Honored And Delivered
Senior Anna Backes was honored during the Cobbers' dual meet with Augsburg and then delivered two event wins to help Concordia beat the Auggies 83-71.
MOORHEAD, Minn. (2/20/21)--- Concordia's lone senior Anna Backes was honored in a ceremony in the middle of the Cobbers' dual meet with Augsburg and then delivered two event wins to help Concordia beat the Auggies 83-71.
Backes received roses and a special gift from teammates and then produced a gift-worthy performance as she won the 200-yard individual medley and the 500-yard freestyle. Her two event wins were a part of seven victories for Cobber swimmers on the day.
Besides Backes, Rachel Andersen, Alexandra Rasmussen, Jessica Bray and Camille Gunderson recorded individual-event victories. Concordia then sealed the win, and capped their lone home meet by capturing the 200-yard freestyle relay.
The team win is the second of the year for Concordia over Augsburg. The Cobbers also bested the Auggies at Gustavus on Feb. 6.
Backes earned her first win of the day in the fourth event. She came away with a time of 2:30.40 in the 200 IM which won the event by over 30 seconds. The time is a season best for Backes who was swimming her first 200 IM of the year. She backed up her win in the 200 IM with the top spot in the 500 Free. Backes produced another season-best mark by touching the wall in 5:46.99.
Andersen started the Cobber victory parade by winning the 200-yard freestyle – the first individual event of the day. Like Backes, she was able to produce a season best in the only home meet of the year. She won the race with a time of 2:14.89 which clipped her previous season mark by .05 of a second.
Rasmussen kept the Cobber energy going by racing to a victory in the 50-yard freestyle. She sprinted to a time of 26.45 which won the event by 3.30 seconds.
After Backes won the 200 IM, Bray stepped on the block and put down a 1:13.45 to win the 100-yard butterfly. It was the first time that she has swam the 100 fly and she was able to come through with the big win for the team.
Gunderson gave Concordia its fifth event win when she clocked a 1:10.20 in the 100-yard backstroke and pulled away from the competition in the back half of the race.
Sophomore Lindsey Biebl recorded season-best times in both of her events on Saturday. She swam a 30.20, and finished third in the 50 free and ended her day with a time of 1:27.21 in the 100-yard breaststroke.
The Cobber event winners finished off the meet in style as they out-touched the Auggie in the 200-free relay. Bray, Gunderson, Andersen and Rasmussen posted a time of 1:49.94 which won the event by a mere .40 of a second.
UP NEXT: Concordia will finish the 2021 campaign next weekend. The Cobbers are scheduled to swim at St. Catherine on Friday, Feb. 26 and then at Minn.-Morris on Feb. 27.
SPONSOR: Tonight's recap sponsor is Erbert and Gerbert's. Like the Cobber swim and dive team delivering a win in their home met, Erb and Gerb's delivers full flavor in all their sandwiches. They have been a longtime supporter of Concordia athletics and have been around since Cobber coach Anneliesse Bruns was winning state titles at Roseau HS.
