Horejsi sets records, again (Video)

Published 10:30 pm Thursday, September 15, 2011

Albert Lea eighth-grader Lindsey Horejsi swims the 100-yard breaststroke Thursday against Rochester Mayo at Albert Lea High School. Horejsi broke a total of five records including her own 200-yard individual medley. -- Andrew Dyrdal

Just a day after turning 14 years old, Lindsey Horejsi surprised herself Thursday night with a few extra birthday presents.

The eighth-grader broke three Albert Lea girls’ swimming pool records and two team records in the Tigers’ 99-84 loss to conference foe Rochester Mayo (2-1, 2-1 Big Nine).

“I think she likes to win and she knows how to race,” Tigers head coach Jon Schmitz said. “She is doing all the right things and of course she is extremely talented as well.”

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Horejsi’s largest jolt of the night came in her first individual event, the 200-yard individual medley. Just one week ago she set the team record in the event with a time of two minutes and 15.95 seconds when Albert Lea (2-2, 1-2) swam against Owatonna. She said Thursday she approached the blocks hoping to turn in a time of 2:14 or better. When she out touched second-place finisher Olivia Cook, the scoreboard read 2:12.87.

“I knew right away I broke it,” Horejsi said. “I just couldn’t believe I went a 2:12.”

The three-second drop wasn’t all she had in store for the night.

After senior Galen Schulz placed second in the 50-yard freestyle and Karli Kriewall was victorious in one-meter diving, it was time for another record to fall.

This time it would be the pool and school record in the 50-yard freestyle, courtesy of Horejsi’s lead-off position on the girls’ 200-yard freestyle relay.

Horejsi stopped the clock with a time of 24.28 seconds. The record time knocked .03 and .06 seconds off of the pool and school records, respectively.

“I just think I have to beat the person right next to me and if I don’t it will hurt the team,” Horejsi said.

The final record to be erased from the record books came in the 100-yard breaststroke, the event Horejsi placed nine in at the state meet last season.

Horejsi swam an opening leg of 32.32 seconds and closed the final 50 yards in 35.95 seconds for a winning time of 1:08.27, shaving .63 seconds off of the pool record she also set last week against Owatonna.

Kally Barkey, a freshman on the Spartans squad set the pool record in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:56.92.

Another Spartan freshman, Olivia Cook, toppled the pool record in the 100-yard butterfly cruising to a win in 59.91 seconds.

“We’re making a lot of strides and working really hard,” Schmitz said. “The girls are putting a lot of time in and it’s really paying off.”

Schulz added another second place performance in the 100 freestyle for the Tigers, pulling in with a time of 57.65.

The Tigers swimming and diving team competes again at 1 p.m. Saturday in a tournament hosted by Lakeville North.

Albert Lea results:

200 Medley Relay- 2. AL (Bergland, Field, Schulz, Horejsi) 1:56.80, 4. AL, 6. AL; 200 Free- 4. Anderson 2:08.93, 5. Simon 2:15.80, 6. Dahl 2:20.43; 200 IM- 1. Horejsi 2:12.87(p)(s), 4. Field 2:31.89, 6. Jensen 2:41.43; 50 free- 2. Schulz 25.81, 4. Ca. Nelson 27.92, 5. Cl. Nelson 27.97; 1 mtr diving 1. Kriewall 201.80, 3. Friehl 125.90, 5. See-Rockers 121.00; 100 Fly- 4. Jensen 1:11.74, 5. Hertling 1:15.51; 100 Free- 2. Schulz 57.56, 3. Anderson 59.84, 4. Bergland 1:00.64; 500 Free- 3. Simon 6:02.04, 5. Rasmussen 6:18.30, 6. Dahl 6:18.87; 200 Free Relay- 2. AL (Horejsi 24.28(p)(s), Field, Anderson, Schulz) 1:44.29, 4. AL, 6. AL; 100 Back- 3. Sandon 1:08.37, 4. Bergland 1:10.79, 6 Cl. Nelson 1:14.62; 100 Breast- 1. Horejsi 1:08.27 (p), 2. Field 1:12.34, 3. Battle 1:23.99; 400 Free Relay- 1. AL (Anderson, Simon, Bergland, Sandon) 4:10.77, 2. AL, 3. AL.