Albert Lea advances 6 events in swimming sections

Published 9:41 pm Wednesday, November 7, 2018

: Albert Lea senior Emily Taylor swims in the 100-yard breaststroke Wednesday night at the section prelims. Taylor took second in the event with a time of 1:09.64 and will race in the finals Friday night. - Tyler Julson/Albert Lea Tribune

ROCHESTER — The Albert Lea girls’ swim team competed for its chance to earn a spot in the section finals at the Section 1A prelims Wednesday night in Rochester.

The Tigers qualified two relays and four individual events for the Friday night finals, giving them an opportunity to make their way to the state meet next week.

The Tigers started by qualifying for Friday’s finals in the first event of the night. The team of sophomore Jaeda Koziolek, senior Emily Taylor, and freshmen Taya Jeffrey and Brooke Hanson finished the 200-yard medley relay in seventh place with a time of 1:58.05.

Taylor qualified for her second event after finishing tied for fourth place in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 25.31. Kozioek followed with her second qualifying event when she finished the 100-yard butterfly in fifth place with a time of 1:02.11.

Albert Lea sophomore Jaeda Koziolek swims in the fifth heat of the 100-yard butterfly Wednesday night. On top of qualifying for the section finals in the event, Koziolek also qualified in three other events. – Tyler Julson/Albert Lea Tribune

Koziolek came up big again in her next race, qualifying for the championship final of the 100-yard backstroke by finishing in third place with a time of 1:01.25. Taylor notched her third finals bid by finishing the 100-yard breaststroke in second place with a time of 1:09.64.

The team of Jeffrey, Hanson, Koziolek and Taylor finished the meet by picking up their second relay qualification in the 400-yard freestyle relay with a time of 3:57.67 in sixth place.

Other Tigers participating in the meet were juniors Odelia Jensen (200-yard freestyle, 2:38.09; 500-yard freestyle, 6:59.63) and Esperanza Johnson (200-yard intermediate, 3:04.39; 500-yard freestyle, 7:06.64); sophomore Ishika Jain (100-yard butterfly, 1:20.01; 100-yard breaststroke, 1:26.15); freshmen Hanson (100-yard freestyle, 1:02.03), Jeffrey (100-yard freestyle, 1:01.66; 100-yard backstroke, 1:11.71), Leah Rognes (200-yard freestyle, 2:17.08; 100-yard freestyle, 1:02.22; 200-yard freestyle relay, 1:57.53), Taylor Palmer (50-yard freestyle, 30.15; 100-yard freestyle, 1:09.88) and Aliyah Studier (200-yard IM, 2:49.44; 100-yard backstroke, 1:17.29; 200-yard freestyle relay, 1:57.53); eighth-grader Ava Troster (50-yard freestyle, 29.34; 100-yard backstroke, 1:17.90; 200-yard freestyle relay, 1:57.53) and seventh-graders Hatty Adams (200-yard intermediate, 2:55.83; 100-yard butterfly, 1:19.62) and Emery Brouwers (200-yard IM, 2:53.90; 200-yard freestyle relay, 1:57.53; 100-yard breaststroke, 1:31.64).

The championship finals and consolation finals will start at 6 p.m Friday at Rochester Recreation Center.