Albert Lea loses by just 10 points

It was a close contest, even tied after seven events but the Albert Lea girls swimming and diving team couldn’t hold on and were defeated 97-87 against Rochester Mayo Thursday.

It’s become a familiar pattern, doing so well and yet still losing, but the coaches are holding out hope for the future.

“This team now will be a different team by the end of the year,” head coach Jon Schmitz said.

Every meet the Tigers have swam this season has had improvements and personal best swims and dives.

“We had two new never-before letter winners tonight,” said assistant coach Erik Johnson, about the achievements of Hannah Hertling and Anna Anderson. “The hard work is paying off,” Schmitz said.

The meet itself held a lot of close races. In the 200 medley relay, the team of Kemma Bergland, Lindsey Horejsi, Amy Horejsi and Galen Schulz finished in second with a time of 2 minutes, 1.84 seconds. The Spartans were not far ahead in first, with a time of 2:00.06.

Lindsey Horejsi ended her 200 individual medley in second place with a time of 2:26.30.

Schulz finished the 50 free in first place, almost a full second in front of Kalene Wileman of Mayo. Amy Horejsi swam in the 100 butterfly and finished in second place at 1:09.47. Also in the 100 butterfly, Hannah Hertling had a spectacular section qualifying swim with a time of 1:17.09 and finished in fourth place.

The Tigers went 1-2 in the 100 free. Schulz finished first with a time of 57.03 and Bergland came in second with a personal best time of 1:00.63.

The Tigers couldn’t capture anymore first place finishes for the evening but they brought home a few second places.
The 200 free relay team of Schulz, L. Horejsi, Morgan Field and A. Horejsi was leading the race but couldn’t hold on, finishing less than a second behind Mayo.
Karli Kriewall dominated the diving event finishing first with a score of 193.15.
Coming in third on diving was Chelsey Battle, and Makenna Friehl came in fifth with a personal high score.

The Tiger girls are in action again Thursday at 6 p.m. at Mankato West.

Results

200 Medley Relay: 2nd – Bergland, L. Horejsi, A. Horejsi, Schulz (2:01.47) 4th – Bailey Sandon, Battle, Hertling, Anderson (2:21.73) 5th –  C. Nelson, Samantha Nielson, Kriewall, Friehl (2:26.40)
200 Freestyle: 2nd – Field (2:18.28),  4th – Whitney Rasmussen (2:21.73), 6th Mady Dahl (2:26.52)
200 Individual Medley: 2nd – L. Horejsi (2:26.30), 4th – Sandon (2:45.30), 6th Claire Nelson (2:59.44)
50 Free: 1st – Schulz (25.98), 3rd – A. Horejsi (26.78), 4th Anderson (29.56)
Diving: 1st – Kriewall (193.15), 3rd – Battle (114.05), 5th – Friehl (102.20)
100 Butterfly: 2nd – A. Horejsi (1:09.47), 4th – Hertling (1:17.09), 6th Ahnika Jensen (1:19.00)
100 Freestyle: 1st – Schulz (57.03), 2nd – Bergland (1:00.63), 6th Lauren Sorenson (1:06.40)
500 Freestyle: 3rd – W. Rasmussen (6:25.90), 4th Mady Dahl (6:28.72), 6th Sara Rasmussen (7:17.20)
200 Free Relay: 2nd – Schulz, L. Horejsi, Field, A. Horejsi (1:46.86), 4th Hertling, Kriewall, Dahl, Sorenson (2:01.07), 6th –  C. Nelson, Nielson, Jensen, Battle (2:06.65)
100 Backstroke: 4th – Bergland (1:12.12), 5th – Anderson (1:14.72), 6th – Sandon (1:17.60)
100 Breaststroke: 2nd – L. Horejsi (1:13.57), 3rd – Field (1:18.13), 6th – Hertling (1:25.04)
400 Free Relay: 2nd – Bergland, W. Rasmussen, Anderson, Field (4:24.64), 3rd – Sorenson, Dahl, Sandon, Kriewall (4:33.68)