Last weekend’s swimming results

Headlining was the Minnesota Grand Prix taking place at the University of Minnesota.




On Friday, we saw the 200 Freestylers hit the water. In the Women’s Preliminary Heats Winonan/MN Gopher Abbey Staats was seeded 47th with a 1:56.55. She swam midway through the prelims and turned in a great drop to 1:53.96. The time stood to the end, good for 19th place and a spot in the evening’s “C” Final. Swimmers in front of her included accomplished Olympians Chloe Sutton and Kate Zigler, and National Team member Erika Erndl. Afterward in the Men’s 200 Freestyle Winonan/MN Gopher Matt Papenfuss was seeded 35th with a 1:42.38. Matt swam a 1:42.29 for a prelim finish in 19th place and a slot in the evening’s “C” Finals. Swimmers in front of Matt included National Team Members Charlie Houchin, Michael Klueh, Dan Madwed, Patrick Shirk, and Alex Wold. And Great Britan Olympian Simon Burnett.



In the Friday evening’s Finals after an awesome opening ceremony that included, the Twin Cities Diving Club perform an exhibition of 8 – 14 year olds on the 1 and 3 meter boards, the U of M Divers performing routines off of the 3 meter board and 10 meter platform, and a 50+ year old playing the Star Spangled Banner on a trumpet from the 10 meter platform, and then setting it down and leaping off performing a reverse somersault into a dry ice clouded diving well! Abbey swam the evening session in 1:55.03 for a 22nd place finish. In his evening final Matt improved to a 1:42.03 but remained in 19th place.



Saturday saw the 50 Freestyle come up and both Abey Staats and Matt Papenfuss were entered as well as Ryan Whalen, a Winonan swimming at the Grand Prix unattached. Abbey seeded 21st out of 97 entries in 24.32. Matt was seeded 34th out of 125 entries at 21.79. Ryan was seeded 16th at 21.27. When their heats came up, Abbey moved WAY up to finish 8th and a spot in the Championship Final that evening. Matt too moved, up to the high seed in the “C” Final that evening with a 21.61. Ryan swam a 21.76 for the 22nd seed and a return trip to the evening fun in the “C” Final right behind Matt. Later in the morning, Matt was also entered in the Men’s 500 Freestyle, the 57th seed with a time of 4:46.77. In his heat, Matt swam a 4:45.07 moving up to 36th place. Ryan was seeded in the 100 back and swam a 57.42 to finish out of the finals. Come Saturday evening in the Women’s 50 Free Championship Final, Abbey swam a 24.22 for an 8th place finish. Matt swam a 21.22 to finish in 21st place. Ryan swam a 22.00 to finish in 24th place.



Sunday had all three of the Winonans swimming the 100 FR with Ryan also entered in the 200 Backstroke. Abbey was seeded 26th with a 52.87. Matt was seeded 29th in 47.03 and Ryan was seeded 36th in 47.16. In the Prelims, Abbey swam up with a 52.21 good for 11th place and a spot in the Consolation Final. Matt swam a 47.60 which put him in the Evening “C” final in the 19th seed. Ryan swam a 49.70 in the prelims finishing out of the Finals. In the Evening Finals, Abbey moved up one more spot to finish 10th in 52.01. Matt too moved up one spot in his Final to finish 18th in 47.18.