WARROAD - The Bemidji High School swimming and diving team looks to be in a strong position to make a run at its fifth-consecutive Section 8A title, following the preliminary heats at Warroad High School on Friday.
No scores are kept for the prelims, as swimmers and divers compete to place in the top 16 in hopes of advancing to Saturday's final. It’s the goal of all the teams to advance as many swimmers and divers as possible in each event.
And the Lumberjacks had a very strong meet, advancing multiple swimmers in every event with the exception of the 100 Butterfly, where a single swimmer advanced to the consolation heat.
“There are always question marks coming into these big meets,” BHS head coach Scott Leindecker said.
“Usually, how the swimmers perform in the 200 free (the first individual event) sets the tone for the rest of the team. In the first heat, Anna Fairbanks had a great race, dropping over four seconds and Morgan Williams smoked it, finishing third overall.
“The rest of team saw that we were on and followed through with great performances all the way down the line. I don’t think we missed an event. Everyone swam faster than they have all year.”
Highlighting the day was the 500 Freestyle, with all four Lumberjacks who entered finishing in the top 8. Freshman Abby Yartz lead the way with a first place finish in 5:27.54 - which was the under the automatic state qualifying time. She is Bemidji’s only top seed heading into the finals.
The Jacks advanced three swimmers in numerous events, including diving, the 200 Free (2-3-4), the 200 IM (5-11-16), the 100 Free (3-5-9) and the 100 Back (3-6-7).
Bemidji will be sending two swimmers to the finals in the 50 Free (3-8) and the 100 Breast (7-10).
“We are very pleased and excited with the way the team performed,” Leindecker said. “We took care of step one - now we need to turn around and finish the job. We’re looking forward to Saturday.”
The top two finishers in the individual and relay events, along with those who better the automatic state qualifying times, will advance to the state meet at the University of Minnesota next week.
2015 8A Section Swimming & Diving Meet
At Warroad High School
Preliminary results
200 Medley Relay: 1-Park Rapids Area (Fritze, Andersen, Nyland, Edevold) 1:53.81. Bemidji results: 6-Bemidji (Ritchie, Mess, Vincent, Yartz), 2:00.10.
200 Free: 1-Gulon (DL) 2:02.76. Bemidji results:
2-Ritchie 2:04.13; 3-Williams 2:04.18; 4-Takkunen 2:06.65; 19-Fairbanks 2:15.55
200 IM: 1-Nyland (PR) 2:16.74. Bemidji results: 5-McRae 2:22.01; 11-Mess 2:28.55; 16-Cheng 2:34.03; 17-Son 2:37.11
50 Free: 1-Roed (Crookston) 25.32. Bemidji results: 3-Andersen 25.48; 8-Vincent 26.54; 22-Quick 28.76; 28-Ingalls 30.59.
100 Fly: 1-Nyland (PR) 59.94. Bemidji results: 9-Jacobson 1:07.52; 13-Cheng 1:09.01; 18-Son 1:12.30; 24-Lundberg 1:18.19
100 Free: 1-Roed (Crookston) 55.55. Bemidji results: 3-Andersen 56.59; 5-Vincent 57.17; 9-Takkunen 58.05; 24-Fairbanks 1:02.74.
500 Free: 1-Yartz (Bemidji) 5:27.54. Other Bemidji: 3-McRae 5:34.90; 6-Sether 5:50.22; 7-Jacobson 5:54.85
200 Free Relay: 1-Crookston (1) Geist, Pry, MacGregor,Roed) 1:44.17. Bemidji results: 4-Bemidji (Andersen, McRae, Takkunen, Sether) 1:47.56
100 Back: 1-MacGregor (Crookston) 1:01.87. Bemidji results: 3-Williams 1:03.56; 6-Ritchie 1:05.83; 7-Yartz 1:06.21; 21-St. Clair 1:13.51.
100 Breast: 1-Anderson (PR) 1:07.89. Bemidji results: 7-Mess 1:14.43; 10-Sether 1:17.88; 17-Saiger 1:22.19; 23-Lundberg 1:24.28.
400 Free Relay: 1-Crookston (Geist, Oman, MacGregor, Roed) 3:47.57. Bemidji results: 3-Bemidji (Andersen, Williams, Yartz, McRae) 3:52.64.
