Dec. 1—It's shaping up to be another competitive season in the pool for the southeastern Minnesota swimming and diving teams. Here are a handful of athletes to keep an eye on this winter:
All three of Century's relay teams won their respective races at the Section 1, Class 2A meet last season to qualify for state. The Panthers' 200-yard freestyle relay and 200-yard medley relay teams earned All-State honors for fifth- and seventh-place finishes. On those teams were now-seniors Eli Holmes (200 free relay), Everett Nord (200 free relay), Andrew Linden (200 medley relay, 200 free relay), Grady Bargfrede (200 medley relay) and William Truskowski (200 medley relay). Those five are set to lead the way for the Panthers this winter and will each compete for individual section titles as well. Holmes, Nord and Truskowski were also on the 400-yard free relay team, which won the consolation race and placed ninth overall (3:11.33) at the Class 2A state meet.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementRed Wing senior Zachary Mikkelson won the Class 1A state diving championship last season, scoring 487.15 points. Fellow senior Landen Nelson finished 11th in the event at the state meet with a score of 338.70. Mikkelson finished as state runner-up in the 1-meter diving event as a sophomore two years ago and looks to be a state contender once again this winter.
The Austin senior took home the Class 1A state title in the 100-yard backstroke last season, clocking in at 49.79. Dahl, who recently signed to swim at Division I Southern Illinois University, also received All-State honors for his fourth-place finish in the 200-yard individual medley (1:56.11). He won the 500-yard freestyle (4:59.86) and placed second in the 200 IM (1:58.05) at the Big Nine Conference meet last year as a junior. Dahl looks to have another competitive winter in the pool.
The junior won the 100-yard freestyle at the Section 1, Class 2A meet last season, timing in at 4:59.86, and finished as runner-up in the 200-yard free (4:59.86). He placed in the top 16 in the 100 free (11th, 46.97) and in the 400 free relay (15th, 3:16.22) at the Class 2A state meet. He also finished third in the 200 free (1:50.14) and fourth in the 100 free (49.31) at the Big Nine Conference meet. Leisure will be a key part of the Spartans' team once again this year as they hope to remain competitive in the conference and section.
Last season, Wagstaff finished as runner-up in the diving event at the Big Nine Conference meet with 379.80 points and second at the Section 1, Class 2A meet with a score of 384.80 to qualify for state. He finished 21st of 31 at the Class 2A state diving prelims with 157.20 points. The junior hopes to have another competitive diving season in southeastern Minnesota.
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