The Bemidji High swim team had a banner day Saturday in its first time at the Section 3A meet qualifying six individuals and two relay teams for the state.
That will again be held at the University of Minnesota Aquatics Center starting Thursday.
Fergus Falls won the title with 304 points to 262 for Melrose and 256 for Bemidji.
Hutchinson and Willmar rounded out the top five. Eight other teams followed.
Coach Woody Leindecker had predicted the top five but not in that order picking Hutchinson as the team to beat.
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The Jacks did that by 4½ points.
Headed to the state are Matt Wilcox and Paul Voss in the 200 free, Dylan Hoven in the 50, Wilcox and Hoven in the 100 free and Voss in the 500.
They will joined by the 200 free relay of Hoven, Adam Falk, Voss and Wilcox and the 400 free relay of Falk, Hoven, Voss and Wilcox.
Wilcox was named the Swimmer of the Meet for his fine performances.
The top four individuals and relays and top eight divers move to the state in Class A which has only four sections to eight in Class AA.
Leindecker stacked the two free relays as expected and saw the medley finish 11.
But Wilcox and Voss went 1-3 in the 200 free with Wilcox setting a pool mark at 1:45.21.
Nick Nyberg was eighth and Falk ninth.
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Bemidji had no entries in the IM but came back with a second from Hoven in the 50. He was touched out by state champ Tim Walker of Litchfield at the finish with both clocked at 21.73. Hoven had set a pool record in the preliminaries at 21,70.
In diving, Dylan Tillemans and Gunnar Nelson were 10-12.
Falk gained a spot in the finals in the fly and finished eighth.
But Bemidji hit hard in the 100 free where Wilcox won his second event in a pool record 47:58 with Hoven fifth to better the state qualifying time and advance.
Voss led the field in the 500 at 5:00.73 with Nyberg fifth.
The 200 free relay then broke the section record at 1:28.32 for 40 key points, topping Melrose by a scant half second.
Bemidji had no entrants in the backstroke and failed to qualify for the final 16 in the breaststroke.
But the Jacks closed with a bang in the 400 with a pool mark of 3:16.85 to win by almost four seconds.
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Bemidji will be out to top the 77 points it scored in last year's state where it finished ninth. That was its second best point total in history.
SECTION 3A
At Detroit Lakes
Team totals; Fergus Falls 304, Melrose 267, Bemidji 256, Hutchinson 250.5, Willmar 233, Dassel-Cokato-Litchfield 187.5, Detroit Lakes 178, Montevideo 171. Thief River Falls 109, Perham 88, Rocori 87, Minnewaska 72, Park Rapids 67
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200 medley relay (1:39.80) 1. FF (K. Hurley-M. Hurley-Danielson-Fisher); 2. Hutch; 3. Wmr; 4. Melrose; 5. DL*; 6. TRF *; 11. Bem (Becker-Olson-Pat Voss-Gubbels)
200 f. s. (1:45.21) 1. Wilcox, Bem; 2. Lemke, Mska; 3. Paul Voss, Bem; 4. Mierczkowski, Mel; 5. McLain, Wmr *; 8. Nyberg, Bem; 9. Falk, Bem. (pool record);
200 IM (1:58.64) 1. M. Hurley, FF; 2. Oak, DL;. 3. Zachman, Mel; 4. Danielson FF; 5. Money, FF *
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50 f.s. (21.73) 1. Walker, DCL; 2. Hoven, Bem; 3. Holland, Roc; 4. Payne, Mont; 5. Plotz, Hutch *; 6. Koetter, Mel * (Hoven set pool record of 21.70 in prelims)
Diving:(351.85) 1. Melgaard, DL; 2. Woltjer, Wmr; 3. Testa, Mont; 4. George DL. 5. Bosl, Mel; 10. Tillemans, Bem;12. Nelson, Bem.
100 fly (53.89) 1. Danielson, FF; 2 Bates, TRF; 3. Payne Mont; 4. Bosl, Mel; 5. McLain, Wm.*; 8. Falk, Bem.
100 f.s. (47.58) 1. Wilcox, Bem; 2. Walker, DCL; 3. Bateman, Hutch; 4. Mierczkowski, Mel; 5. Hoven, Bem. *; 6. Koetter, Mel.*; 7. Zachman, Mel *; 8. Fisher, FF * (pool record)
500 f. s. (5:00.73) 1. Paul Voss, Bem; 2. Lemke, Mska; 3. Olson, FF; 4 K. Hurley, FF; 5. Nyberg, Bem.
200 f.s. relay (1:29.32) 1. Bem (Hoven-Falk-Paul Voss-Wilcox); 2. Mel; 3. DL; 4. Hutch; 5. Wmr. *'; 6. Mont; *; 7. FF *
100 back (52.08) 1. M. Hurley, FF; 2. Bateman, Hutch; 3. Rozendaal, Wmr; 4. Grismer, PR; 5. Reuter, Mel
100 breast (1:01.45) 1. Oak, DL; 2. Money, FF; 3. Jones, FF; 4. Thies, Hutch; 5. Erickson, Mont. *
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400 f.s. relay (1:36.85) 1. Bem (Falk-Hoven-Paul Voss-Wilcox); 2.FF; 3. Mel; 4. Hutch; 5. DLC *; 6. Wmr. * (pool record)
*Bettered state qualifying standard
