The more things change the more they stay the same.

Taking a look at what happened Thursday at the Rec Center, it was amazing how many times a girl swam her personal best, yet she finished at her seed, sometimes even slower. Lots of parity, lots of post season advancement! There were a few swims that really stood out though; you will see them as they are called! Congratulations McKenna and Emily on a GREAT Sections Prelims!

The 200 Medley Relay kicked things off and in Section Prelims, there is but one common mantra, “do not jump!” You cannot score in the finals if your team isn’t in it. The group of Abbey Quandahl, Greer Kosidowski, Hanna O’Neill and Emily Thurow got the Winhawks through safely and seed 4^th for the finals. 

The 200 Freestyle perhaps set the tone for the day, (with a few exceptions). The first heat sent Freshman Harper O’Neill to the blocks. Seeded 28^th she cuts nearly 4 seconds to swim a personal best, only to finish 27! The next heat contained Sr. Greer Kosidowski seeded 15^th and she too cuts over 2 ½ seconds swimming consistent splits on her way to a personal best time but only to finish 17^th just missing finals! Next off is Sophomore Morgan Whyte and she slashes nearly 3 ½ seconds also swimming a new personal best but finishes 12^th! The last heat had 7^th Grade standout Morgan Drazkowski seeded 19^th. She swims a negative split final 50 to drop a little under 2 seconds which is of course a new personal best and finished where she started, 19^th!

The 200 IM followed the theme! Heat 2 had Sr. Razil Campbell in 1 and Sophomore Alex Arnold in Lane 3. Razil with the 21^st seed slashes almost 5 seconds for a new personal best time and moves up to finish 18^th, just out of Finals qualification. Alex drops almost a second and a half, sets a new personal best, and secures the fastest seed in the Consolation Final, 9^th place. Sr. Co-Captain Reese Galewski flies solo in the 3^rd heat seeded 8^th. She swims a new personal best and yet she too dropping nearly 2 seconds retains that spot qualifying for the Championship final in 8^th! The final Heat had Junior McKenzie Porter swimming out of Lane 8 as 22^nd seed. She swims her seedtime and slides to finish 25^th overall.

The 50 Free Style or Splash & Dash always has some surprises and for the Winhawks it was good. Heat 2 had Emily Thurow as the 12^th seed out of Lane 6. Emily powers past the swimmers on both sides lopping 9 tenths of a second off her seed to swim a new personal best and move all the way up to finish 6^th overall qualifying for the Championship Final! The next heat had the remaining three Winhawks owning the left side of the pool. Sr. Co-Captain Haley O’Neill seeded 5^th in Lane 5, Sr. Abbey Quandahl seeded 11^th in Lane 6 and Sophomore Hanna O’Neill in Lane 8. Haley too drops nearly a second and moves up to the 3^rd qualifier overall returning for the Championship Final with Emily! Abbey swims her seed and just misses qualifying for the Consolation Final by only 5 one hundredths of a second! Hanna cuts a huge 7 tenths off her seed for a new personal best and moves up from 23^rd seed to finish 20^th overall.

1 Meet Diving Prelims and Semis were held earlier in the day. Sophomore Emilee Degnan trying to dive injured is able to score in the 20’s with her Back 1 ss Straight and her Forward 1 ½ ss Pike but is unable to push through to the semifinals. Freshman Claire Conway score well on her Inward 1 ss Tuck and her forward 1 ½ ss Pike moving her into the Semi Finals round. Her forward 1 ss 1 Twist was almost enough, she finished in 17^th place just missing finals by one spot! Junior Sarah Scherbring scored well on her Forward 1 ½ ss in Pike position and the Inward 1 ½ ss Tuck to move into Semifinals in 10^th place. Her forward 1 ss 2 Twists scored well for her but slipped to 12^th qualifying for the Finals on Saturday afternoon. Sr. Co-Captain Janelle Mueller hit her Forward 22 ss and her Back 1 ½ ss Tuck allowing her to move to Semifinals in 5^th overall. Her Inward 1 ½ ss Tuck and her Back 1 ½ ss 1 Twist helped her to hang onto 5^th qualifying to dive in Finals on Saturday afternoon as well.

The 100 Butterfly saw the Winhawks bunched up again. In Heat Two, Sr. Co-Captain Reese Galewski was in Lane 4 as the 3^rd seed, Hanna O’Neill was in 7 as the 18^th seed and McKenzie Porter was in 8 as the 24^th seed. Reese took the heat out for a ride swimming her fastest time of the season and qualifying for the Championship final in 4^th overall. Hanna also swam her fastest time of the season dropping a second and a half but just misses Consolation Final by one spot! McKenzie swims her seed time but slips one spot to 25^th. In the third heat Junior Kailey Kronebusch swims out of Lane 8 and cuts 2 seconds off her seed for a new personal best and finishes where she started in 23^rd!

The 100 Freestyle had Alex Arnold going out in Lane 3 in the second heat seeded 9^th. She stays with the gang at the 50 then holds her split better than those around her to swim a new personal best and move up to qualify for the Championship Final on Saturday. Heat three had Emily Thurow in Lane 2 seeded 14^th and Haley O’Neill in Lane 5 seeded 5^th again. Emily goes out hard and equals the return to finish with a new personal best and moves up to finish 10^th overall and the Consolation Final Saturday. In the final heat 8^th grader Alexa Lofgren swims a new personal best in qualifying for the Consolation Final in 14^th overall.

The 500 Freestyle starts out with Freshman Jessica Kohner in the first heat swimming and finishing in the 27^th seed but dropping 3 ½ seconds for a new personal best time. Heat 2 featured Sr. McKenna Marg in the 23^rd seed swimming in Lane 1. McKenna showed strength from the start and laid it all out for the rest of the way.  She swims a personal best moving ALL the way up to 16^th overall AND the Consolation Final for Saturday! Heat 4 was bracketed by Razil Campbell in Lane 1 and Morgan Drazkowski in Lane 8, 19^th and 22^nd seeds respectively. Both girls make the most of their last swims of the season. Razil slashes 7 seconds off her seed for a new personal best time and is 20^th overall. Morgan too cuts 5 seconds off her seedtime to set a new personal best placing where she started, 22^nd.

The 200 Freestyle Relay usually has teams just wanting to make it to Finals, but Winona wants more. Morgan Whyte, Reese Galewski, Emily Thurow and Haley O’Neill put together a run that sets the 8^th   fastest relay on record and carry the top seed into the Championship Final Saturday.

The 100 Backstroke was the Winhawks’ most strongly seeded event. Not appearing until the 3^rd heat, McKenna Marg is in Lane 3 and Morgan Whyte is in Lane 5. McKenna still giddy over her 500 swim takes this event out hard staying with the higher seeded inner lanes. She hangs on hard for the final 50 and swims a new personal best as well as moves from 8^th seed up to qualify 6^th. Opposite her in 5, Morgan Whyte swims a solid race next to a sub-minute performer. She stays close and swims a new personal best to place a solid 5^th. Both girls are qualified for the Championship final. In the Final Heat Alexa Lofgren and Abbey Quandahl are neighbors swimming in Lanes 2 & 3 respectively. Alexa swims a new personal best to place 15^th overall and the right to return in the Consolation Final. Abbey is seeded 7^th and shaves another 7 tenths off the outstanding swim she had 2 weeks ago at Conference. Abbey qualifies 7^th and joins McKenna and Morgan for the Championship Final on Saturday!

The 100 Breaststroke sees Winhawks Harper O’Neill and Jessica Kohner in the first heat seeded 27^th and 28^th respectively. They both go out and swim personal best times in swapping for eth final finish 28^th and 27^th respectively. In Heat 3, we find newcomer Annika Anderson the seventh grader seeded 14^th with veteran Greer Kosidowski next to her in Lane 4. The girls take the race out well and Annika and Greer both qualify for the Consolation Finals setting personal best times, Greer in 10^th and Annika in 16^th!

The 400 Free Relay was another “don’t DQ” stress test with all clubs advancing to the final. Winona’s team of Morgan Whyte, Alexandra Arnold, Reese Galewski and Haley O’Neill ride the 3^rd seed to finish in the 2^nd seed overall.

Finals are on Saturday at the Rochester Rec Center – swimming starts 1:30PM