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.