If you only looked at the final score, it didn’t appear to be a successful meet for the Albert Lea High School girls’ swimming and diving team.

Friday, October 05, 2001

If you only looked at the final score, it didn’t appear to be a successful meet for the Albert Lea High School girls’ swimming and diving team.

The Tigers’ individual marks made it a success.

The young ALHS squad lost 95-81 to a strong Austin crew in the ALHS pool Thursday night but, according to coach Jon Schmitz, the Tigers had many outstanding performances and personal-best times. The Packers, who won all but two events, didn’t count their points after building a 95-31 lead with four races remaining.

Leah Matheson, an eighth-grader, picked up Albert Lea’s lone individual first, winning the 100-yard breaststroke in 1:16.02.

The Tigers’ other win was in the 200 freestyle relay, where Chelsea Cole, Brooke Kaasa, Lonna Vanderploeg and Krista Horejsi teamed for first in 1:52.86.

Other Albert Lea places: Kaasa, third, 200 free and third, 500 free; Cole, fifth, 200 free and third, 100 butterfly; Matheson, fourth, 200 IM; Vanderploeg, fourth, 50 free; Laura Hillman, fifth, 50 free and fourth, diving; Kassi Gaul, second, diving; Amy Leach, fourth, 100 butterfly; Laura Grund, third, 100 free; Kaeli Wayne, fifth, 100 free and fourth, 100 back; Rachael Hagen, fifth, 500 free; Laura Linnes, fifth, 100 back; Alyssa Nelson, second, 100 back; Horejsi, third, 100 breast; Megan Austin, fourth, 100 breast.

The Albert Lea junior varsity lost 117-66.

The Tigers are off until next Thursday, when they travel to Winona for a 6 p.m. Big Nine dual meet.