“Have you hugged a Diver today?”

The 2011 Big 9 Girls’ Swimming & Diving Championships could be characterized as: 

 Hey uh, you realize this is conference don’t ya? Like, you still have to swim in 2 weeks to qualify for State ya know.

 

The Big 9 Teams were whipped up Saturday, swimming like their futures depended on it. Perhaps they do, as swimming gains more and more prominence in Minnesota with the success of the University of MN programs and the swimmers we are sending off to colleges around the country.  

Sure, it is another year and you expect girls to get faster, so meet records are in sight, but the venue was the Natatorium at Minnesota State University Mankato, a Division II COLLEGE pool. Not only did five meet records fall by the wayside, but five POOL records also bit the dust as the Big 9 girls flexed their muscles. 

It appeared there were a lot of dynamics going on around the pool deck. 

First and foremost, although this is just conference and neither a qualifier or stepping stone to state, this may be the girls’ last chance to show who was better head-to-head. Of the ten schools that make up the Big 9 conference, half will be heading to the Section 1 Class A tournament in Austin, the other half to the Class AA Section in Rochester. The premier swimmers will be heading to state, but comparing times doesn’t measure up to staring across the lane lines at your opponent. 

Secondly, the three Rochester High Schools are fed by only two major swim club programs. So girls that swim together December through August, all of a sudden are on separate teams for the Fall. There is a great mix of camaraderie, rivalry and good natured competition going on around the pool deck. You frequently see Mayo, Rocket and Panther warm-ups intermingled on benches and pool side. In spite of all of this, JM & Mayo were definitely out to see who was best. A large number of the JM swimmers were sporting competition suits showing that they were meaning business today. 

This was a great meet with good competition and, as far as the girls were concerned, a lot on the line.

For the Winhawks, the day had a cloudy haze over it. Missing one of their premier swimmers (Alex Zuelke had responsibilities taking her out-of- town for the week) meant that their relays would have to be juggled and there would be some points missed. So the final score wouldn’t matter as much as individual performances and boy were there some performances. 

The 200 Medley Relay saw youth against strength for the Winhawks. The “A” relay typical upperclassman line-up was scrapped and the new elite for Winona stepped to the blocks. Seeded 7^th on the strength of their older teammates’ time, the four youngsters did not disappoint. Cotter Sophomore McKenna Marg led off the backstroke swimming a new personal best split by over 2 seconds, Cotter 8^th grader Alex Arnold followed as breaststroker staying right up with the field, Bluffview 8^th Grader Hanna O’Neill hit the water as the flyer and not only set a personal best split by 2 ½ seconds but broke the 30 second barrier for the first time. Finishing up as sprinter was Cotter Sophomore Emily Thurow who also clocks a personal best 50 split! While the Rochester JM Rockets set a new meet record by nearly half a second, the young Winhawk girls stand up to the strength of the Big 9 and take 8^th overall.

The 200 Freestyle went as planned for the Winhawks with their 3 entries pretty much swimming to seed. Winhawks Sophomore Haley O’Neill made the podium placing 8^th.

The 200 Individual Medley was hotly contested not only seeing JM’s Taylor Bass set a pool record but the 2^nd second place finisher from Mayo ALSO beat the previous pool record. For the Winhawks, the 200 IM, once a dead zone for team results, was a sign that the program is making great strides and the future looks bright. Winhawk standout Sophomore Reese Galewski led the way swimming a season low and improving her seed to place 15^th. If they gave out game balls or the equivalent in swimming, Cotter 8^th grader Alex Arnold would have been in consideration. She had a great day overall kicked off by a new personal best dropping 3 seconds off her IM seed and moving up 4 spots from her seed.  Equally impressive, Winhawk Freshman McKenzie Porter swimming from Lane 3 opened up a nearly half pool length lead over the other swimmers in her heat. Asthma kicked in after 50 yards but she still won the heat easily in shaving 3 ½ seconds off her seed and smashing her personal best time improving 4 spots in the standings. Winhawk Sophomore Razil Campbell completed the youngster trifecta by also setting a new personal best by nearly 2 seconds. Yes, the IM is definitely looking up as are the fortunes of the Winhawk program.

The 50 Freestyle was a showdown of sorts. Back to that Class A vs Class AA dynamic, Mankato West’s Danielle Nack and Roch JM’s Allison Schumacher have been going at it all season. Because of the shared Roch pool situation, earlier in the season Nack had competed at JM’s pool against Century and taken away Schumacher’s 50 free pool record, which Schumacher vowed to get back. Here was their last chance to go at it before they split ways for Sections and State. Winhawks caught in this battle included our own MacKenzie Brosnahan seeded 4^th along with the meet record held by former Winhawk Abbey Staats.  In the end Nack set a new pool record (she also held the previous record), Abbey’s meet record lives still, Schumacher places 2^nd and MacKenzie swam her quickest 50 of the season to leapfrog into 3^rd place collecting her hardware on the podium. 

50 Freestyle Podium MacKenzie Brosnahan 3rd

Diving, you gotta love the divers. No, you really do.  Suffice it to say, they contributed, BIG TIME. Their one event was responsible for 35 points. Not including Diving, the team averaged 11.5 points in the individual events so Diving was a big contributor to the end result, their highest point yield including relays and contributing over 15% of the total points. The game ball or perhaps the bucket of water for 2011 Big 9 goes to Crystal Franzwa, the Winhawks’ ONLY Big 9 Champion. She stepped up and performed solidly while the competition around her appeared to stumble from the pressure. Also stepping up big was Sophomore Janelle Mueller placing 7^th overall with a host of competitors nipping at her heels. Lastly Freshman Sarah Scherbring sets a new 11 dive personal best adding to the point total landing in 14^th place. Sarah actually added a NEW dive to her list DURING MEET WARM-UPS, changing her Inward 1 somersault to an Inward 1 ½ somersault. She landed it in competition for 3 – 3 ½ probably got her the points she needed to place!

The 100 Butterfly established what could be likened to a family picture that you can repeat annually. The top 6 finishers were Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, 8^th grader, Sophomore, 8^th grader respectively so I think these girls are going to get to know each other REALLY well. Fortunately for Winona, Winhawk standout Reese Galewski is among them. Reese made a podium visit finishing 5^th with Bluffview 8^th grader Hanna O’Neill scoring in 12^th place.

100 Butterfly Podium  Reese Galewski 5th

The 100 Freestyle was round two of the Nack/Schumacher match-up.  Cotter Senior MacKenzie Brosnahan was seeded 3^rd and held it in a very close race. When the waves settled Nack won with room to spare clocking another pool record AND this time elbowing meet record holder Winhawk Abbey Staats aside by over 2 tenths of a second. MacKenzie’s 3^rd place Podium appearance was the result of her fastest 100 Free of the season. Also at podium side scoring was Winhawk Sophomore Hailey O’Neill setting the stage for a great Sections meet for her as well. Another big highlight was the performance of Cotter 8^th Grader Morgan Whyte who seeded 30^th moved way up to finish 22^nd setting a new personal best time by a full one second drop.

100 Yard Freestyle Podium, MacKenzie Brosnahan 3rd, Haley O'Neill 8th

The 500 Freestyle is an event for the future for the Winhawks with their higher competitors being sophomores or less. First off was Senior Co-Captain Kayla Berg who, swimming the 500 for only the 3^rd time this season set the tone for her teammates pushing herself to drop a whopping 19 seconds off her seed time. Next up was Sophomore Razil Campbell who has been shaving time all season in the 500. She set a new personal best mid-season and continues to improve on it. This day would be no different as she trims over 7 ½ seconds off her seed for a new personal best and moves up 5 places from her seed to final finish. The final Winhawk up was Freshman McKenzie Porter swimming out in Lane 6. The outside can be a detriment as you have your own wave splashing back off the wall at you and you can lose sight of what is going on with the faster seeds in the middle of the pool. Porter would have none of that as she went out in the lead and stayed there through 400 yards thanks to teammate Geer Kosidowski yelling at her from pool side. Early she stayed to the outside wall to avoid Lane 5 from drafting her, and then she shifted to the inside to minimize the wave drag. At the end the higher seed in Lane 3 had more left in the tank but Porter trims 5 ½ seconds for a new personal best and moves up 4 spots in the final standings. 

McKenzie Porter prepares for the 500 Freestyle

The 200 Freestyle Relay saw Roch JM set yet another meet record after Roch Mayo, the fastest seed was assigned a False Start after jumping and falling in off the block prior to the start. The Winona contingent of O’Neill, Galewski, Brosnahan, and Thurow make the podium in 5^th place. 

The 100 Backstroke was nothing short of magical all the way around. The event was won by Faribault standout Cecilia Hake setting BOTH meet AND pool records. It was a great scoring event and sign of the future for the Winhawks as well. The truly MONSTER swim of the day had to be Sophomore Abbey Quandahl seeded 25^th. She took her lane 3 start dolphin kicking underwater to mid-pool for a 2 foot lead and never relinquished it. Her sharp crisp turns added to the lead and in the end finished 10 yards ahead of the pack, shaving 3 ½ seconds off her seed and vaulting up to score points in an 11^th place finish. Following on her heels in the next heat, Cotter 8^th Grader Morgan Whyte continued her stellar day trimming a second and a half off her seed for her fastest time of the year and scoring more points. Cotter Sophomore McKenna Marg also added points for her 12^th place finish and the Winhawks look to make some noise in the backstroke in the meets to come. 

The 100 Breaststroke was another event where the Winhawks truly missed Alex Zuelke. The event saw yet another pool record fall, this time Albert Lea sensation Lindsey Horejsi claiming her spot on the pool wall. Rising to the occasion, all the Winhawks entered made their presence known. Sr. Co-Captain Samantha Berg won her heat but falls to a technical stroke violation. Cotter 8^th Grader Alex Arnold established yet another personal best on the day in moving up 3 places from seed to final. Finally Winhawk Sophomore Greer Kosidowski takes her turn and sets a new personal best by over two seconds! Leading her heat the entire way, Geer moves up into the scoring having been seeded outside contention!

The 400 Freestyle Relay results in yet another sees an all new line-up compared to the dual meet season and the Winhawks “A” Relay maintain their 4^th seed swimming the fastest time of the season. The ‘Hawks were right up in the thick of things and some of the highlights included: They entered the aAll time Top 12 list at Number 10, Reese Galewski setting her fastest 100 split time of the season, MacKenzie Brosnahan swam her fastest 100 of the season, Hanna O’Neill set a new personal best 100 split by almost a full second while anchoring AND lastly, in the “B: relay Cotter 8^th Grader Alex Arnold became “unofficially” the newest member of the Minuteman Club in her lead out of the “B” Relay. 

Final Scores

Rochester JM                398
Rochester Mayo            352
Rochester Century        254.5
Mankato West               217
Albert Lea                     212.5
Owatonna                     208
Winona                         207
Faribault                       152
Austin                           102
Mankato East                  82

Next up, Section 1AA Preliminaries, November 10^th Rochester Rec Center.