2020 Girls Swimming and Diving Section Meet Recaps

Minnesota State High School League

2020 Girls Swimming and Diving Section Meet Recaps

Class A

Section 1 --- Mankato West captured the team championship with 344 points and crosstown rival, Mankato East, was runner-up with 335. Red Wing was third at 302. Faribault senior Abby Larson and Mankato West freshman Olivia Leonard each won two individual championships. Larson won the 200 freestyle (1:55.94) and 500 freestyle (5:21.14) while Leonard captured the gold medals in the 200 IM (2:11.13) and the 100 breaststroke (1:06.78).

Section 2 --- Breck won the team title with 477 points and Benilde-St. Margaret’s was runner-up with 428. Blake was third at 258. Maya Burkstrand, a junior swimming for the Richfield-Holy Angels co-op, won the 200 freestyle in 1:52.72 and the 500 freestyle in 5:05.31. Benilde-St. Margaret’s senior Taylor Williams won the 100 butterfly. She was the Class A champion in the 200 freestyle in 2019, but didn’t swim in the event at the section meet.

Section 3 --- Three individual Class A champions in 2019 emerged with section crowns a year later. Hutchinson junior Grace Hanson won the 50 freestyle (23.27) and the 100 freestyle (50.45) at the section meet. In 2019, she was the Class A champion in both of those events. Teammate Hailey Farrell, also a junior, won the 200 IM (2:05.43) and the 500 freestyle (5:03.76). She also was the Class A champion in those events in 2019. Delano sophomore Emma Kern captured section titles in the 100 butterfly (56.42) and then had a section record in the 100 backstroke (54.60). In 2019, she was the Class A champion in the 100 backstroke. Delano won the section team title with 479 points and Hutchinson was runner-up with 360. Orono was third with 311 ½. Delano was third as a team in the Class A meet in 2019.

Section 4 --- Visitation, the Class A champion the past seven seasons, cruised to the section team title with 634 points. Mahtomedi was runner-up with 403 ½ and Cretin-Derham Hall was third at 295. Sophomore Ella Passe and junior Libby Fischer powered the Blazers with two individual championships each. Passe won the 200 freestyle (1:53.81) and 500 freestyle (5:07.87) while Fischer captured titles in the 50 freestyle (24.19) and 100 backstroke (57.90). Mahtomedi senior Ellie Wilke won the 200 IM (2:08.50) and the 100 breaststroke (1:06.35).

Section 5 --- The co-op of St. Cloud Cathedral-St. John’s Prep emerged with the section crown after compiling 442 points. Monticello was runner-up with 338 ½ and Sauk Rapids-Rice was third at 322 ½. Mary Morris, a junior swimming for St. Cloud Cathedral-St. John’s Prep, won the 200 freestyle (1:55.97) and the 100 backstroke (59.16).

Section 6 --- Sartell-Saint Stephen freshman Holly Lenarz was a double champion in the 200 IM (2:10.60) and the 100 butterfly (58.60). Melrose senior Makenzie Herzog also won two events: the 100 freestyle (53.43) and the 50 freestyle (24.24). Sartell-Saint Stephen captured the team championship with 444 points. Alexandria was runner-up with 358 and Sauk Centre was third at 333.

Section 7 --- Mesabi East junior Emma Williams helped power the Giants to the section team championship by winning two events. She won the 100 backstroke in 1:00.80 and the 200 IM in 2:20.29. Virginia senior Lauryn Devic was also a double winner in the 100 butterfly (1:01.67) and 100 breaststroke (1:08.66). Mesabi East won the section title with 426 ½ points and Hibbing was runner-up at 321 ½ while Duluth Denfeld was third at 275.

Section 8 --- Grand Rapids sprinted to the section crown with 535 points while Detroit Lakes was runner-up with 364. Park Rapids was third in the team chase with 360. Kaitlyn Peterson, a senior from Detroit Lakes, was a double winner in the 200 freestyle (1:58.88) and the 500 freestyle (5:29.34).

Class AA

Section 1 --- Rochester John Marshall senior Anna Ogren won two events in record-setting fashion. She set a meet record in the 200 freestyle in a time of 1:52.43 and notched another record in the 100 buterfly in a time of 55.05. Farmington junior Maddie Grimm had a meet record as well while winning two individual championships. She set a record in the 100 breaststroke in a time of 1:05.15, and earlier, she won the 200 IM in 2:08.46. Farmington won the team title with 371 points and Rochester Century was runner-up with 335. Lakeville North was third at 292.

Section 2 --- Junior Addie Diaz and senior Abby Kapeller helped power Minnetonka to the team title with two individual championships each. Diaz won the 200 freestyle in 1:51.37 and then set a section record in winning the 500 freestyle in 5:00.29. Kapeller was victorious in the 50 freestyle (23.40) and 100 backstroke (55.29). She was the Class AA champion in both events in 2019. Minnetonka compiled 557 points in the team championship race and Eden Prairie was runner-up with 497. Prior Lake-Jordan was third at 282. Minnetonka was runner-up in Class AA in 2019 behind Edina.

Section 3 --- Eagan won the section team title with 479 points followed by East Ridge with 394. Eastview was third at 329. Eagan junior Kiera Liesinger powered the Wildcats with two individual championships. She won the 200 IM in 2:08.67 and then the 100 breaststroke in 1:04.01. Apple Valley senior Alix O’Brien was also a double champion in winning the 200 freestyle (1:54.01) and the 500 freestyle (5:07.20).

Section 4 --- Stillwater won each of the meet’s 12 events in rolling to the section championship with 713 points. Mounds View was second with 488 and Roseville was third at 366. Senior Schuyler DuPont, junior Eva Johns and freshman Maddie Reed each won two championships for the Ponies. DuPont won the 200 freestyle (1:55.22) and 500 freestyle (5:03.20); Johns won the 50 freestyle (23.70) and 100 backstroke (55.80) while Reed won the 200 IM (2:10.45) and the 100 breaststroke (1:05.42).

Section 5 --- Wayzata swam to the team championship with 665 points. Champlin Park was runner-up with 342 ½ and Robbinsdale Armstrong was third with 284. Wayzata senior Jenna Marquette won the 100 freestyle (52.23) and the 100 breaststroke (1:03.74) while teammate Linnea Kallebo, a freshman, won the 200 IM (2:07.83) and the 100 backstroke (57.94). Osseo senior Amber Croonquist was also a double champion in winning the 50 freestyle (24.05) and the 100 butterfly (56.21).

Section 6 --- Senior Lily Gremmels and sophomore Katie McCarthy had two individual championships each to help power Edina to the section team title. Gremmels won the 50 freestyle (23.79) and the 100 freestyle (51.90). McCarthy won the 200 freestyle in 1:49.70 and set a meet record of 4:51.19 in the 500 freestyle. Edina, the Class AA team champion in 2019, compiled 677 points en route to the section crown. Hopkins was runner-up with 292 and St. Paul Central was third at 276.

Section 7 --- Andover seniors Emily Pawlaski and Elsie Groebner were double champions during the section championship meet. Pawlaski won the 50 freestyle in 23.37 and then set a meet record of 55.23 in the 100 butterfly. Groebner won the 200 freestyle in 1:55.13 and then the 100 freestyle in 53.10. Coon Rapids senior Megan Schultze also earned two individual championships by winning the 200 IM (2:03.06) and the 100 breaststroke (1:03.12). Blaine won the team title with 459 points and Andover was runner-up with 393. Anoka was third at 320.

Section 8 --- In the closest margin of all sections, Moorhead captured the team title by a half point over Buffalo. Moorhead finished with 368 points and Buffalo had 367 ½. St. Michael-Albertville was third at 345. Moorhead earned 40 team points by winning the 400 freestyle relay, the final event of the meet. Relay members were seventh-grader Arianna Hoff, sophomore Abbie Ishaug, eighth-grader Liv Deelstra and sophomore Ava Rodgers. Freshman Alayna Janke was Moorhead’s lone individual champion with a victory in the 100 butterfly in 59.06. St. Michael-Albertville senior Faye Roberts won the 200 freestyle (1:58.87) and the 500 freestyle (5:23.19).