The Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center played host to the Class A and AA True Team State Championships on Oct. 19. At a True Team meet, every team member’s performance counts towards the team score, so first place is worth as many points as the number of possible entries in the event. Relays are still worth double individual events.
Top 5 Team Scores – Class AA
- Minnetonka — 2424.5
- Stillwater — 2262
- Wayzata — 2126.5
- Edina — 1962.5
- East Ridge — 1729
Senior Annabelle Wentzel and freshman Claire Wilkey led the way for Minnetonka as they took the win in the Class AA Division. Each won two events for the team, scoring 96 points. Henly Hatzung and Lydia Cameron were just behind with 95 points.
Wentzel, a University of Missouri commit, split a 24.16 50 butterfly on Minnetonka’s winning 200 medley relay, teaming up with Hatzung Kendall Schinder, and Grace Bartholomew to start the meet with a win by 2.12 seconds.
Wentzel was back on the blocks in the next event, the 200 freestyle. She won the event in a personal best 1:51.16, leading a Minnetonka 1-2 with Cameron (1:51.68), who later won the 500 free. Then, Wentzel set a meet record of 54.59 in the 100 butterfly. She closed her day on Minnetonka’s winning 200 freestyle relay (1:34.96), another event where the Skippers went 1-2.
Wilkey was also on Minnetonka’s winning 200 free relay and swept the sprint events in her debut True Team State meet. She swam a personal best 23.28 in the 50 free then followed up with a 51.49 in the 100 free.
Those two performances helped propel Minnetonka to the top of the standings, 162.5 points ahead of Stillwater. The Skippers were ranked No. 2 in the Coaches Association Girls Swimming poll before the championships but with nine girls earning more than 80 points, they could pull away from their competition.
East Ridge’s Logan Havermann was the day’s other double-event winner. The sophomore set a meet record 2:02.09 in the 200 IM, then won the 100 breaststroke in 1:02.49, both lifetime bests. She anchored East Ridge’s 400 free relay in 51.21, helping them win the event (3:30.26), denying Minnetonka the relay sweep.
Top 5 Team Scores – Class A
- Orono — 2252.5
- Delano — 2015.5
- Monticello — 1986
- Visitation — 1754
- Breck School — 1699
Orono earned 2252.5 points in the Class A division to claim their second consecutive True Team State Championship, beating Delano by 237 points.
The Spartans won the first two individual events of the day. Junior Graycin Andreen dominated the 200 freestyle, swimming 1:52.98 and winning by 2.71 seconds. Then, South Dakota State University commit Mallory Knutson won the 200 IM with a personal best of 2:09.63.
Orono also won the 200 freestyle, edging out Monticello, 1:38.38 to 1:38.55.
Along with their three event wins, Orono earned runner-up finishes in the 200 medley relay and 400 freestyle relay. Andreen added a second-place finish in the 100 fly (56.80), as did Lola Schottler in the 500 freestyle (5:17.02) and Reilly Anderson in the 100 backstroke (59.80).
So, while Orono didn’t have as many individual event wins as Minnetonka in the other division, they had a similar number of swimmers earn more than 80 points (eight compared to Minnetonka’s nine) and three above more than 90 points. Minnetonka had more 1-2 finishes, where Orono relied on many swimmers contributing top four finishes at these championships which are designed to highlight team depth.
Monticello sophomore Adalynn Biegler was the only double-event winner in the Class A division, winning the 50 freestyle and 100 butterfly. Her 22.69 in the 50 freestyle was a meet record; she was the only swimmer in the field sub-24 seconds. Biegler doubled up with a win in the 100 fly, posting a 55.91 for her second lifetime best of the day.
While Orono won with 2252.5 points, Delano joined them above the 2000-point barrier with 2015.5 points. Senior Norah Seguin won the 100 backstroke (58.06) and Kaia Georges was runner-up in the 50 free (24.34) and 100 free (54.02).
Schools will head to the state championships next month.
