The Winona Winhawks proved to be a tough challenge for the Albert Lea girls’ swimming and diving team Thursday.

“The girls are sore and tired but we still had a lot of best times tonight,” Head coach Jon Schmitz said.

The Tiger swimmers were defeated 96-85 at home but they put in a good showing. Assistant Coach Erik Johnson moved some key swimmers into events they rarely swim. Amy Horejsi, the only captain of the team, was proud of her girls’ accomplishments

“We did well with quite a few girls swimming different events, Horejsi said.”

Starting off the evening was the Tigers’ 200-yard medley relay and a second place finish. The relay was made up of Whitney Rasmussen, Morgan Field, Amy Horejsi and Kemma Bergland.

Galen Schulz amped up the excitement with her first place finish in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 2 minutes 07.47 seconds.

“Galen did very well in the 200,” Horejsi said. “She really pushed it in at the end.”

Schulz’s 200-yard free was the lone first place for the night for the Tigers. The girls did not go down without a fight, however.

They brought in second and third in the 200 individual medley by Morgan Field and Kemma Bergland, respectively.

Seventh-grader Lindsey Horejsi let everyone know who she was with her second place finish in the 50-yard free with a time of 26.24 seconds. Amy Horejsi brought in a third place finish in the 100-yard butterfly with a season best time of 1:09.94.

Schulz added to the fight with her second place finish in the 100-yard free, adding yet another season best swim cutting nearly a full second off her time from last week.

Field battled and lead for the entire 500 free but got out touched at the wall, getting beat by a mere .07 seconds for second-place. Rasmussen finished third in the 500 with a section qualifying time of 6:24.79.

Second place was a familiar home for the girls as the 200 free relay ended there as well. The relay team of Schulz, L. Horejsi, Bergland and A. Horejsi had a time of 1:47.81 in a race to the wall conclusion.

The team of Mady Dahl, Hannah Hertling, Lauren Sorenson and Karli Kriewall had a fourth place finish as well in the relay.

The 100 Backstroke was a second, third and fourth place finish for the girls swam by Anna Anderson, Bailey Sandon and Whitney Rasmussen. Section qualifying swims were accomplished in the 100 Breaststroke by Lindsey Horejsi with a time of 1:16.46 and Amy Horejsi at 1:18.94.

Also swimming new section qualifying times for the Tigers were Schulz in the 200 free, seventh-grader Anna Anderson in the 50 free and Field in the 500 free.

Tigers divers were giving it their all Thursday as well,

“The divers have been working very hard,” said assistant diving coach Jill Johnson. “I am excited to watch their progress throughout the year.”

Karli Kriewall finished in second and Chelsea Battle finishing fourth.

The Tiger girls have a tough schedule ahead of them with three meets next week. The Tigers will be home again on Monday night when they host St. Peter.

Results:

200 Medley Relay: 2nd – Rasmussen, Field, A. Horejsi, Bergland (2:07.39), 4th – Sandon, L. Horejsi, Hertling, Anderson (2:12.00), 6th – Claire Nelson, Samantha Nielson, Carly Nelson, Kriewall (2:24.83)

200 Free: 1st – Schulz (2:07.47), 5th Dahl (2:29.50), 6th Sorenson (2:35.55)

200 IM: 2nd – Field (2:34.09), 3rd – Bergland (2:44.49), 5th Sandon (2:46.41)

50 Free: 2nd – L. Horejsi (26.24), 5th Anderson (28.99), 6th Hertling (29.67)

Diving: 2nd – Kriewall (166.05), 4th Battle (109.85), 6th Friehl (91.05)

100 Butterfly: 3rd – A. Horejsi (1:09.94), 5th Bergland (1:24.73), 6th Carly Nelson (1:26.91)

100 Free: 2nd – Schulz (57.65), 5th Sorenson (1:07.28), 6th Dahl (1:07.67)

500 Free: 2nd Field (6:16.27), 3rd Rasmussen (6:24.79), 5th Haley Simon (7:13.82)

200 Free Relay: 2nd – Schulz, L. Horejsi, Bergland, A. Horejsi (1:47.81), 4th Dahl, Hertling, Sorenson, Kriewall (2:00.72), 6th Battle, Carly Nelson, Sara Rasmussen, Friehl (2:12.92)

100 Back: 2nd Anderson (1:16.91), 3rd Sandon (1:17.97), 4th W. Rasmussen (1:19.57)

100 Breaststroke: 1st L. Horejsi (1:16.46), 2nd A. Horejsi (1:18.94), 3rd Hertling (1:24.66)

400 Free Relay: 1st Schulz, Field, Dahl, W. Rasmussen (4:26.94), 2nd Sandon, Sorenson, Simon, Anderson (4:50.31)