HIBBING — Everyone’s goal in the preliminaries is to finish in the top eight or top 16, and numerous Broncos did just that Thursday to advance to today’s Section 7A finals at Hibbing High School.
The top eight finishers have a chance to qualify for the Class A state championships with a top two finish today, while the 9-16 finishers will compete in the consolation championships. Individuals and relays can also qualify for state by finishing under the state qualifying time.
The best finish for the Broncos was a second in the 200-yard freestyle relay. Breanna Shofner, Maggie West, Paige Herzig and Rachel Adams finished in a season-best time of 1 minute, 48.99 seconds. If they hold that position today, they’ll advance to state. However, Broncos head coach Jill Herzig thinks they need to cut that time down to 1:46 to fend off Hibbing, which finished six seconds behind the Falls. A 1:46 would also give this current group the school record, which has been their No. 1 goal all season.
“To go to state would be icing on the cake,” coach Herzig said.
The same foursome finished third in the 200 medley relay in 2:02.93.
“They both have a legitimate shot,” coach Herzig said about her top two relays.
Sara Lindberg was the last Bronco swimmer to participate at the state meet back in 2005.
Individually, Morgan Bruess was third (1:08.53) and West fourth (1:08.59) in the 100 backstroke. The duo is less than a second behind top finisher Emily Bombich of Eveleth-Gilbert (1:07.82) and runner-up Michelle Patregnani of Hibbing (1:07.97).
Rachel Adams was sixth (26.63) and Shofner seventh (26.91) in the 50 freestyle, while two more Broncos finished eighth. West rounded out the finalists in the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:33.74, and Herzig, battling a strained right shoulder, finished eighth in the 100 breaststroke in 1:19.42. Herzig hurt her shoulder a week ago Friday, and the senior gutted out three races in the prelims. Blair Johnson took Herzig’s place in the 400 freestyle relay, the last event of the day, but the senior expects to compete in the event today. The 400 freestyle relay finished sixth in 4:08.91.
Only Shofner and Herzig failed to post season-best times in their top 8 finish. Shofner missed her season-best by .01 seconds, and Herzig finished just under two seconds behind her season-best of 1:17.66. The Broncos posted 22 season-best times out of 33 swims. The diving competition is today.
Meet notes
• Solveig Viren, the super speedy freshman from Grand Rapids, recorded the section and pool records in the 50 and 100 freestyle. She finished first in both events in 24.3 and 53.34, respectively. Whose records did she break? … Her own. No Broncos hold any pool records at Hibbing or any Section 7A records.
• Brittany Spotts, Stephanie Johnson, Laurie Lucachick and Sara Sandbeck (1999) hold the FHS school record in the 200 freestyle relay with a time of 1:47.76. Lucy Nevanen, Lindberg, Nikki Krueger and Erika Mitchell (2007) hold the 200 medley relay school record at 1:59.99.
• The state qualifying times in each even are the following: 200 medley relay (1:56.48), 200 freestyle (2:01.47), 200 IM (2:18.87), 50 freestyle (25.31), Diving (top 4 places – no standard), 100 butterfly (1:02.43), 100 freestyle (55.32), 500 freestyle (5:31.1), 200 freestyle relay (1:43.52), 100 backstroke (1:04.15), 100 breaststroke (1:11.49), 400 freestyle relay (3:47.92).
Section 7A Preliminaries
@ Hibbing High School
200-yard medley relay — *3, Maggie West, Paige Herzig, Breanna Shofner, Rachel Adams, 2:02.93.
200 freestyle — 14, Morgan Bruess, 2:16.99; 21, Therese Youso, 2:22.61; 23, Kari Arnold, 2:30.09; 25, Sarah Manka, 2:34.52.
200 individual medley — 8, West, 2:33.74; *20, Tamera Stouffer, 2:47.89; DQ, Abby Oveson.
50 freestyle — 6, Adams, 26.63; 7, Shofner, 26.91; 18, Blair Johnson, 29.0; 24, Courtney Klow, 29.98.
100 butterfly — 17, Stouffer, 1:16.83; 22, Manka, 1:25.06; 26, Jessica Hell, 1:34.18; 27, Hanna Lehman, 1:35.16.
100 freestyle — 15, Oveson, 1:03.45; 17, Youso, 1:03.78; 20, Johnson, 1:04.68; *23, Jayde Hall, 1:07.44.
500 freestyle — 21, Arnold, 6:46.75; 26, Abby Auran, 7:27.71; 28, Tayler Hebner, 7:50.69.
200 freestyle relay — *2, Shofner, West, Herzig, Adams, 1:48.99.
100 backstroke — 3, Bruess, 1:08.53; *4, West, 1:08.59; 20, Klow, 1:16.82; 26, Hall, 1:19.8.
100 breaststroke — 8, Herzig, 1:19.42; 9, Ashley Hasbargen, 1:19.67; 25, Logen Amundsen, 1:31.74; 28, Jenna Anderson, 1:33.35.
400 freestyle relay — 6, Johnson, Shofner, Youso, Adams, 4:08.91.
*Won heat
Top 8 advance to finals and can qualify for state
9-16 finishers advance to consolation finals
