AUSTIN – Last year, Naomi Gregerson proved herself one of the elite swimmers in the state by winning a gold and silver medal at the Class A state meet.

Friday, November 12, 1999

AUSTIN – Last year, Naomi Gregerson proved herself one of the elite swimmers in the state by winning a gold and silver medal at the Class A state meet.

She’s well on her way to doing it again.

The Albert Lea High School sophomore led the Tigers in the Section 1A preliminaries at Austin’s Ellis Middle School Wednesday, claiming the top seed in the finals in both sprint races.

Gregerson won both prelims in dominating fashion, clocking 54.46 seconds to break her own section record in the 100-yard freestyle. The time was also well under the state qualifying standard of 56.12, though Gregerson will need to reach it again or place first or second in the finals to return to state.

In the 50 free, Gregerson clocked 25.00, also well under the state cutoff of 25.65 but just off her own section record of 24.96 set two years ago.

The Tigers’ other individual state hopeful, sophomore Laura Grund, made the consolation finals in the sprints. She was 10th in the 50 free in 26.71 and 11th in the 100 free at 59.11.

The best relay finish for the Tigers was the 400 freestyle, where they placed fifth in 3:56.29. The state standard in the event is 3:52.94.

The Tigers were sixth in the 200 freestyle relay in 1:46.51, fairly close to the state qualifying time of 1:44.70.

The Tigers did not make the finals in the 200 medley relay, missing by one place.

Others who competed but did not advance to the finals or consolation finals: Chelsea Cole, 21st, 100 butterfly, 1:12.36 and 23rd, 200 free, 2:14.50; Brooke Kaasa, 22nd, 100 free, 1:01.28 and 24th, 50 free, 28.23; Amy Leach, 21st, 200 individual medley, 2:44.24 and 26th, 100 backstroke, 1:15.26; Kristen Rietsema, 28th, 200 free, 2:18.8 and 19th, 500 free, 6:10.37; Laura Linnes, 29th, 200 free, 2:19.95 and 21st, 500 free, 6:15.55; Rachel Nelson, 22nd, 100 backstroke, 1:13.47; Megan Austin, 29th, 100 breaststroke, 1:22.48; Jennifer Osmundson, 32nd, 100 breaststroke, 1:23.17.

The finals for both swimming and diving begin at 7 p.m. tonight at Ellis Middle School in Austin.