The Winhawks drop a nail biter to the Packers.

Austin has been earning its stripes all season, going up against some pretty tough competition. Coach Lynn Gulbrandson, a near 20 year veteran at the Packers helm, is crazy like a fox. His team was 0-6 but they are getting stronger from the stiff competition. Tonight’s Winhawk vs. Packer contest was a spectator’s delight with exciting races, some roster juggling and a down to the last event score that made the trip to Austin very worth while.

Ordinarily, it’s the Winhawks dominating the relays and subsequently those points. Tonight, the tides turned. The Winhawks were outscored in the relays 26-12, (in the scoring it was 24-14 as Austin’s 3^rd place finish in the 400 Free Relay was a non-scoring exhibition swim).

The 200 Medley Relay was indeed a good barometer of how the evening would shake out. The Winhawks' A Relay of Senior Co-Captain Samantha Quandahl, Sr. Taylor Johnson, Freshman Reese Galewski and Sr. Co-Captain Bridget Bawek were just a hair off their game and that was all the opening the reigning Section 1A champions needed. Brooke Johnson, Kelli Bednar, Averi Splinter, and Lauren Edwards swam a respectable 1:58.59 for the win with the Austin B relay taking 3^rd.

Winona          4          Austin            10

The 200 Freestyle also lived up to its billing. Austin’s Sophomore Helen Heimark led wire-to-wire with the Winhawks’ Freshman Haley O’Neill close to her shoulder. Haley touches in second and Cotter 7^th grader Morgan Whyte swims a best of the season 2:17.01 for a solid 4^th place.Austin's 1-3-5 extends their lead to 10 points.

Winona          10        Austin            20

The 200 IM was an example of coaching strategy at work. Winona’s Head Coach Steve Burt enters Cotter standout, Cotter Junior MacKenzie Brosnahan expecting her to race Austin’s standout Senior swimmer Averi Splinter (6^th at Class A State 100 Fly last year). It turns out Austin Coach Lynn Gulbrandson decides to save Splinter and concedes the IM win and ends up taking 2^nd, 3^rd and 5^th for an even 8-8 split in points.

Winona          18        Austin            28

The 50 Free reveals the Austin’s coach’s strategy. Recognizing the strength of the Winona Sprinters, Gulbrandson enters Austin's star swimmer Avery Splinter in the 50 looking to break up a 1-2 and possibly 3^rd sweep finish by the Winhawks which would have been devasting points wise. The strategy works and Splinter touches out Sr. Co-Captain Bridget Bawek by 0.6 seconds. Winhawk Jr. Lalita Charungchainanon motors to a 3^rd place finish and Sr. Taylor Johnson is touched out by 0.03 seconds to place 5^th. Coach Gulbrandson’s strategy returns an 8-8 split instead of the 12-4 total the Winhawks might have banked.

Winona          26        Austin            36

Diving was dominated by Winona’s Sophomore Crystal Franzwa. Her 186.70 was 35 point above her closest competition. Winhawk Freshman Janelle Mueller placed 4^th and the points are again split 8-8.

Winona          34        Austin            44

The 100 Fly was indeed a great contest between Austin’s Senior State Finalist Averi Splinter and the Winhawks’ Freshman sensation Reese Galewski. The two went head to head from start to finish with the All State Swimmer from Austin touching first 1:02.34 to Galewski’s 1:03.25, her second fastest time ever. Right behind them taking the 3^rd place points was Winhawk Senior Co-Captain Samantha Quandahl. Austin's 1-4-5 opens up the biggest lead of the evening.

Winona          41        Austin            53

The 100 Freestyle was Winona’s event to shine. Unlike the other sprint, the 50 Freestyle, there was no Packer to bust up the show here. Sr. Co-Captain Bridget Bawek led the charge the entire 4 lengths of the pool for the win. Winhawk Freshman Haley O’Neill was right behind her for 2ndf place. The Packers’ Kelli Bednar catches Winona Foreign Exchange Student Jr. Lalita Charungchainanon and they finish in a dead tie breaking up the 1-2-3 for the Winhawks. Even splitting those points still yields a 12.5 to 3.5 advantage in favor of the Winhawks, reeling in the Packers and they are right back in the meet.

Winona          53.5    Austin            56.5

The 500 Freestyle was Coach Burt’s time to pull some strategy. He sends Cotter Junior MacKenzie Brosnahan to the blocks to break up the impact of Austin’s Sophomore Helen Heimark and Freshman Meredith Fritz. MacKenzie wins handily in 5:37.31, the fastest 500 by a Winhawk this year. It was also MacKenzie’s fastest 500 ever moving her up to 6^th in the 500 on the all time fastest Winhawk list. Winhawk 8^th Grader McKenzie Porter swims her fastest 500 of the year to take 5^th and add another point to the cause keeping the Winhawks close.

Winona          60.5    Austin            65.5

The 200 Free Relay wina goes to the Winhawks. The team of Sr. Taylor Johnson, Sr. Co-Captain Bridget Bawek, Freshman Haley O'Neill, and Cotter Junior MacKenzie Brosnahan win with a 1:46.17, but the depth is on the Packer’s side with them taking 2^nd & 3^rd touching out Winona’s B relay of Jr. Lolita Charungchainanon, Freshman Gabby Kleinow, Cotter Freshman Emily Thurow and Bluffview 7^th Grader Hanna O’Neil by 0.7 Seconds. The win closes the gap ever so slightly.

Winona          68.5    Austin            71.5

The 100 Backstroke also contributes to the comeback with Senior Co-Captain Samantha Quandahl placing 2^nd in 1:08.08. Cotter 7^th Grader Morgan Whyte and Cotter Freshman McKenna Marg both swim season best times to finish right behind Sam for 2^nd & 3^rd and another 9-7 edge in points for the Winhawks.The Winhawks have pulled back to within one point of the Packers.

Winona          77.5    Austin            78.5

The 100 Breaststroke, usually a good scoring event for the Winhawks but with Cotter Standout Alexandra Zuelke out of the line up ther eis more pressure on the WInhawks. The race  pitted Austin’s Senior Kelli Bednar against Winhawk Sr. Taylor Johnson. Taylor swims one one-hundredth off her season best time for a clean second place finish. Winhawk Freshman Greer Kosidowski brings home a 4^th place finish but with a 1-3-5 finish Austin extends their ever so slight lead.

 Winona         83.5    Austin            88.5

The 400 Freestyle Relay was a last man standing event as Coach Steve Burt had thrown everything he had at the Packers earlier in the meet. His A relay of Freshman Haley O’Neill, 7^th Grader Morgan Whyte, Sr. Co-Captain Samantha Quandahl and Jr. MacKenzie Brosnahan gave it their all but finished 2^nd. The Winhawk B relay of Cotter Fr. Emily Thurow, 8^th Grader McKenzie Porter, Cotter Freshman McKenna Marg and Bluffview 7^th Grader Hanna O’Neill are awarded points for 3^rd after the exhibition swim of Austin’s B& C relays.

Winona (3-2 overall, 2-2 Big 9)          89.5    Austin (1-6 overall, 1-3 Big 9)           96.5

Nest up, the Richfield Spartan Invite.