SWIMMING: Bemidji swimmers advance at 8A section meet

BEMIDJI -- The Bemidji High School girls swimming and diving team qualified at least one swimmer in each event for semifinals during the preliminary round at the Section 8A meet at Bemidji High School on Friday night.

The top 16 swimmers in each event advanced to today’s semifinals.

The Lumberjacks saw four swimmers through to the semifinals in the 200 freestyle, 200 individual medley, 100 freestyle and 500 freestyle. BHS also qualified three Lumberjacks in the 50 freestyle, two each in the 100 backstroke and 100 breaststroke and one in the 100 butterfly.

Each of Bemidji’s three relay teams also survived to move on to the semifinals in the 200 medley (fourth place), 200 free (second) and 400 free (third).

Abby Yartz topped the field in the 200 IM with her time of 2:17.47, the best time during prelims.

Paige Andersen finished ahead of the rest of the pack in the 50 free with a first-place time of 24.86 to qualify for semifinals. Andersen also placed first in the 100 free with her prelim time of 55.28.

Alyssa Mess edged out Park Rapids’ Maija Hovelsrud by just .01 of a second to take first in 100 breast prelims with a time of 1:10.70.

The two two finishers in the individual and relay events, along with those who beat the automatic state qualifying times, will advance to the state meet at the University of Minnesota next week.

The diving prelims and swimming semifinals will begin at 11 a.m. today while swimming and diving finals will begin at 2 p.m.

  Section 8A Swimming and Diving Meet Results

200 Medley Relay: 1-DL 1:55.48. Bemidji results: 4-Bemidji (Knutson, Mess, Jacobson, Port) 2:00.44.

200 Free: 1-Gulon (DL) 2:00.89. Bemidji results: 2-Takkunen 2:05.80; 4-Jacobson 2:08.54; 9-Sether 2:11.65; 11-Fairbanks 2:13.07

200 IM: 1-Yartz (Bemidji) 2:17.47. Other Bemidji results: 3-Mess 2:20.29; 9-Davis 2:29.73; 10-Port 2:30.08

50 Free: 1-Andersen (Bemidji) 24.86. Other Bemidji results: 8-Vincent 26.43; 15-Quick 27.47

100 Fly: 1-Tracy (DL) 1:00.59. Bemidji results: 12-Jacobson 1:09.44

100 Free: 1-Andersen (Bemidji) 55.28. Other Bemidji results: 3-Vincent 57.04; 5-Takkunen 57.87; 14-Knutson 59.65

500 Free: 1-Gulon (DL) 5:26.15. Bemidji results: 2-Yartz 5:38.16; 4-Sether 5:48.46; 5-Quick 5:51.83; 6-Davis 5:51.89.

200 Free Relay: 1-Grand Rapids (Bauman, Schneider, Marinucci, Bustrom) 1:44.04. Bemidji results: 2-(Andersen, Takkunen, Vincent, Yartz) 1:44.62.

100 Back: 1-MacGregor (CHS) 1:01.19. Bemidji results: 3-Knutson 1:05.76; 6-Thompson 1:07.46; 28-Pollock 1:18.19.

100 Breast: 1-Mess (BHS) 1:10.70. Other Bemidji results: 13-Port 1:18.07; 19-Taylor 1:21.30; 23-Oster 1:22.0.

400 Free Relay: 1-Grand Rapids (Bauman, Schneider, Marinucci, Bustrom) 3:52.87. Bemidji results: 2-(Sether, Jacobson, Andersen, Mess) 3:56.54.

1/4: BHS sophomore Abby Yartz takes a breath while swimming the breaststroke during the 200 individual medley race Friday during the Section 8A meet held at Bemidji High School. (Maggi Stivers | Bemidji Pioneer)

2/4: Bemidji High School junior Alyssa Mess swims the butterfly during the 200 individual medley race Friday during the Section 8A meet held at Bemidji High School. (Maggi Stivers | Bemidji Pioneer)

3/4: Bemidji’s Gabbi Takkunen turns her head to breathe during the 200 yard freestyle race Friday during the Section 8A meet held at Bemidji High School. (Maggi Stivers | Bemidji Pioneer)

4/4: Bemidji High School’s Kendra Jacobson takes a breath while swimming the 200 yard freestyle Friday during the Section 8A meet held at Bemidji High School. (Maggi Stivers | Bemidji Pioneer)