The Minnewaska-Morris Gators swimming and diving team took part in the Section 6A True-Team Meet, Friday and Saturday at Alexandria.  The diving portion of the competition took place Friday, while the swimming competition was Saturday.

The Gators placed sixth of nine teams at the meet won by Melrose with 1,604 points, while Alexandria was second with 1,493 points and Sauk Centre was third with 1,210.

Leading the way for the Gators was McKenzie Luetmer, who placed in the top six in two events, including two relays, and Clare Barnstuble, who was seventh in the diving portion of the meet.

The Gators, coached by Sam Oellien, ended the regular-season with a 3-2 WCC record and 5-3 overall mark.  “The Gators did very well over the weekend,” coach Oellien said.  “We went into this meet wanting to see what the section looks like and what to expect when we get into November.  It was very nice to see a lot of top-8 finishes and we had a good number of other top-16 racers.  Our section is pretty tough.”

Minnewaska-Morris now gets set for the WCC Swimming and Diving Meet, set for Friday, Oct. 28 at UM-Morris followed by the Section 6A Meet, Nov. 10-12.

Section 6A true-team

Melrose Area, Alexandria and Rocori dominated the Section 6A True-Team Meet, Friday and Saturday at Alexandria. 

Rocori led the way with six of the 12 titles on the way to placing fourth overall with 1,147 points, including four firsts by Megan Willenbring, while Melrose had three firsts and won the team title with 1,604 points, Sauk Centre had two firsts and placed third as a team with 1,210 points and Alexandria had one title on the way to placing second with 1,493 points. 

Leading the way for the Gators, who were sixth with 990 points, was McKenzie Luetmer.  She placed third in the 50 freestyle race (25.98), sixth in the 100 freestyle (58.25), fourth with the 400 freestyle relay team with Becca Femrite, Melena Longtin and Serena Mellgren and fifth with the 200 freestyle relay team, which also included Makena Thoen, Longtin and Mellgren (1:49.94).

Ninth-grader Clare Barnstuble earned a seventh place in the diving portion of the meet with 310.4 points over 11 dives, while Ella Roering was 14th (243.75) and Makarian Schott was 16th (227.6).

“The divers started us out right, Friday, with Clare getting seventh, Ella 14th and Makarian 16th.  This was their first 11-dive meet and they did great,” coach Oellien said.

Lyla Stadtherr added a seventh-place finish (1:17.32) and Thoen was 10th (1:20.51) in the 100 breaststroke, while Longtin was also 11th in the 100 freestyle (1:01.14) and Stadtherr was also 15th in the 200 individual medley (2:41.97).

In addition, Mellgren was 12th (1:13.95) and Mesa Kittelson 15th (1:14.66) in the 100 butterfly; Longtin was 10th (27.45), Mellgren 13th (28.02) and Avery Svec 17th (28.66) in the 50 freestyle; Femrite was seventh in the 200 freestyle (2:12.92); and the 200-yard medley relay team of Femrite, Thoen, Kittelson and Svec was 15th with a time of 2:13.58.

“McKenzie Luetmer had a very good day with an individual third and sixth and a fourth and fifth with two relays, while Becca (Femrite) and Lyla (Stadtherr) also had top-7 finishes,” coach Oellien said.  “Overall, we were very pleased with our results.”

Teams could have four entries in each of the 12 events and every finisher earned points for their team with points going 36-35-34-33, etc. for the individual events and 72-70-68-66, etc. for the relays.

•  The 2022 roster for the Minnewaska Area/Morris Area Gators’ swimming and diving team includes 24 athletes from Morris Area-CA, senior Makarian Schott; juniors Kaia Anderson, Sage Barnstuble, Gabby Schneider and Chaeli Zahl; sophomores Sarah Dougherty, Vylet Frank, Cora Gartland, Amy Varga, Lorin Wilts and Isabel Guerra; ninth-graders Clare Barnstuble, Allie Staples and Jillian Schott; eighth-graders Isabelle Emmert and Berdine Kleindl; and seventh-graders Marissa DeVries, Alejandra Garcia Bernabe, Aranza Guerrero Lara, Shelby Hoberg, Yavonne VanHorn, Azul Villagomez Martinez, Kendra Steffen and Akayla Werk; along with 29 athletes from Minnewaska Area; seniors Miranda Longtin, Mckenzie Luetmer, Serena Mellgren, Leslie Murken, Hannah Poshek, Avery Svec and Makena Thoen; juniors Katie Koenig and Soffia Stadtherr; sophomores Rudy Baylor, Jenna Detko, Rebecca Femrite, Leandra Graham and Melena Longtin; ninth-graders Mesa Kittelson, Phemie Oeltjen, Sophie Recker, Ella Roering and Lyla Stadtherr; eighth-graders Tommi Devick, Maria Heidelberger and Abbigail Peterson; and seventh-graders Sadie Daniels, Hayden Fadness, Addisen Johnson, Mari Jordahl, Ella Larson, Isannah Walsh and Raelyn Williams. 

at Section 6A true-team

Team scoring:

(1) Melrose 1,604  (2) Alexandria 1,493  (3) Sauk Centre 1,210  (4) Rocori 1,147  (5) Albany 1,126  (6) Minnewaska-Morris Area 990  (7) Little Falls 809  (8) St. Cloud Apollo 684  (9) Holdingford 609

Individual results (First place and top 20 for Gators):

200 medley relay:  (1) Melrose 1:56.5 . . . (15) Gators #1 (Becca Femrite, Makena Thoen, Mesa Kittelson, Avery Svec) 2:13.58  (18) Gators #2 (Sage Barnstuble, Lyla Stadtherr, Soffia Stadtherr, Isabel Guerra) 2:18.21

200 freestyle:  (1) Laney Schneider, Rocori 2:05.02 . . . (7) Becca Femrite, Gators 2:12.92

200 individual medley:  (1) Hallie Drossel, Mel 2:18.62 . . . (15) L. Stadtherr, Gators 2:41.97

50 freestyle:  (1) Megan Willenbring, Rocori 25.22 . . . (3) McKenzie Luetmer, Gators 25.98  (10) Melena Longtin, Gators 27.45  (13) Serena Mellgren, Gators 28.02  (17) Svec, Gators 28.66

Diving:  (1) CeCe Woods, Rocori 388 . . . (7) Clare Barnstuble, Gators 310.4  (14) Ella Roering, Gators 243.75  (16) Makarian Schott, Gators 227.6

100 butterfly:  (1) Stella Schirmers, SC 1:03.94 . . . (12) Mellgren, Gators 1:13.95  (15) Kittelson, Gators 1:14.66

100 freestyle:  (1) Jisella Haskamp, Alex 55.72 . . . (6) Luetmer, Gators 58.25  (11) Longtin, Gators 1:01.14  (19) Svec, Gators 1:05.61

500 freestyle:  (1) M. Willenbring, Rocori 5:40.14

200 freestyle relay:  (1) Rocori 1:43.56 . . . (5) Gators #1 (Thoen, Longtin, Mellgren, Luetmer) 1:49.94  (19) Gators #2 (Svec, Guerra, S. Barnstuble, L. Stadtherr) 2:01.69

100 backstroke:  (1) Chelsea Willenbring, Rocori 1:04.53 . . . (20) Femrite, Gators 1:15.41

100 breaststroke:  (1) Drossel, Mel 1:07.41 . . . (7) L. Stadtherr, Gators 1:17.32  (10) Thoen, Gators 1:20.51

400 freestyle relay:  (1) Sauk Centre 3:53.2 . . . (4) Gators #1 (Femrite, Longtin, Mellgren, Luetmer) 4:01.33