Girls swimming and diving powerhouse Grand Rapids had enough team points after the first eight events to win the dual meet it hosted against International Falls on Tuesday when the Thunderhawks swam the last four events for exhibition purposes only and defeated the Broncos, 96-83.
The best the Falls could do in the contested events was a pair of second-place finishes as Rapids took all the top spots and also went 1-2-3 in five events.
The Broncos’ 200-yard medley relay team of Courtney Klow, Sarah Todd, Breanna Shofner and Jenna Anderson placed second in 2 minutes, 10.8 seconds, 6.73 seconds behind Rapids.
Todd also placed second in the 100 butterfly (1:12.68) — 3.21 seconds behind the top time of Rapids’ Nicole Pardinas — and added a third-place finish in the 200 individual medley (2:37.67) to account for both of Falls’ top-three individual finishes contested in the dual meet.
With the Thunderhawks taking themselves out of the final four events for competitive purposes, the Broncos went 1-2-3 in the last two relays and individual events.
Klow, Todd, Shofner and Claire Herzig had Falls’ best time in the 200 freestyle relay (1:56.11).
Broncos freshman Abby Kostiuk had the best time in the 100 backstroke (1:12.84).
Shofner came in first in the 100 breaststroke (1:20.94).
Anderson, Kostiuk, Kari Arnold and Blair Johnson combined for Falls’ best time in the 400 freestyle relay (4:33.04).
FHS pool still unavailable
The meet initially was scheduled in the FHS swimming pool, but was moved to Grand Rapids with the Broncos’ home pool still unavailable due to the problem with tiles coming off the bottom following a deepening project.
Falls Superintendent Nordy Nelson said the work remedying the tile problem to reopen the pool is “pretty close” to being on schedule, leaving open the possibility this season the Bronco girls could host a meet later this month.
The final home meet on Falls’ schedule is Oct. 25 against Mesabi East. However, in the event the FHS swimming pool wouldn’t reopen by then, Broncos head coach Jill Herzig said the possibility exists that Mesabi East, which also is slated to host a quadrangular meet Oct. 30, could agree to have the Falls host that meet, provided the FHS pool is then available.
The Broncos’ next dual meet is Thursday at Warroad, where the meet was postponed last week because of the wintry weather.
