When everything aligns

If it was predictable, it wouldn’t be sport, or fun. 

The Winona Winhawk Girls Swimmers & Diver state qualifiers hung it all out this weekend, looking to cap their season with glory. Two relays and four individual entries were Winona’s mark on the 2011 State Championships. Not bad after a hard fought Sectionals contest. The Winhawks finished sixth at Sections, behind of course JM, Mayo, Hastings and Farmington which had more entries than I care to count, but also Rochester Century, who as it turned out, only had one state entry. The Winhawks had edged out Owatonna at Sections, a reversal of Big 9, but Owatonna only qualified a relay and four individuals (2 divers, 2 swimmers). The Winhawks were way ahead of the game already. I am not making excuses, here, the girls need none, they gave it their maximum effort, I just like to help put things in perspective for those that were there, and more importantly not there. 

The State Championships start with the Diving Prelims on Thursday evening. The University of MN Diving well consists of a separate well from the swimming, two one meter boards flanked by two 3 meter boards divided by the tower complex with platforms at 5, 7 and 10 meter heights. It is an imposing sight if you have never been there before. The divers are allowed to warm-up for a half hour by section. Many of the divers from the twin cities Sections either dive at u of MN camps or with dive clubs that work out at the Natatorium so they are familiar with the boards. The outstate divers, may not be so lucky. In groups of 8, the divers have 30 minutes to try out the two boards, pick which one feels best to them, and then practice/warm-up. After all sections have had their warm-up, there is an open period for all divers to use the boards for 30 minutes. Then competition starts. Diving features the top 4 divers from 8 different Sections. The 32 divers are allowed to perform 5 dives each, at which point the field is pared down to 20. Each dive, with the announcing, performing the dive, and the scoring takes around a minute. So from one dive to the next, you may be sitting around for 30 minutes or so. Performing well is a mixture of diving prowess AND the ability to compete under these conditions. Crystal Franzwa performed her 5 dives and missed advancing to the second round by just 5 ½ points, scoring 143.85. Her Section 1 counterparts also missed the cut, the two Owatonna divers finishing with 120+ points and the Roch Century diver ( their only State Qualifier) just 2 ½ points ahead of Crystal. As of Thursday night, half of Owatonna’s qualifiers were out and Roch Century was finished with their State Meet experience already. 

On Friday, the swimming preliminaries start. With Class A warm-ups at 10 and competition at Noon, the Winhawks had to wait all day for a 4PM warm-up, occupying their time with movies and relaxing. Come time, the Class AA Girls, nearly 300 in number, have to take turns warming up, as the pool cannot accommodate all of them at once. 

First up was the Medley Relay with their 14th place seed. The girls, MacKenzie Brosnahan, Alexandra Zuelke, Reese Galewski, and Haley O'Neill swim slightly off their seed time, and are 18th, just 8 tenths of a second out of the consolation round. Owatonna finishes 21st, and 3/5ths of their State team is headed home already. 

Next up, the 50 Freestyle. Cotter Senior MacKenzie Brosnahan has the 7th seed swimming in Lane 3 of the 3rd heat. Of the remaining 17 seeds behind her, 16 are separated from her by a mere 8 tenths of second. MacKenzie swims just off her seed and qualified for the Consolation Final with the 11th fastest time. In Saturday’s Final, MacKenzie swims The 100 Freestyle features the next swim for MacKenzie. Her Section finish places her 4th seed, Lane 5 in the final heat. The time differential between her 4th seed and the 12th seed is under a second. She places 11th swimming off her seed time. In the Saturday final she swims the identical time, finishing 13th overall. 

The 200 Freestyle Relay comes next. Having qualified by time, the girls, Alexandra Zuelke, Haley O'Neill, Emily Thurow, and MacKenzie Brosnahan swim just off their seed time but qualify for the Consolation Final, sitting in 16th place. In the Saturday Finals swimming from Lane 8, the girls kick it down a notch, Alex Zuelke delivers her teammates the lead and Haley O’Neill swims her fastest split of the season. In the end the girls swim the time that got them to State and move up to 14th overall. 

Last up, Alexandra Zuelke takes to her Lane 8 block to swim the prelims for the 100 Breaststroke. Alex swims just off her seed time and outside of qualifying for Finals. 

In the end, the Winhawks finish in 28th place with 14 points. 

For the Section 1AA schools, both Rochester Century and Owatonna go home on Friday pointless, not having qualified for Finals. The remaining 4 teams show just how TOUGH Section 1AA is. Rochester JM finishes 4th and Rochester Mayo finished ONE point behind them in 5th. Farmington takes 13th and Hastings is right behind them in 14th. So Section 1AA takes 4 of the top 14 spots, the Winhawks did well considering. 

Interestingly, Section 6 teams take 1st, 2nd & 4th as well as 20th and 30th place so their Section meet was almost a mini-state meet!

What goes up..........goes back up?

The Winkhawk swim team saw day one come and go. The 200 Medley Relay swam hard but did not make finals. The 200 Free Relay qualified for the consolation finals in 16th. MacKenzie Brosnahan is in 11th place in both her events.

Al aboarrrrrrrd. Train’s leavin’ for the Big Show! Next stop, University of Minnesota Natatorium.

The Winona Winhawks head out Thursday for Minneapolis. They have a date with the best divers and fastest swimmers in the state. 

After an acclimating warm-up in the same pool Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte and Rebecca Soni were just in last weekend, the first Winhawk to see action is Junior Diver Crystal Franzwa. Class AA Diving Preliminaries are Thursday Night at 6PM. With 8 School sections and the top 4 divers from each qualifying, the field includes 32 divers from all around the state. It will be a tough field with the defending Champion, the runner up AND the third place finisher all returning. Half the field are seniors, nine more are fellow Juniors. It will be a very seasoned and experienced bunch. They will perform their first 8 of 11 dives on Thursday night, leaving the final 3 to perform in front of a PACKED University of Minnesota Natatorium grandstand that holds just shy of 3,000 people. Like its male swimming championship counterpart and the Boy’s HS Hockey Tourney, these are the only HS tourneys where Tournament passes are not allowed. Everyone has to get their hands on a ticket.

Friday night comes the Class AA Swimming Preliminaries. 

The Winhawks swing right into action in the first event, the 200 Medley Relay. The team of Cotter Senior MacKenzie Brosnahan (BK) Cotter Junior Alexandra Zuelke (BR), Winhawk Sophomores Reese Galewski (Fly) and Haley O’Neill (FREE) will be in lane 2 of the 3^rd heat where there are 4 total heats. That makes them the 14^th seed where only 16 get to return on Saturday. The next four teams behind them are within 8 tenths of a second but you can bet all 11 teams behind them are each gunning to not be watching from the bleachers on Saturday. 

Next Winhawk Appearance, Cotter Senior MacKenzie Brosnahan in the 50 Freestyle. MacKenzie is swimming in Lane 3 in the 3^rd and final heat. Her 9^th overall seed puts her in the precarious position of needing to move up, but so will a number of girls right behind her. Only 15 hundredths separate her seed from the 12^th seed. 

After a few events and a break where diving would have been, MacKenzie is back at the blocks for the 100 Freestyle. She is again swimming in the 3^rd and final heat, but now sits in the number 4 seeded spot in Lane 5. Here there is still little breathing room, the time gap between her and the 10^th seed is only 8 tenths of a second. 

The 200 Freestyle Relay, perhaps the layperson’s surprise Winhawk entry at State (Coach Burt may have known better) is next up. The girls, Alexandra Zuelke, Hailey O’Neill, Emily Thurow, and MacKenzie Brosnahan are swimming in the 3^rd and final heat. Their time from Sections has them seeded 13^th in a field of 23 teams. The next six teams behind them span only 79 hundredths and will be after them hard. 

Last up for the preliminaries, Cotter Junior Alexandra Zuelke swimming the 100 Breaststroke. Alex is in Lane 8 of the 3^rd Heat, there are 4 heats total. Qualifying on time, Alex will need to dig deep and make the most of her taper to make this State meet a two appearance show. 

The only thing we do know going into Thursday’s Prelims, is that these seven girls will revel in the opportunity to share water with the best high school swimmers and divers in the state. 

While there they get to take in the pageantry and excitement that is the Minnesota State High School League 2011 Girls State Swimming & Diving Championships.

Winhawks continue negative part Deux

The 100 Butterfly had a whole heap a talent in it, eventually there were 5 qualifiers for state from the event. Winhawks performing well included Winhawk Junior Samantha Johnson setting a personal best in her prim swim. A Young Winhawk of the future, Bluffview 8^th Grader Hanna O’Neill set a personal best and just missed the Consolation Final by 3 spots. Winhawk Junior Reese Galewski swam just off her personal best in the prelims but secured herself a spot in the Championship Final. Saturday night Reese went lower and made good on setting that new personal best, landing in 7^th overall. 

The 100 Freestyle had the Winhawks sitting in their best seedings of the evening. Cotter 8^th Grader Morgan Whyte was the first off the blocks for Winona and set the tone. She shaved a full second and a half off her seed in Sprint, not only breaking her way into the Consolation final for Saturday but also joining the Minuteman (girl) club! Saturday night Morgan picked up another place in the standings and finished 15^th!  Finishing right behind her in Prelims and also swimming a new personal best AND joining the Minutegirl club was Cotter Sophomore Emily Thurow. Winhawk Sophomore Haley O’Neill was swimming 57’s all season long, breaking through at the very end of the season. Come prelims she dropped nearly a full second to set a new personal best. She wasn’t through yet, in Finals Saturday she smoked the competition in the Consolation final finishing a full 2 ½ seconds ahead of the pack talking 9^th in a time that could have been good for 7^th. Haley moves up 4 spots in the 100 Free all time Winhawk list to claim 6^th fastest ever. Last but not least, Cotter Senior MacKenzie Brosnahan, swimming her final individual event, made it count. Swimming a comfortable time just off her seed, MacKenzie got herself qualified for the Saturday Final. Swimming out of Lane 6 MacKenzie busted loose in the Final shaving, no slashing nearly 2 seconds off her prelim swim to set a new personal best, take 2^nd place overall and qualify herself, a 3^rd time that evening, for the State Championships. 

The 500 Freestyle has been a growing event for the Winhawks all season and Sections was no exception. Senior Co-Captain led things off swimming a personal best in her last meet as a Winhawk. Sophomore Razil Campbell equaled that feat dropping 3 seconds to set herself a new personal best. The Surprise of the afternoon came from young Hanna O’Neill. Swimming the 500 Freestyle for the first time all season in competition, she goes sub 6 minutes to finish 19^th overall.

The 200 Freestyle Relay had bounced around a bit in the dual season, but had yet to approach the State Time Standard. That all was fixed at Sections prelims as the gang of four, Alexandra Z., Hailey O., Emily T., MacKenzie B. drop a full second and a half, flirting within 5 one hundredths of that state cut-off.  Come Saturday night they left no doubt in anyone’s mind dropping ANOTHER second and a half to finish 4^th but more importantly, claim their spot on the train to the State Championships! Their performance bumped last year’s 200 Free Relay State Performance from the #4 All-time spot for a 200 Free Relay. 

The 100 Backstroke was led out by Senior Co-Captain Kayla Berg. Swimming in her last event as a Winhawk, she went out in style dropping a second and a half to set a new personal best for the second meet in a row. Perhaps inspired, the next heat saw not one but two Winhawks go low also. Over in Lane 6 Morgan Whyte performs well trimming off over a second and half for a new personal low herself. In Lane 2, Sophomore Abbey Quandahl sets a new personal best cutting off 2 ½ seconds and turning her 15^th seed into a 12^th place qualifying for Saturday’s Qualification heat. She also leaps her way into the All Time top 12 list now sitting at the 10^th fastest Winhawk 100 Back ever. After all that, how can McKenna Marg do anything but smoke her prelim. She cuts off 2 ½ seconds from her seed to also make the Consolation Final setting a new personal best and jumping the pack to land herself in 8^th fastest Winhawk 100 Back ever. 

The 100 Breaststroke is the last individual event and can get girls to realizing the end is near. Senior Co-Captain Sam Berg goes out in style swimming a solid performance in her last Winhawk event. Alexandra Zuelke takes her prelim swim out like she means business and sets a new personal best. She comes back on Saturday and finishes under the State Cut time to add one more swim to the reasons she is going to the U of MN for the State Championships. 

The 400 Free Relay was a token entry as a sophomore and three 8^th graders swam their way to the finish knowing that the Winhawks were sending some quality representation to the State Championships.

Winhawks look positive going negative.

An atom mopes onto the pool deck, and the coach says, “what’s wrong?” The atom says, “I lost one of my electrons.” “Are you sure?” says the coach. The Atom says, “Am I sure? I'm positive!”.

Sorry geek joke I just I had to repeat. 

The Winona Winhawk girls’ team saw some positives in going negative last weekend at the Section 1AA Championships. Swimming is one of the few sports that employ a taper, i.e. a reducing of the rigors of training, timed to allow the body to recover and perform optimally in an upcoming competition. It is part science, part art, as swimmers react differently based on body, training, events swum and a host of other variables. For the most part, the Winhawks dropped seconds in swimming to numerous season and personal best times as well as red lining the WInhawk record book a bit!

The 200 Medley Relay was the first indication of some positive things happening for the Winhawks. The team of Cotter Senior MacKenzie Brosnahan, Cotter Junior Alexandra Zuelke, and Winona Sophomores Reese Galewski and Haley O’Neill, broke into the Winhawk top 12 record book with their first swim of the season. They improved on that 7^th fastest slot 4 more times during the season, but they weren’t done yet. Their prelim time of 1:52.27 move them up to number 2, right behind last year’s record time from Sections and would be good enough to go to State IF they could repeat it in Finals. Come finals night they did one better. Each girl swam a personal best split in stroking their way to a 1:50.84, not just a new Winhawk team record, (sorry Sam & Lalita, it was short lived), but a solid admittance to the Big Show, next week at the U of MN, the Girls State HS Championships. 

The 200 Freestyle saw more Winhawk drops. Winhawk Sophomore Greer Kosidowski dropped nearly 3 seconds for a new personal best! Cotter Sophomore McKenna Marg dropped 4 ½ seconds smashing her personal best. Lastly, Haley O’Neill dropped over 2 seconds, establishing her new personal best AND qualifying for Saturday’s Consolation Final. On Saturday she dropped even more time finishing 12^th overall and moving herself up to the 6^th fastest 200 Free by a Winhawk ever. 

The 200 IM has been an event of eth future for the Winhawks. Predominately swum by Sophomores and younger all season. Sectiosn was no different. Winhawk Freshman McKenzie Porter dropped 3 seconds for a new personal best, as did Cotter 8^th Grader Alex Arnold. Saving the best performance for last, Winhawk Sophomore Reese Galewski dropped nearly 6 seconds to not only work her way into the top 12 all time (11^th) but also leap herself into Saturday’s Consolation Final where she eventually held her seed. 

The 50 Freestyle featured high performances all the way around. Cotter Soiphomore Emily Thurow shaved off half a second to establish a new personal best, Winhawk Sophomore Abbey Quandahl trimes 8 tenths of a second in establishing her new personal best. The Cotter duo of Alexandra Zuelke and MacKenzie Brosnahan both qualify for Saturday’s Final, with Alex swimming a personal best. On Saturday night they pull out all the stops and Alex improves on her time moving up to 6^th fastest WInahwk 50 Free ever and MacKenzie, seeded 6^th, staring at the possible end to her season, drops 8 tenths to finish 3^rd UNDER the State Qualifying time and extending her senior season one more week at the Big Dance!

Diving was conducted over two days. Prelims and Semi’s were on Thursday during the day. The final 3 dives were performed on Saturday afternoon during the swimming. With the conclusion of the Semi’s, Winhawk Freshman Sarah Scherbring was in 13^th place. Winhawk Sophomore Janelle Mueller was in 8^th and Winhawk Junior Crystal Franzwa was sitting atop the leader board with a 27 point lead. Sarah and Janelle both slid in the final standings but Crystal was a rock opening up a 50+ point lead to win the diving and ensure her first trip to the diving well in the State Championships. 

The rest of the synopsis tomorrow and a preview of the Winhawks appearance in the Big Show!

The quest has only begun

Sorry for no Sections summation yet, I was at the Univ of MN officiating the MN Grand Prix with Phelps, Lochte, Soni, Franklin, Schmitt, and many more all in the water. They were long days but VERY  VERY FUN. 

The Winhawks were able to advance 2 individuals and 2 relays to the MN Big Dance this coming weekend. 

While I go in search of  the Section swim information, here is a MSHSL prepper for the upcoming MN State Girls' Swimming & Diving Championships!

http://mshsl.org/mshsl/sports/11_GSW_advance.pdf

It’s go time

Time to put the season on the line.

Nothing, no swim, no dive no practice set no race result before today means anything.

You are in control. You are in control of how you react, what you do, how you perform. Lane 4, Lane 8, right or left diving board, you are in control of where you are and what you are doing.

And you are up to it. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMAQ_2ZFh4s