For the Tribune

MINNEAPOLIS – The Albert Lea Family Y Tigersharks swam to 14th place out of 20 teams in the 2002 state meet at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center.

Tuesday, March 19, 2002

MINNEAPOLIS – The Albert Lea Family Y Tigersharks swam to 14th place out of 20 teams in the 2002 state meet at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center.

The 16-member squad took five first places, one second and three thirds.

Coaches LaChelle Sandon and David VanFossen said they were pleased with the performance of the team, considering they only had 16 swimmers competing.

&uot;We had 16 personal-best times in this meet, which was great and accounted for the first through third-place finishes,&uot; said VanFossen.

Fourteen swimmers have qualifying national times, allowing them to compete in the Midwest Regional meet, sponsored by the Minnesota Youth Athletic Services, in April. Swimmers from Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska and Wisconsin will compete.

Results from the state meet, by division:

* Boys’ 8-and-under – James Mulligan, 10th, 25-yard backstroke, 23.29; seventh, 25 butterfly, 23.25;

* Boys’ 11-12 – Matthew VanFossen, first, 200 freestyle, 2:23.64; third, 50 freestyle, 28.55; third, 100 freestyle, 1:04.81;

* Girls’ 8-and-under – 100 medley relay, sixth, 1:32.37 (Randi Johnson, Bria Schreiber, Jade Classen, Beth Jensen); Jade Classen, 10th, 25 freestyle, 17.89, eighth, 25 butterfly, 22.25, ninth, 50 free, 41.36; Bria Schreiber, fifth, 25 breast, 23.88; Chelsea Peterson, eighth, 25 breast, 24.81;

* Girls’ 11-12 – Samantha Cole, first, 50 free, 26.87, first, 50 butterfly, 28.79, first, 100 free, 1:00.07; Jackie Elwood, first, 50 back, 33.88, sixth, 50 free, 29.46, eighth, 100 free, 1:06.34; 200 medley relay, third, 2:24.3 (Jackie Elwood, Heather Carlson, Samantha Cole, Whitney Walters); 200 free relay, third, 1:59.84 (Whitney Walters, Heather Carlson, Jackie Elwood, Samantha Cole);

* Girls’ Open – Natalie Zitnak, fifth, 50 free, 28.83, fifth, 100 butterfly, 1:11.66, ninth, 100 breast, 1:23.65.