Farmington ran its season dual meet record to 4-1 with a pair of wins this week. Tuesday, Sept. 14, the Tigers clipped Minneapolis Edison 91-90 at Dodge Middle School in a meet not nearly as close as the final score; Thursday they downed Shakopee 96-89 at Shakopee Junior High School.
Depth played a key role in both victories. Against Edison, Farmington scored just four first place finishes in the first 10 events yet still managed to build a commanding 91-65 lead. The Tigers swam the final two events as exhibitions (no points awarded).
The 200 freestyle relay team of Kaitlyn O'Reilly, Biff Donner, Hannah Seitzinger and Delaney Wright was victorious as were O'Reilly (50 freestyle); Ellie Sundet (200 medley) and Jade Alm (one-meter dive) in individual events.
Farmington really made hay in second place points, finishing runner-up in eight of the 10 events actually contested.
Six different Tigers placed second in individual events: Elizabeth Wolfe, 200 freestyle; Sarah O'Reilly, 100 butterfly; Nikki Cayard, one-meter diving; Donner, 200freestyle; Wright, 100 freestyle and Sundet, 500 freestyle.
The Missota Conference road win over Shakopee was close throughout but in the end, Farmington's ability to score points for second through fifth place finishes made the difference.
"It was an incredible meet," coach Jen Marshall said. "The girls avenged a tough loss to Shakopee from last year. Every athlete really stepped up and performed.
"The medley relay team set the tone for the meet. There was a lot of excitement in the pool for that race."
That medley relay squad of Kirsten Kracke, Sarah O'Reilly, Abby Haugen and Wolfe won the race by .24 of a second to set the stage for the rest of the meet.
Other Farmington blue ribbon performances went to Kaitlyn O'Reilly, 200 medley; Sarah Kinter, 500 freestyle and Wolfe, 100 breaststroke.
Second place points went to Sundet, 100 and 200 freestyle; Robin Ellis, 100 backstroke; Sarah O'Reilly, 500 freestyle; Kaitlyn O'Reilly, 100 butterfly; Haugen, 50 freestyle and Alm, diving.
