Six to State
Published 12:00 am Saturday, November 13, 1999
Becky Sanford used to swim at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center all the time when she was a talented YMCA team swimmer as a young girl.
Saturday, November 13, 1999
Becky Sanford used to swim at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center all the time when she was a talented YMCA team swimmer as a young girl.
The Austin senior hasn’t been back since.
But on Friday, Sanford and four other Packers insured themselves of a return trip to the "U" by swimming sensationally at the Section 1A Swimming and Diving Championships at the Ellis Middle School pool.
Austin and 10 other teams took part in what can only be described as a swimming renaissance.
The furiously fast meet produced 47 state entrants.
Almost as many swimmers or relays (23) claimed state spots by beating state cutoff times as those that did so the traditional way (24) by finishing either first or second in an event.
"Every time you turned around some other person was going to state," Sanford said. "It was overwhelming."
Sanford and Co. qualified for state in six events.
In only one of those events did a Packer reach state the old fashioned way; Meghan Walsh, a freshman, finished second in the 100-yard butterfly.
That race was just a quarter of Walsh’s banner day; she qualified for state in four events.
After a blistering 200 individual medley, Walsh climbed out of the pool in fourth place with a time of 2 minutes, 16.98 seconds – almost 5 seconds lower than the state cutoff of 2:21.79.
She had the highest time of three finishers with 2:16-somethings. Race winner Kristin Ophaug of Northfield clocked in at 2:15.99.
"That wasn’t even funny," an exasperated Walsh said as she was mobbed on the pool deck by well-wishing teammates. "It was so close, it wasn’t even funny."
"Her time would have won a lot of races," Austin coach Lynn Gulbrandson said.
In their first year since dropping down from Section 1AA to 1A, Austin reaped the rewards of swimming in the smaller-school talent pool.
"In the old section," Sanford said, "it was really hard to just place. This was exciting for everyone."
The Northfield Raiders won the meet easily with 364 total points to runner-up Red Wing’s 283.
Austin finished fifth with 264 points.
Albert Lea sophomore Naomi Gregerson broke her own Section 1A records in winning the 50 and 100 freestyles.
Austin’s state qualifiers are all first time staters and include:
– Sanford (backstroke in 200 medley relay, 500 freestyle, 400 free relay),
– Walsh (butterfly in 200 medley relay, 200 IM, 100 butterfly, 400 free relay),
– Eighth grader Lauren Goettsch (freestyle in 200 medley relay, 50 free, 400 free relay),
– Senior Amy Martin (breast stroke in 200 medley relay), and
– Junior Sarah Heins (400 free relay).
To be sure, chalking up the Packers’ state berths to a simple section shift would be misguided.
The Packers did well to keep near the leaders in their races. With state cutoff times being broken like Dow Jones records, there was no reason not to give in to the thrill of the race.
To give you an idea of how generous the meet was, seven swimmers qualified for state in the 500 freestyle, including Sanford, who finished fifth.
"In every single event it was the same thing," Sanford said, "Nerve wracking."
But worth it. Austin’s swimmers will compete in the Class A State Swimming and Diving Championships from Nov. 22-24.
Sanford can’t wait to get back to the acquatic center.
"It’s big and it’s fast and it’s got Olympic records and things on the walls," Sanford said. "It’s the best."