For the first time in school history a Farmington team has won a spot in the True Team state swimming and diving meet.
The Tiger girls used their superior depth and balance to win the Section 1AA meet held Saturday, Oct. 16, at Faribault.
Coach Jen Marshall's young and talented squad finished the day with 772 points to defeat favored Rochester John Marshall and earn the state berth.
John Marshall scored 688 points followed by Faribault 648, Winona 571 and Owatonna 510.
"The depth of the team really came through." Marshall said. "The girls are starting to understand what the coaches have been talking about all season. We are a talented and very deep team."
Two Tigers won individual events. Kaitlyn O'Reilly set a new pool record in claiming the 100 backstroke title in 1:01.37 and Elizabeth Wolfe led the field in the 100 breaststroke with a finishing time of 1:11.60.
The championship though came on the back of multiple high finishes in almost every event.
In all three relays Farmington placed three teams among the top 10. In three individual events-100 backstroke, 200 medley and 200 freestyle-the Tigers had four top ten finishers.
"Our relays performed very well," Marshall said. "We've been moving personnel around and I think we've finally nailed down who will be on them for the conference and the section. The B, C and D teams swam exceptional races. They beat a lot of teams who were seeded higher than they were."
Farmington Top 10 finishers:
200 individual medley relay: 2. Wolfe, Kirsten Kracke, Caitlin Kracke, K. O'Reilly; 6. Robin Ellis, Abby Haugen, Cory Ruzica, Victoria Resch; 10. Delaney Wright, Amanda Brasgalla, Chloe Holton, Hannah Sundt
200 freestyle: 5. Ellie Sundet; 7. Sarah O'Reilly; 7; K. Kracke, 10. Sara Kintner
200 individual medley: 2. K. O'Reilly; 7. Ruzicka; 9. Wright; 10. Holton
50 freestyle: 4. C. Kracke
One-meter Diving: 9. Nikki Cayard
100 butterfly: 5. Ruzicka; 6. Hannah Seitzinger
100 freestyle: 6. C. Kracke; 8. Sundet
500 freestyle: 5. Kinter; 6. S. O'Reilly; 8. Maddie Alexander
200 freestyle relay: 5. Ellis, Sundet, Haugen, S. O'Reilly; 8. Resch, Seitzinger, Sundt, Holton; 10. Alexander, Ruzicka, Brasgalla, Kintner
100 backstroke: 1. K. O'Reilly; 5. K. Kracke; 6. Ellis; 7. Wright
100 breaststroke: 1. Wolfe; 6. Haugen
400 freestyle relay: 4. Sundet, K. Kracke, C. Kracke, K. O'Reilly; 6. S. O'Reilly, Kintner, Wright, Wolfe; 10. Alexander, Sundt, Seitzinger, Brasgalla
The girls now have three days to prepare for the state meet slated for Thursday, Oct. 21, at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center in Minneapolis.
"Winning the section really boosted our girls' confidence," Marshall said. "They now believe they are contenders in both the conference and section. Things are coming together at the right time."
