The coming of age

Avoiding an identity crisis, according to psychologists, is the ability to achieve ego identity during adolescence.

Teens are faced with physical growth, maturation, and integrating their ideas of themselves and about what others think of them. Successful avoidance of the crisis depends on one’s progress through previous developmental stages, centering on issues such as trust, autonomy, and initiative.

In other words, he that thought he was just staying in shape this winter is in actuality, a swimmer. 

Thursday afternoon, the Winona Winhawks competed in the Section 1AA Championships, looking for the opportunity to swim in Finals and possibly, qualify for next weekend’s big show, the Minnesota State High School League Boy’s Swimming & Diving Championships. 

What happened was as unfamiliar to a Winhawk fan as suntan lotion is in January. The Winhawks, benefitted from a taper. 

From the start there were amazing swims all the way through to the end. 

Leading the way, 7^th Grader Griffin Wolner wowed the crowd with his usual stirring performance of the National Anthem. Then he wowed the crowd with a 13 second drop in the first heat of the 200 Freestyle. Swimming in the same heat, Brady Kline and Tyler Suman both shaved 3 seconds of their seed times returning to the bench grinning from ear to ear. Winhawk standout Jr. Hodd Gorman swam in the final heat and finished 7^th overall, insuring his return trip for Saturday’s Finals.

The 200 IM was more of the same with Winhawks cashing in on their taper in multiple heats. Jr. Cooper McCormick saw a nearly 9 second drop in the first heat, Sr. Jake Johnson duplicated that feet with a nine second drop of his own in the next heat. Finishing out the event, Jr. Cal Dretske shaved a monstrous 10 seconds off his seed time, improving on his 16^th seed to finish 10^th overall and returning to swim on Saturday. 

In the 50 Freestyle, Jrs. Alex Miller and Taylor Olson both shaved a second off their seed times. In the last heat, Sophomores Kyle Schneider and EJ Kohner improved on their seedings and shaved enough time to earn a return Saturday for the Consolation heat.

In the 100 Butterfly, Sr. Ryan Magana took his heat for a ride, shaving 10 seconds from his seed and finishing his heat in first with much room to spare. In the Finals Heat, Sophomore Kyle Schneider, cut two seconds off of a quick seed already, and qualified for the Championship Final on Saturday!

The 100 Freestyle saw all four Winhawks, Cooper McCormick, Alex Miller, Hudson Echelard and EJ Kohner reduce their times from their seeds. 

The 500 Freestyle had 8^th Grader Riley Jorgenson start the Winhawks out and lopped 4 plus seconds off of his seed time. Griffin Wolner came next and he took off a second and a half. In the final heat, Tyler Suman improved by 6 seconds and Hodd Gorman earned himself the 7^th seed in Saturday’s Championship Final. 

Things just kept getting better as the 100 Back saw huge drops. Hudson Echelard cut 11 (yes eleven) seconds off of his seed, swimming with Brady Kline that dropped 3 seconds and Keir Kristiansen who dropped 6 seconds! Swimming in the last heat seeded 16^th, Junior Aaron Whyte not only dropped 2 seconds, he touched UNDER the 1 minute barrier for the first time and qualified for Saturday’s Consolation heat moving up to the 11^th seed. 

In the 100 Breaststroke, Sr. Co-Captain Mic Borsari set the tone dropping 4+ seconds off his seed in the first heat. In eth next heat, Defending Section 1AA Champion Cal Dretske, seeded 9^th, has a MONSTER swim, dropping 4 seconds. In the final Heat, Sr. Jake Johnson seeded 10^th, matches the prior Winhawks and ultimately Drestke and Johnson are slated to return for the Championship heat seed 2^nd and 4^th respectively. 

Summing up the Prelims, in a MAJOR turn of events, the Winhawks will return for Championship Saturday in all three relays AND swim someone in every event but the 100 Freestyle. 

In years past, the Winhawks were sprinters, and the stroke events were devoid of Winhawks. 

Now, they know their identity. They are indeed swimmers, of this there is no doubt!