Tigers move up the ranks at Big Nine meet

Published 9:57 pm Sunday, November 1, 2009

John Marshall has dominated the Big Nine Conference this season and the Rockets girls’ swimming team left one more impression on the rest of the Big Nine Saturday at the conference meet in Albert Lea.

The Rockets broke four pool records, two courtesy of Brianna Fujan, and the 200-yard freestyle relay team of Fujan, Caitlin Fujan, Taylor Bass and Allison Schumacher broke a meet record as John Marshall tallied 527 points to beat Faribault by 228 points for its second consecutive conference crown.

Brianna Fujan and sister Caitlin Fujan both broke the pool record in the 200 individual medley, but it was older sister Brianna, defeating Caitlin, last year’s conference champion.

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Albert Lea finished tied for seventh with Austin at the meet, scoring 138 points and Tigers head coach Jon Schmitz was pleased with the team’s performance.

“That was really big for our team,” Schmitz said. “We turned in a pretty good darn performance.”

Albert Lea defeated just one team in the regular season, but beat out both Mankato schools Saturday.

Galen Schulz stood out for the Tigers, earning a third-place finish in the 50 freestyle and a fourth place finish in the 100 freestyle. Schulz swam a time of 25.56 seconds in the 50 and had a lifetime best time of 56.42 in the 100 freestyle.

“She wants to make that state meet and she’s working hard,” Schmitz said.

Albert Lea had two top 10 finishes in the 100 breaststroke with Gracie Thomas and Morgan Field. Thomas placed sixth and clocked a time of 1:13.39 while Field finished eighth with a time of 1:14.55.

Karli Kriewall and Katie Walechka scored for the Tiger divers as Kriewall placed eighth with a score of 207.15 and Walechka placed 16th with a score of 197.

The 200 freestyle relay team of Schulz, Horejsi, Field and Kim Nelson placed seventh while the 200 medley relay team of Thomas, Horejsi, Schulz and Whitney Rasmussen placed ninth and the 400 freestyle relay team of Nelson, Rasmussen, Field and Kemma Bergland placed ninth.

Albert Lea has the next week off as it prepares for the section meet next Wednesday in Austin.

TEAM RESULTS

John Marshall 527, Faribault 299, Century 265, Owatonna 251, Winona 207, Mayo 179, Austin 138, Albert Lea 138, Mankato West 128, Mankato East 67.

ALBERT LEA INDIVIDUAL RESULTS

200 medley relay: 9. Albert Lea, Whitney Rasmussen, Gracie Thomas, Amy Horejsi, Galen Schulz 2:02.92. 200 freestyle: 21. Rachel Gould 2:16.64; 27. Rasmussen 2:18.34; 35. Hannah Hertling 2:25.31. 200 individual medley: 18. Morgan Field 2:34.35; 22. Thomas 2:37.14; 36. Madeline Dahl 2:56.00. 50 freestyle: 3. Schulz 25.56; 11. Horejsi 27.11; 22. K. Nelson 28.13; 35. Renee Holcomb 30.47. 1-meter diving: 8. Karli Kriewall 207.15; 16. Katie Walechka 197.00. 100 butterfly: 14. K. Nelson 1:09.73; 18. Horejsi 1:10.49; 33. Hertling 1:21.19; 34. Carly Nelson 1:24.86. 100 freestyle: 4. Schulz 56.42; 25. Kemma Bergland 1:02.71; 32. Holcomb 1:05.01; 38. Claire Nelson 1:08.33. 500 freestyle: 15. Jasmine Hanson 6:01.18; 24. Gould 6:16.28. 200 freestyle relay: 7. Albert Lea, Schulz, Horejsi, Field, K. Nelson 1:47.67. 100 backstroke: 20. Bergland 1:13.32; 23. Rasmussen 1:13.99; 36. Dahl 1:23.92; 37. Claire Nelson 1:25.28. 100 breaststroke: 6. Thomas 1:13.39; 8. Field 1:14.55; 39. Chelsey Battle 1:29.27. 400 freestyle relay: 9. Albert Lea, Bergland, K. Nelson, Rasmussen, Field 4:11.70.