Boys Swimming: Tigers three-peat in True Team

2013 Section 1AA True Team section champions

The True Team concept in Minnesota high school swimming stresses total team performance where every swimmer's place counts. Team depth, as well as individual excellence, is rewarded.

The deep and talented Tiger squad embraced the True Team spirit again Saturday, winning the Section 1AA team title at Northfield for the third consecutive year.

Farmington claimed the title with 825.5 points followed by Hastings 750, Northfield 628, Owatonna 557 and Winona 341.5.

Along with taking home the championship hardware, the Tigers earned a berth in the True Team State meet scheduled for next weekend at the University of Minnesota.

"This year is especially special since we were up against five teams instead of the steady three that have always gotten together for this event," Tiger coach Ryan Hamen said.

"The team we knew would be a real challenge was Hastings. They have some fast times and some depth. They did split some relays, trying to get more points in the depth chart, but overall our swims went above them."

Christopher Kirchmann 3 firsts, 1 second at True Team section (photo by Jim Lindquist)

The Tigers won five of the 12 events, including all three relays, but clinched the championship by piling up lower place points as well.

The winning relay teams included the 200 medley foursome of Oliver Chow, Spencer Kabran, Christian Bell and Evan Carufel; the 200 freestyle quarter of Dahlton Bell, Chrsitian Bell, Carufel and Christopher Kirchmann and the 400 freestyle team of Eric Schimmel, Dahlton Bell, Dan Berg and Kirchmann.

The 200 freestyle team's winning time of 1:31.43 set a meet record, eclipsing the old mark set by Lakeville North in 2005.

Carufel claimed the one-meter diving championship and Kirchmann won the 50 freestyle to account for the other Farmington firsts.

Evan Carufel 3 1sts at True Team (photo by Jim Lindquist)

Kirchmann (100 freestyle) and Dahlton Bell (100 backstroke) each added runner-up finishes to their busy day's work. The 200 medley relay team of Cameron Molnar, Nick Stephan, Brandon Dion and Schimmel also scored second place points.

Aaron Cochnauer came up with the only Tiger third place finish of the day in the 50 freestyle.

No less than six Farmington entries chipped in with fourth place points: Schimmel (100 and 200 freestyle); Cochnauer (100 butterfly); Jonathan Bovee (diving); Kabran (100 breaststroke) and the 200 freestyle relay team of Molnar, Berg, Chow and Tyler Lerbakken.

Fifth place finishers included Austin Kueck (200 freestyle); Chow (200 individual medley) and Christian Bell (100 freestyle).




Other Farmington top 10 finishers:
200 medley relay:  8.Kueck, Ben Cohoon, Brock Lange and Mitch Haugen;
200 freestyle: 7. Molnar; 8. Berg
200 individual medley: 6. Cochnauer; 9. Dion
50 freestyle: 6. D. Bell; 10. M. Haugen
100 butterfly: 6. Dion; 8. Lerbakken
100 freestyle: 9. Bradley Dow
Diving: 8. Sean Dougherty
500 freestyle: 6. Kueck; 9. Berg
200 freestyle relay: 7. Dion, Garrett Haugen, M. Haugen and Cochnauer; 8. Adam Dougherty; Jonathan Kingsbury; Kabran and Lange
100 backstroke: 6. Molnar; 9. C. Bell
100 breaststroke: 6. Stephan
400 freestyle relay: 7. Cochnauer, Dow, M. Haugen and Lerbakken; 9. A. Dougherty, Kingbury, Ian Alexander and Jake Bauerle