th 200 Breast
1987 Matt Lawrence 12th 400 Medley Relay
1987 John Newhouse 12th 400 Medley Relay
1988 Chris Barta 4th 200 Back
1988 Chris Barta 10th 100 Back
1988 Chris Barta 11th 400 Medley Relay
1988 Chris Barta 15th 200 Medley Relay
1988 Pat Beskar 10th 200 Free Relay
1988 Pat Beskar 11th 400 Medley Relay
1988 Pat Beskar 15th 200 Medley Relay
1988 Eric Boyer 10th 1M Dive
1988 James Casey 10th 400 Free Relay
1988 Paul DeMorett 14th 800 Free Relay
1988 Ken Krull 10th 200 Free Relay
1988 Ken Krull 10th 400 Free Relay
1988 Ken Krull 11th 400 Medley Relay
1988 Ken Krull 14th 800 Free Relay
1988 Ken Krull 15th 200 Medley Relay
1988 Mark Lange 10th 200 Free Relay
1988 Mark Lange 10th 400 Free Relay
1988 Mark Lange 15th 200 Medley Relay
1988 Matt Lawrence 10th 400 Free Relay
1988 Matt Lawrence 14th 800 Free Relay
1988 John Newhouse 11th 400 Medley Relay
1988 John Newhouse 14th 800 Free Relay
1988 Rob Schmidt 10th 200 Free Relay
1989 James Casey 5th 200 Free Relay
1989 James Casey 6th 400 Free Relay
1989 John Deters 12th 3M Dive
1989 Chad Kelly 5th 200 Free Relay
1989 Chad Kelly 6th 400 Free Relay
1989 Ken Krull 5th 200 Free Relay
1989 Ken Krull 6th 400 Free Relay
1989 Mark Lange 5th 200 Free Relay
1989 Mark Lange 6th 400 Free Relay
1990 Mark Biscan 15th 400 Medley Relay
1990 Eric Boyer 7th 1M Dive
1990 James Casey 14th 200 Free Relay
1990 James Casey 14th 800 Free Relay
1990 James Casey 15th 200 Medley Relay
1990 James Casey 15th 400 Free Relay
1990 James Casey 15th 400 Medley Relay
1990 John Deters 2nd 3M Dive
1990 John Deters 3rd 1M Dive
1990 Chad Kelly 14th 200 Free Relay
1990 Chad Kelly 14th 800 Free Relay
1990 Chad Kelly 15th 200 Medley Relay
1990 Chad Kelly 15th 400 Free Relay
1990 Ken Krull 14th 200 Free Relay
1990 Ken Krull 14th 800 Free Relay
1990 Ken Krull 15th 200 Medley Relay
1990 Ken Krull 15th 400 Free Relay
1990 Ken Krull 15th 400 Medley Relay
1990 Lee Prinkkila 14th 800 Free Relay
1990 Mike Simonet 14th 200 Free Relay
1990 Mike Simonet 15th 200 Medley Relay
1990 Mike Simonet 15th 400 Free Relay
1990 Mike Simonet 15th 400 Medley Relay
1991 Bret Beecher 7th 1M Dive
1991 John Deters 1st 1M Dive
1991 John Deters 5th 3M Dive
1992 John Deters 5th 3M Dive
1992 John Deters 8th 1M Dive
1994 Phil Steger 11th 400 IM
1995 Pat Underhill 11th 50 Free
1995 Pat Underhill 12th 100 Fly
1996 Jake Bastien 10th 200 Medley Relay
1996 Jake Bastien 15th 800 Free Relay
1996 Kris Bowman 10th 200 Medley Relay
1996 Kris Bowman 14th 400 Medley Relay
1996 Mark Schmitz 7th 400 Free Relay
1996 Mark Schmitz 11th 200 Free Relay
1996 Mark Schmitz 14th 400 Medley Relay
1996 Mark Schmitz 15th 800 Free Relay
1996 Phil Steger 7th 400 Free Relay
1996 Phil Steger 15th 800 Free Relay
1996 Carl Stevens 11th 200 Free Relay
1996 Pat Underhill 7th 400 Free Relay
1996 Pat Underhill 10th 200 Medley Relay
1996 Pat Underhill 11th 200 Free Relay
1996 Pat Underhill 14th 400 Medley Relay
1996 Pat Underhill 15th 800 Free Relay
1996 Matt Zelen 2nd 100 Free
1996 Matt Zelen 7th 400 Free Relay
1996 Matt Zelen 10th 200 Medley Relay
1996 Matt Zelen 11th 200 Free Relay
1996 Matt Zelen 12th 50 Free
1996 Matt Zelen 14th 400 Medley Relay
1997 Matt Zelen 6th 100 Fly
1998 Matt Zelen 4th 100 Fly
1998 Matt Zelen 4th 100 Free
1998 Matt Zelen 7th 50 Free
1999 Matt Zelen 1st 50 Free
1999 Matt Zelen 2nd 100 Fly
1999 Matt Zelen 3rd 100 Free
2002 Jim Arnold 6th 200 Free Relay
2002 Jim Arnold 9th 200 Medley Relay
2002 Jim Arnold 10th 400 Free Relay
2002 Aaron Bidle 6th 200 Free Relay
2002 Luke Vestrum 6th 200 Free Relay
2002 Luke Vestrum 9th 200 Medley Relay
2002 Luke Vestrum 10th 400 Free Relay
2002 Chris Waldorf 6th 200 Free Relay
2002 Chris Waldorf 9th 200 Medley Relay
2002 Chris Waldorf 10th 400 Free Relay
2002 David Williams 9th 200 Medley Relay
2002 David Williams 10th 400 Free Relay
2003 Jim Arnold 8th 50 Free
2003 Jim Arnold 8th 100 Free
2003 Jim Arnold 16th 200 Free
2003 Luke Prokop 14th 200 Breast
2004 Luke Prokop 11th 200 Breast
2004 Luke Prokop 13th 100 Breast
2005 Joey Chapman 13th 200 Free Relay
2005 Joey Chapman 15th 400 Medley Relay
2005 Joey Chapman 16th 400 Free Relay
2005 Sam Christianson 13th 200 Free Relay
2005 Sam Christianson 16th 400 Free Relay
2005 Kerry O’Neill 13th 200 Free Relay
2005 Kerry O’Neill 15th 400 Medley Relay
2005 Kerry O’Neill 16th 400 Free Relay
2005 Luke Prokop 3rd 200 Breast
2005 Luke Prokop 13th 100 Breast
2005 Luke Prokop 15th 400 Medley Relay
2005 David Williams 13th 200 Free Relay
2005 David Williams 15th 400 Medley Relay
2005 David Williams 16th 400 Free Relay
2011 Mando Moss 15th 800 Free Relay
2011 Ty Nimens 15th 800 Free Relay
2011 Wes Schlichting 14th 3M Dive
2011 Wes Schlichting 16th 1M Dive
2011 Josh Seaburg 15th 800 Free Relay
2011 Michael Williams 15th 800 Free Relay
2020 Jack Grabinski CSCAA - Diving
2021 Jack Grabinski CSCAA - Diving
2021 Connor Reed CSCAA - Diving
GROWING COMPANIES ENHANCING COMMUNITIES
Granite Partners is a private investment and long-term holding company founded in 2002 in St. Cloud, Minnesota, with a mission to grow companies and create value for all stakeholders. We advance a culture of trust, innovation, and excellence as essential to 100-year sustainability, and we aspire to world-class wellbeing for everyone in the Granite community.
SWIMMING & DIVING IN THE SJU J-CLUB HALL OF HONOR
Pat Haws (head coach, inducted 2019) - The swimming and diving coach at Saint John’s from 1973 to 1998, Pat Haws built the program into an MIAC power. During his tenure, his teams placed in the top three at the conference championships in 23 of 25 seasons –including 15 runner-up finishes. There were also 11 finishes in the top 25 at the Division III national meet. In all, his swimmers earned All-American honors 40 times and won two national championships. There was also one U.S. Olympic Trials Qualifier.
Matt Zelen (swimmer, inducted 2019) - Matt Zelen became just the second SJU swimmer or diver to win a national title when he won the 50-yard freestyle at the NCAA Division III national
meet in 1999. But by then, he had already had earned All-American distinction at nationals six times as a freshman, sophomore and junior. He also finished second in the 100-yard butterfly and third in the 100-yard freestyle that year, giving him a total of nine All-American performances in all. That went along with 13 MIAC titles in individual events and relays as well as four other second-place finishes at the conference meet. He remains the school record holder in three events – the 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle and 100 butterfly.
Jon Deters (diver, inducted 2021) - A transfer from Iowa State at the semester break of his freshman year, Jon Deters went on to qualify for the NCAA Division III national meet four-straight seasons - earning All-American honors seven times. That included his junior season when he earned the program’s first national title by winning the 1-meter competition. He also won threestraight MIAC titles in both the 1 and 3-meter competitions during his time at the school.
Jon Habben (swimmer, inducted 2022) - Habben was the first Johnnie swimmer to touch the wall as an MIAC champion when he won the 50-yard freestyle at the conference meet as a freshman in 1976. Two years later, he became the first SJU swimmer to touch the wall as an All-American when he finished 10th in the same event at the 1978 NCAA Division III championships. All told, Habben won a total of eight MIAC titles and qualified for nationals four times.
Tom Kubinski (swimmer, inducted 2023) - A standout at Osseo High School, Tom Kubinski went on to win two conference titles in the 100 freestyle and threestraight in the 50 freestyle during his time at SJU. His time in the 50 at the 1983 MIAC meet – 20.90 seconds – was not only a pool and conference record, but made him the first swimmer at the Division III level to break the 21-second mark in the event. He finished sixth in the 50 at nationals this season, then eighth as both a sophomore and senior. In total, he earned All-MIAC honors on eight occasions and All-American honors six times.
Luke Vestrum (swimmer, inducted 2024) - Vestrum finished his career with nine conference titles (counting relays), second in program history only to Zelen’s 13. As a junior, he earned All-American distinction three times at that season’s Division III national meet as the Johnnies finished sixth in the 200 freestyle relay, ninth in the 200 medley relay and 10th in the 400 freestyle relay. He has continued to swim after college, competing at the U.S. Masters level. He holds five Minnesota Masters state records and won the national title in the 50 breaststroke in his age group, while placing second in the 50 freestyle, backstroke and butterfly in 2017. He was also the national runner-up in the 50 backstroke in 2015.
