Six Albert Lea 10th-graders and an 8th-grader qualify for state at sections

ROCHESTER — Six sophomores and an eighth-grader from Albert Lea made a big splash Friday at the Section 1A swimming meet at Rochester Recreation Center.

Those seven swimmers qualified for the state meet in seven different events and led the Tigers to a third-place team finish out of 12 teams.

Lindsey Horejsi — who was named Swimmer of the Meet — and Anna Andersen led Albert Lea by qualifying for state in four events each.

In addition to setting the section record and beating her preliminary time by 1.41 seconds in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:01.81, Horejsi also qualified for state in the 200-meter individual medley, the 200-yard medley relay and the 200-yard freestyle relay.

“That was an amazing time in the breaststroke,” said Albert Lea head coach Jon Schmitz. “We don’t know for sure, but there’s no doubt in my mind that that’s the top time in the nation right now.”

Horejsi, a sophomore, said she hopes to continue the success she’s had in the 100-yard breaststroke at state.

“I’d like to get the national record of a 58.7 or anything under a minute,” she said. “I’m super excited to see what happens at state and see how the team does.”

To demonstrate how well Horejsi swam in all of her events, her split of 22.67 seconds for a 50-yard freestyle leg of the 200-yard freestyle relay was 1.15 seconds faster than the fastest swimmer in the open 50-yard freestyle, and 2.37 seconds less than the state cut time in the open race.

“What Lindsey did in the (200-yard freestyle) relay was incredible,” Schmitz. “We’ve got some big scorers going to state.”

Not to be lost amongst Horejsi’s accomplishments, Anna Andersen, also a sophomore, had a superb meet. She qualified for state in four events for the first time.

“I’ve never made it in the 50-yard free, and I’m really happy to be going to state in all of my events,” Andersen said.

Andersen qualified for state as part of a relay team in eighth grade, and she’s been building on it each year. Last year, she qualified in three events, she said.

Ahnika Jensen, a sophomore, qualified for state in a two relays and one individual event.

The top two place-winners qualify for the state meet in any given event, and the 100-yard breaststroke at the section meet was stacked with talent. After Horejsi’s new personal best time, four other swimmers qualified for state in the event. Jensen took fourth place and completed the race in 1:08.26 to secure a spot at state.

“Ahnika at 1:08 in the breaststroke — that was big,” Schmitz said.

Jensen also qualified for state in the 200-yard freestyle relay and the 200-yard medley relay.

Bailey Sandon and Haley Simon, also sophomores, qualified for state as members of two relays each.

Despite qualifying for state in the 200-yard medley relay and the 400-yard freestyle relay, Sandon had higher aspirations, especially after she swam under the state cut time during the section prelims by 0.33 seconds in the 100-yard backstroke. Prelim times do not count toward state qualifying. They do, however, give a swimmer the chance to compete in the section finals.

“She barely missed the cut in the backstroke and I.M.,” Schmitz said about Sandon. “She’s a great swimmer, and she’s making it in the two relays, but it was rough on her.”

Sandon missed the cut by 0.05 seconds in the 200-yard individual medley and by 0.29 seconds in the 100-yard backstroke. Samantha Nielsen also had a near miss. She took sixth place in the 100-yard breaststroke and missed the state cut by 0.24 seconds.

Bryn Williams, an eighth-grader, qualified for state as part of the 200-yard medley relay team, and Sara Rasmussen, a sophomore, was part of the 400-yard freestyle relay team that took fourth place but made state cuts by 4.22 seconds and set a school record in the process.

“We made some last-minute switches with Sara in that relay, and she really clocked a great time for us,” Schmitz said. “That was huge.”

The Tigers will compete at the state meet at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center in Minneapolis on Nov. 19 and 20. State diving will be Nov. 18. Preliminary swimming for Class A will start at noon Nov. 19. Class A swimming and diving finals start at noon Nov. 20.

 

Albert Lea at Section 1A finals at Rochester Recreation Center

1. Visitation 488

2. Mankato West 256

3. Albert Lea 293

4. Faribault 256

5. Northfield 196

6. St. Peter 182

7. Austin 135

8. Simley 92

9. Blooming Kennedy 72

10. Red Wing 67

11. Mankato East 64

12. New Prague 53

 

200-yard medley relay: Bryn Williams, Lindsey Horejsi, Ahnika Jensen and Bailey Sandon (third, 1:49.46)*

200-yard freestyle: Haley Simon (eighth, 2:01.63); Sara Rasmussen (13th, 2:05.88)

200-yard individual medley: Horejsi (first, 2:05.83)*; Sandon (fifth, 2:15.92); Jensen (eighth, 2:20.11)

50-yard freestyle: Anna Andersen (fourth, 24.42)*

1-meter diving: Brianna See-Rockers, 16th, 231.33)

100-yard butterfly: Carly Nelson (10th, 1:05.53)

100-yard freestyle: Anderson (second, 53.82)*; Simon (ninth, 55.87)

500-yard freestyle: Rasmussen (10th, 5:38.90)

200-yard freestyle relay: Andersen, Jensen, Simon and Horejsi (first, 1:38. 27)*

100-yard backstroke: Sandon (fifth, 1:02.70)

100-yard breaststroke: Horejsi (first, 1:01.81)*; Jensen (fourth, 1:08.26)*; Hannah Hertling (11th, 1:12.89)

400-yard freestyle relay: Andersen, Simon, Rasmussen and Sandon (fourth, 3:42.23)*

 

*state qualifier