I was telling McKenzie the other day about my having taught Advanced Hunter Education for the DNR. I explained the 5 stages of hunter to her. In a nut shell, stage one is just going out and blasting away trying to take as much game as the law allows. Stage 5 is when a hunter goes afield to just enjoy the experience of being there and anything else that happens is a bonus.
It occurred to me tonight driving home, it is akin to the evolution of the swim parent. From attending youth meets where you’re reading the paper or doing some work on the laptop until your child’s swim comes up, to the Section Championships where the noise level approaches jet engine decibels because this time your yelling, clapping or cheering, is in unison with EVERYONE else there. Finally, to when you are doing it AND getting a little verklempt and your own child is not even swimming or in the building. People ask me why I do all this, it’s because it moves me, all I can say.
The Winhawks went to the Section 1AA Girls Swimming & Diving Championships, somewhat emboldened by their 3rd Place True Team (TT) finish. The future isn’t as unknown or ominous, having stared the competition in the face before, regardless of the outcome.
Much like Section True Team was not truly reflective of Sections; Section Prelims is not always reflective of Section Finals.
The 200 Medley Relay Came into Finals night seeded 1st, but we all knew that was just temporary. Having finished 2nd at True Team, you had a feeling that Rochester JM was going to re-concentrate their strength. This isn’t about points, this is about time! Pumped up doesn’t cover what happened next. The Winhawks went out and bettered their prelim, setting a new school record! It was the 3rd time in 3 years a new record was established, a sign that the program is getting stronger and stronger. Led off by Freshman Morgan Whyte, she whacked an AMAZING 2 seconds off her previous best split to keep the Winhawks close to the leaders. Sr. Co-Captain Alex Zuelke responded by swimming her PB Split by a half a second and ever so slightly reeling in JM and Hastings. Next Jr. Reese Galewski hit the water and like her predecessors, took a full 8 tenths off her PB split. When the Anchor, Jr. Leader Haley O’Neill hit the water, JM was a chore but Hastings looked beatable. Haley too, swims a new PB split, trimming one half second, out sprints her counterpart for Hastings but touches behind her by 7 one hundredths of a second. The Winhawks swim a school record 1:50.00 AND qualify by time for the 2012 Girls Class AA Swimming & Diving Championships.
The 200 Freestyle saw Winhawks in the Consolation Final. Last year, Greer Kosidowski and McKenna Marg had great drops but were watching finals from the bleachers. This year, they were getting wet. Both set PB’s in the Prelims to make consolations and both improved on those on Finals night while scoring points! They were joined by 200 Free newcomer Freshman Morgan Whyte, who dropped 4 seconds off her PB to make finals and dropped more time to finish 13th overall. Her time earns her a spot in the Fastest all time Winona List at number 9!
The 200 IM lone bright spot was Fr. Alex Arnold. Dropping 4 seconds to qualify for Consolation finals, she drops another half second to maintain a solid lock on 12th overall. Her time earns her a spot in the Fastest all time Winona List at number 9 as well!
The 50 Freestyle, long a Winhawk tradition, held more great experiences in store for Winhawks in 2012. Qualifying four girls for the Finals, Jr. Emily Thurow shows her over one second drop on Thursday was for real by matching it and gains a tie for 12th place. Her Prelim time gets her admittance into the ALL Time Fastest Winhawks list at number 10! In the Championship final heat, both Sr. Co-Captain Alexandra Zuelke and Jr. Haley O’Neill are looking to extend their season. With Defending Champion Allison Schumacher and Hastings speedster Kate Reilly seeded 1-2 respectively, the girls were eyeing up the qualifying time. BOTH girls improve on their prelim performances and BOTH girls touch under the qualifying time, Haley improving her 6th seed to finish 5th. Meaning BOTH girls are headed to the Big Dance, the 2012 Girls State Championships. Additionally, Alex moves up to the 3rd fastest Winhawk 50 ever and Haley leapfrogs from 12th all the way up to 6th fastest!
The diving contest had Winona Coaching drooling a little bit. As they did all through the dual season, the Winhawk divers were going to contribute not just a few points, but it was going to a good bucket-o-points. The Winhawks were the only Section Team to qualify ALL FOUR OF THEIR DIVERS for Finals. Sr. Megan Seeley wrapped up her season in 15th place; Sophomore Sarah Scherbring averages over 20 points a dive in her finals and finishes in 9th, a frustrating 1.25 points off of the podium! Jr. Janelle Mueller score similarly and gets to take the 7th place spot on the awards podium. The defending champion, Crystal Franzwa, holding off the charging Jacobs from Century, improves on her score from 2011, repeats as Section Champion and MOST IMPORTANTLY qualifies for a return visit to the University of Minnesota Diving well for the 2012 MN State HS Diving Championships! As a topper, Crystal is named Section 1AA Diver of the year and her Coach Jeremiah Jackson is named Section 1AA Diving Coach of the Year.
The 100 Butterfly was the scene of such wonderful joys, and such tremendous heartache. Fr Hanna O’Neill dropped SO MUCH time off in her prelim swim that it cost Head Coach Steve Burt his mustache. She was back for the Consolation Final as a result of that huge drop and managed to shave off ANOTHER 4 tenths of a second. Too bad for Hanna, Steve’s upper lip is already bare as can be. Her time earns her a spot in the Fastest all time Winona List at number 7! Jr. Reese Galewski swam an amazing prelim, not just breaking one minute but blowing right through to a 59 low. Seeded 3rd, she was already below the State qualifying time and was looking to improve more. In the movie Rocky 4, learning Rocky’s Russian opponent was a man and not a machine was good for him. Similarly but sadly, it is a reminder that these girls are human, and in the demanding swims like fly and distance, have their good days and bad days. Reese falls off her qualifying swim and touches just outside the qualifying time for State. Prelims didn’t count, she had to repeat it in Finals and she gets denied her trip to State.
The 100 Freestyle sees a group of Winhawks heading to the blocks area. Jr. Emily Thurow and Fr Alex Arnold swim in the Consolation Final and BOTH better their personal bests from prelims. Jr Haley O’Neill is seeded 4th in the Championship Final and looking to make it 3 for 3 in her attempts at state. Haley turns at the 50 split still in 4th by 2 tenths and matches her competitors around her to finish in 4th BUT drops nearly a half second in the process and lands her 3rd State qualifying time of the night! She also moves up a few notches in the All Time Winhawk list bump back her Assistant Coach Mary Bastian!
The 200 Freestyle Relay had the Winhawks sitting pretty, having qualified first in Thursday’s prelims. You knew that was too good to last, and the girls were going to have to put on a show to make that seed morph into a trip to the Big Dance. Jr Haley O’Neill led off, her 4th swim of the night and turned in a PB set in the prelims. Fr Morgan Whyte went next, and she too, having set a PB in the Prelims, betters that by another half second. Jr Emily Thurow not to be outdone equals the feat, setting her new PB in Finals. Anchoring comes Sr. Co-Captain Alex Zuelke; she too is looking to make her 3rd qualifying in 3 attempts. She responds by swimming the second fastest split in the event, breaking through 24 seconds with a 23.90. The overall result of all those PBs flying around is ANOTHER State Qualifying time for the Winhawks, adding MORE names to the list that will be making the trip to the BIG DANCE. This group of girls also gets to be added to the All Time Winhawk list at position 6, for now!
The 100 Back had two Winhawks representing the future of this event. McKenna Marg having set a PB last year and swimming in Consolations repeats it with an even lower PB, moving herself up one spot in the All-time list, from 7th to 6th. Morgan Whyte, having a stellar Sections, swims in the Championship Final and repeats her seed time, which places her into the All-time Winhawk list all the way up at number 4!
The 100 Breaststroke was one of the highly anticipated races. The 3 top seeds had all seen each other during the season. In the dual meet with Roch JM, it was Lauren Kalwasinski over Alex Zuelke, in the Section True Team it was Alex Zuelke and then Kalwasinski, and then in Section Prelims it was Zuelke with a break out performance over Kalwasinski that was either going to inspire or intimidate. It may have been neither, but Alex let it be known it was no fluke. She out split the JM swimmer on both 50’s and touched the wall as the 2012 Section 1AA Breaststroke Champion! Alex retains her hold on the 2nd fastest time in Winhawk history but she closes to within a half second of the Great Britta Benson’s all time record!
The 400 Freestyle Relay was seeded 3rd and Reese, Alex and Hanna all swam PBs. Their Prelim swim that included Razil Campbell in place of Greer was good for an entry in the All-time Winhawk list at number 10!
Great job ladies, my Stage 5 experience was an awesome state to be in.
Fortunately, when I became a little to verklempt to cheer, I had my awesome sign that Lauren Whyte made for me that I could wave! My only disappointment is that I won’t be able to bring it on deck with me during the State Championships!
This week, more on the trip to the Big Dance and other Section Info comes available.
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