Missy Franklin won the 50-yard freestyle and the 100 backstroke, and fellow Olympian Ryan Lochte took first place in the men's 100 backstroke at the Minneapolis Grand Prix on Saturday at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center.
Franklin's victories were her second and third in the season's first Grand Prix meet; she won the 200 freestyle with a national age-group record time Friday. In the 50 freestyle, she touched in 22.15 seconds.
Her time in her signature event, the 100 backstroke, was 50.97, nearly three seconds ahead of second-place finisher Mickayla Hinkle, who was timed in 53.55.
Lochte took the 100 backstroke in 46.21, ahead of national team member David Plummer, second at 47.24. Lochte also won the 200 freestyle and 100 butterfly.
U loses in volleyball The No. 10-rated Gophers volleyball team lost its second match in two days, falling to Michigan 25-23, 25-19, 25-20 in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines outhit the visitors .460 to .253, and had more digs, 33 to 26, and more blocks, nine to five.
Lexi Erwin and Molly Toon had 15 and 14 kills, respectively, for Michigan (21-9, 9-7). Freshman Daly Santana led the Gophers (20-7, 11-5) with nine kills while three teammates has eight.
Tommies to nationals Host St. Thomas beat St. Benedict's 23-25, 25-18, 25-13, 25-22 to win a regional volleyball title and advance to the Division III national tournament starting Thursday in Holland, Mich. Sophomore middle blocker Kelly Foley had 15 kills and six blocks for the No. 8-ranked Tommies (37-1) and was named the region's most outstanding player.
Two MIAC teams fall Carleton and Gustavus, the two MIAC men's teams in the NCAA Division III soccer playoffs, both lost in the first round Saturday. Dan Czernicki's goal in the 19th-minute goal enabled Carroll University (Wis.) to upset No. 12 Carleton College 1-0 in Northfield. The loss ended Carleton's 15-match unbeaten streak. UW-Platteville and No. 22 Gustavus Adolphus played to a scoreless draw, but the Pioneers won the shootout 3-2.
Liz Robinson and Gina Weiss scored second-half goals as the Concordia (Moorhead) defeated Lake Forest (Ill.) 2-1 in the first round of the NCAA Division III women's soccer tournament in Waverly, Iowa.
Etc. The U.S. women's hockey team relied on its special teams to win a second consecutive gold medal at the Four Nations Cup, defeating Canada 3-0 in Tikkurila, Finland. Kendall Coyne scored shorthanded, while Hilary Knight and former Gopher Anne Schleper added power-play goals. Charline Labonte had 19 saves for Canada, which defeated the Americans 3-1 in a round-robin game in Finland.
Gophers Juan Pablo Ramirez and Mathieu Fremont won three doubles tennis matches to advance to the finals of the Dick Vitales Clay Court Classic in Lakewood Ranch, Fla. ... Teereza Brichacova and Pauline Gilbert of the women's team won the Navy bracket in doubles at the Kitty Harrison Invitational in Chapel Hill, N.C. They beat a team from North Carolina-Greenville 8-1 and a duo from William & Mary 9-7.
