Mankato West made a mad dash to come back from an 11-point deficit and take a Big Nine Conference boys' swimming dual from the Austin Packers, 94-91, Friday night at Ellis Middle School.

The Packers led 75-64 after the 200 freestyle relay team of Derek Hall, Levi Van Pelt, Josh Hall and Jeff Sanford won the gold in the ninth event. Austin's second group of Erik Sherman, Ethan Simonson, Jacob Rausch and Carl Bauer backed them up with a runner-up finish, and the Packers appeared poised for the conference win.

The visiting Scarlets, however, had other ideas.

Mankato West scored 30 points over the final three events, winning each and scoring points with every competitor, to overtake Austin 94-91.

The Scarlets won nine of 12 events in the come-from-behind victory. Clement Auyeung, Brian Abrahamson and Kyle Palmer each posted two individual wins and were key cogs in two relay victories.

Sherman and Beau Webber boasted Austin's only individual victories. Webber won the diving competition comfortably and Sherman won the following event -- the 100 butterfly -- by four-hundreths of a second.

The Packers' depth in every event helped them sustain their lead after Webber and Sherman netted victories. Austin swimmers finished 2-3-4 in the 100 freestyle and 3-4-5 in the 500 freestyle to maintain a one-point team lead.

The 200 free relay teams of AHS followed with a 1-2 finish, but Mankato West won the specialty strokes to go ahead 86-85 entering the final event. The Scarlets' foursome of A.J. Bittner, Siu On Auyeung, Abrahamson and Clement Auyeung won the 400 free relay by six seconds ahead of the Packer contingent of Simonson, Van Pelt, Rausch and Bauer.

West won eight points for taking the final event, while Austin's 2-3 finish earned just six points. The Packers needed to win the last race to overtake West's late charge.

Austin hosts Owatonna next Thursday night at Ellis Middle School at 6 p.m., and the Packer Invite is Saturday starting at 10 a.m.

Results:

(Winners and Austin top three only)

200 medley relay--1. Mankato West 1:50.94; 2. Austin (Chase Kusterer, Ben Petersen, Erik Sherman, Derek Hall), 1:53.77. 200 freestyle--1. Brian Abrahamson (MW) 2:00.35; 2. Ethan Simonson (A) 2:02.82. 200 individual medley--1. Kyle Palmer (MW) 2:16,06; 2. Erik Sherman (A) 2:20.95. 50 freestyle--1. Clement Augeung (MW) 23.57; 2. Derek Hall (A) 24.40; 3. Josh Hall (A) 25.06.

Diving--1. Beau Webber (A) 263.40; 2. Ryan O’Leary (A) 185.55. 100 butterfly--1. Sherman (A) 1:02.22. 100 freestyle--1. Augeung (MW) 51.86; 2. Simonson (A) 54.72; 3. Levi Van Pelt (A) 55.77. 500 freestyle--1. Abrahamson (MW) 5:35.47; 3. Brian Forman (A) 5:42.55.

200 freestyle relay--1. Austin (D.Hall, J.Hall, Van Pelt, Jeff Sanford) 1:38.05. 100 backstroke--1. Doug Vose (MW) 1:02.88; 3. Kusterer (A) 1:04.53. 100 breaststroke--1. Kyle Palmer (MW) 1:08.66; 3. Ben Johnson (A) 1:15.43. 400 freestyle relay--1. Mankato West 3:35.69; 2. Austin (Simonson, Van Pelt, Jacob Rausch, Carl Bauer), 3:41.04.