By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. ­ — Griffin Rades (Shawano, Wis.) got the Saint Mary's University of Minnesota swimming and diving teams off to a roaring start during the opening day of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships Friday.
 
Make that a record-setting start.
 
Rades, swimming in his first collegiate conference championships, swam more like a veteran than an MIAC rookie, touched the wall in a school-record 1:58.92 in the 200 IM preliminaries to finish 12^th overall—and earn a spot in the B Final.
 
And as good as he was in the morning qualifying, he was even better in the consolation finals—much, much better.
 
Rades broke the school's 200 IM mark for the second time in less than 12 hours—this time by more than two-and-a-half seconds—winning the B Final with a new school-record time of 1:56.35
 
Not bad for an MIAC Championships neophyte.
 
In other action for the Cardinal men on Friday, Jack Wells (Glenview, Ill.) touched the wall in 22.45 in the 50 freestyle, while Brian Mockler (Dubuque, Iowa) shaved 13 seconds off his season best in the 500 freestyle (5:14.37) and Nick Sawchuk (Rochester, Minn.) chipped in a 5:33.72 in the 500 freestyle. The men's 200 freestyle relay also competed Friday, placing seventh in a time of 1:32.18.
 
On the women's side, Claire King (Red Wing, Minn.) stopped the clock in 26.28 in the 50 freestyle, with Emme Quandt (Shawano, Wis.) and Erica Camarato (Deforest, Wis.) adding times of 2:31.00 and 2:34.06 in the 200 IM. Brooke Shefchik (Stevens Point, Wis.) led a trio of Cardinals in the 500 freestyle, posting a time of 5:39.28, and was followed by Alyssa Haram (Maple Grove, Minn. / 5:48.22) and Amanda Hansen (Brooklyn Park, Minn. / 5:58.40). In the 200 freestyle relay, Saint Mary's posted a time of 1:50.89 to finish 11^th, while the 400 medley relay team placed 10^th with a time of 4:29.31.
 
 Action in the three-day event continues on Friday at the University of Minnesota's Jean Freeman Aquatic Center.