Talk about getting back up on the horse.

The Winona Winhawks (4-3, 3-3) went head-to-head with the Austin Packers (2-6, 2-5) Thursday night. Just two evenings earlier, the Winhawks joined the group of 5 other Big 9 teams that had been manhandled by the Rochester JM juggernaut. That meet saw the Winhawks experience both pre-meet anxiety and post meet reconciliation in the face of a really strong program. 

Coming back out for another swim just two days later would either be a tepid test of who they were or reclamation of what their skills and strengths can do for them.  The Winhawk girls chose the latter winning 11 of the 12 events in the evening, many with a lot of room to spare. Wins don’t do it all though and adding to those first place points many  Winhawks finished high in the middle places allowing the Winhawks to average 9 points per event where there are 16 in each individual and 14 in relays.  

First, because I have a little extra time, some JV highlights I usually don’t get to list.

The 200 Freestyle saw Sr. Co-Captain Kayla Berg, Bluffview 8^th Grader Ashley Brommerich, and Winhawk 8^th Grader Natasha Lewis finish 1-3-4 ALL swimming a personal best time!

In the 200 IM Winhawk Sophomore Razil Campbell won the event with Cotter Sophomore Valeria Bautista-Ruiz swimming a personal best time.

In the 50 Freestyle Winhawk Freshman Kailey Kronebusch swam a new personal best time as did Bluffview 8^th Grader Nina Sugaya.

The 100 Freestyle saw Freshman Jaynie Olsen swim the event for the first time bringing home 4^th.

The 500 Freestyle had Winhawk Sophomore Kennedy Kolaas swim the event for the first time and she finished in 2nd place! Natasha Lewis swam a personal best dropping 20 seconds off her previous and improved her time for the 5^th time in the last 5 meets. 

The 200 Freestyle relay saw the Divers step up and join their sisters in the pool. The group of Claire Conway, Crystal Franzwa, Janelle Mueller and Sara Scherbring swam to a 4^th place finish beating Austin’s “C” relay.

The 100 Breaststroke saw Nina Sugaya and Winhawk Co-Captain Sam Berg both swim personal bests swimming to take 1^st & 2^nd respectively and Diver Sophomore Janelle Mueller got BACK in the water to swim the 100 Breast for the first time and finished right behind them in 3^rd touching out the Packer chasing her.

NOW FOR VARSTY ACTION

The 200 Medley Relay saw the Winhawk team of Cotter Senior MacKenzie Brosnahan, Cotter Junior Alexandra Zuelke, Winhawk Sophomores Reese Galewski and Hailey O’Neill take first place. 

Winona                10           Austin                   4

The 200 Freestyle saw Winhawk Coach Steve Burt interject Brosnahan to counter the Austin Star Helen Heimark. It was MacKenzie’s first time swimming the 200 Free this season and she wins with 3 body lengths to spare. Winhawk Junior Samantha Johnson and Sophomore Greer Kosidowski BOTH swim personal best times to add points to the total finishing 4-5^th. 

Winona                19           Austin                   11

 The 200 IM was a showcase for Cotter Junior Alexandra Zuelke winning in a season low with a half a pool length lead. The great race was behind her with Sophomore Reese Galewski just getting touched out by 4 tenths and placing 3^rd. 

Winona                28           Austin                   18

The 50 Freestyle was all Winhawk Sophomore Haley O’Neill winning the usually touch finish race by a half a second. Right behind her Cotter Sophomore Emily Thurow makes the big finish lunge and gets 3^rd touching out her opponent by one one hundredth of a second! Finishing up for the Winhawks was Sophomore Abbey Quandahl who swims to a new personal best time.

Winona                37           Austin                   25

Diving right before your very eyes, Winhawk Junior Crystal Franzwa brings home 1^st place with Winhawk Sophomore Janelle Mueller having another great high score night finishing 2^nd place. Not to be out done Winhawk Freshman Sara Scherbring dives herself a new personal best score to secure 4^th place and the Winhawks collect 12 of the 16 points up for grabs!

Winona                49           Austin                   29

The 100 Butterfly was another Winhawk showcase, this time for Sophomore Reese Galewski and company. She wins the fly with body lengths to spare. Bluffview 8^th Grader Hanna O’Neill bests the Packer next to her to place 3^rd and Winhawk Junior Ashlen Haines adds to the point total swimming a new personal best, her 5^th one in the last 7 meets!

Winona                59          Austin                   35

The 100 Freestyle was the second opportunity for Winhawk Sophomore Haley O’Neill to shine. She wins the usually close sprint with a few body lengths gap. Emily Thurow finishes 4^th and Cotter 8^th grader Morgan Whyte swims a new personal best dropping 3 seconds off her previous mark. 

Winona                67           Austin                   43

Pre-meet the 500 Freestyle looked to be a kink in the Winhawks armor and Coach Burt injects Cotter Senior MacKenzie Brosnahan one more time to bolster up the defenses. For the second time in the evening she goes head-to-head with Packer star Helen Heimark. Brosnahan again rises to the occasion and swimming the event for the second time this year, sets a new personal best time dropping 3 seconds off from just the previous week. Behind her, Sophomore Razil Campbell keeps her new found speed in place nearly matching her personal best of two days ago. Freshman McKenzie Porter, nursing a rotator cuff injury is a declared false start by Coach Burt saving her for another day.

Winona                75           Austin                   51

The 200 Freestyle Relay brought home the lone second place finish of the evening. With the win all but assured, Coach Burt played with some line-ups to experiment a bit. 

Winona                79           Austin                   61

The 100 backstroke was a great race. Cotter Sophomore McKenna Marg given the flag to carry for the Winhawks and she did not disappoint. McKenna swims a new personal best time, the 2^nd meet in a row she has done that and 4^th in the last five meets, taking the win for the Winhawks. 

Winona                87           Austin                   69

The 100 Breaststroke had the crowd looking more like they were at a tennis match. Cotter Junior Alexandra Zuelke was so far out in front of this race, the crowd had to look back and forth to each end of the pool to take in all the action. The main reason they had to keep track was the awesome race for 2^nd place going on and Winhawk Sophomore Greer Kosidowski pulls out the 2^nd place finish, 3 tenths ahead of her Packer foe. Right behind her, Cotter 8^th Grader Alexandra Arnold bests the final two Packers to collect the points for 4^th place and put the meet on ice for the Winhawks. 

 

Winona                99           Austin                   73

The 400 Freestyle Relay was an exhibition for the Winhawks but you wouldn’t have known it from the result. The team of Galewski, Thurow, Marg and Zuelke swim the fastest time of the season for the Winhawks touching out Austin by one second for the scoreless victory!

Final Scores

JV

Winona                74           Austin                   98

Varsity

Winona                99           Austin                   85

Next up, the final home meet of the season against Albert Lea, Thursday Oct 13^th.