Girls Swimming and Diving, 2022: State Meet Advance Release

Two long streaks look to continue this week when the Minnesota State High School League’s Girls Swimming and Diving State Meet is held Wednesday, Nov. 16 through Friday, Nov. 18 at the Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center on the University of Minnesota campus.

Visitation, located in Mendota Heights, is the eight-time defending champion in Class A. Minnesota hasn’t seen a winning streak in girls swimming of that length since Virginia High School won 12 in a row from 1930-41. Visitation has captured 12 Class A crowns since 2005.

In Class AA, a different kind of streak is at play. Since 2010, the Lake Conference schools have been the big-school champion in each season.

Edina began the spree with three consecutive championships from 2010-2012. Wayzata took its turn from 2013-2015 in winning three in a row. Edina grabbed control winning the next four consecutive from 2016-2019. After no girls swimming state meet was held in 2020 because of the global pandemic, Minnetonka continued the Lake Conference supremacy by winning in 2021. The runner-up to Minnetonka in 2021? Edina.

Here are some of the participants and teams to watch:

Class A

• Visitation has the fastest qualifying time in the 200 medley relay with a time of 1:48.91.
• Visitation senior Ella Passe was second in the 200 freestyle in 2021 and is one of the favorites this season. St. Peter junior Hannah Denzer, 13^th in 2021, has the fastest qualifying time at 1:52.08. Passe is the returning champion in the 500 freestyle as well. Teammate Elizabeth Burke was runner-up in 2021 and could challenge her teammate again.
• Anna Farley, a senior from Visitation, is the defending champion in the 200 individual medley and has the fastest qualifying time.
• Big Lake sophomore is the highest returning placewinner from the 1-meter division competition. She was fifth in 2021.
• Hallie Drossel, a junior from Melrose, is the defending champion in the 100 breaststroke and has the fastest qualifying time.

Class AA

• Minnetonka is the defending champion in the 200 medley relay, but Lakeville North has a slight edge in the fastest qualifying time.
• Woodbury junior Gabby Mauder is the defending champion in the 1-meter diving competition. She is third in the Class AA rotation of divers.
• Wayzata senior Claire Reinke is the defending champion in the 100 butterfly and Hastings senior Ava McNamara was second. They are among the favorites along with Minnetonka’s Annabelle Wentzel and Shakopee’s Maggie Zelen.
• Edina’s Katie McCarthy, a senior, is the defending champion in the 500 freestyle and has the fastest qualifying time. Teammate Avery Luedtke, a sophomore, was fourth in 2021.