2019 State Girls Swimming Summary
Visitation claims seventh consecutive Class A team championship; Edina wins fourth consecutive Class AA team title
Posted: Tuesday, July 21, 2020 - 10:48 AM
Hailey Farrell of Hutchinson won two individual events for the Tigers. She claimed her first title in the 200-Yard Individual Medley and her second consecutive in the 500-Yard Freestyle. Farrell also swam on the winning 400-Yard Freestyle relay team that set a new Class A record time of 3:26.41.
Class A
Visitation of Mendota Heights won its seventh consecutive title with 318 points. This was the 11th overall title for the Blazers. In addition to the past seven years, they also claimed four consecutive championships between 2005-08. Hutchinson placed second with 250 points while Delano and Sauk Centre tied for third place with 145 points apiece.
Visitation won its only title in the 200 medley relay with a time of 1:45.64. Members of that team were senior Kali Fischer, senior Elinor Glass, ninth-grader Lucy Berg, and senior Ava Hoffman.
Two Hutchinson sophomores won two titles apiece. Grace Hanson won her third consecutive crown in the 50 freestyle with a Class A record-tying time of 22.79. Hanson’s second victory came in the 100 freestyle with a time of 49.83.
Hailey Farrell was the second Hutchinson swimmer to win two championships. She claimed her second consecutive title in the 500 freestyle (5:59.54) and her first in the 200 individual medley (2:04.10).
The Hutchinson Tigers also won two relays at this year’s meet. They earned their third consecutive title in the 200 freestyle (1:35.15) with a team of comprised Hanson, junior Mikayla Witte, senior Ainslea Jensen, and senior Lexi Kucera. Following that victory, they earned their fourth consecutive crown in the 400 freestyle relay with a Class A record time of 3:26.41. That squad was made up of Hanson, Witte, Farrell, and Kucera.
Taylor Williams, a junior from Benilde-St. Margaret’s of St. Louis Park, earned her third crown in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:49.89.
Delano ninth-grader Emma Kern set the only other Class A record this year. She completed the 100 backstroke in 55.35.
Edina won its fourth consecutive Class AA championship with 344 points. Megan Phillip and Claudia Chang each won individual championships for the Hornets.
Class AA
In the Class AA team competition, Edina claimed its fourth consecutive title and 17th overall. In addition to the past four years, the Hornets also won in 1984, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1992, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2010, 2011, and 2012. Edina finished with 344 points this year. Minnetonka was second with 305 points and Eden Prairie placed third with 205 points.
Senior Megan Phillip and junior Claudia Chang each posted a first-place finish for the Hornets. Phillip claimed her fourth consecutive crown in one meter diving with 493.55 points. Chang won her second championship in the 500 freestyle with a time of 4:54.33.
Three competitors won multiple titles this year: senior Sierra Smith of Robbinsdale Armstrong, junior Reese Dehen of Anoka, and junior Abby Kapeller of Minnetonka. Smith claimed the top spot in the 200 freestyle (1:48.28) and the 100 freestyle (50.29), and Dehen won the 200 individual medley (201.16) and the 100 breaststroke (1:02.07). It was also Dehen’s second consecutive win the 200 IM.
Kapeller claimed the crown in the 50 freestyle (22.60) and the 100 backstroke (53.72).
Minnetonka also won all three relays this year. They started with meet with a victory in the 200 medley relay with a time of 1:43.27. Kapeller, sophomore Quici Wheeler, senior Kat Sisombath, and sophomore Regan Miller made up that team.
In the 200 freestyle relay, the team of senior Jojo Jorgenson, sophomore Rachel Shelstad, sophomore Nadia Helm, and Miller won in 1:34.44. The Skippers’ final victory came in the 400 freestyle with a time of 3:25.09. That team was comprised of Jorgenson, senior Penelope Helm, sophomore Addie Diaz, and Kapeller.
No new records were set during this year’s Class AA meet.