The Minnewaska Area/Morris Area Gators won five individual titles on the way to placing third of five teams at the WCC Swimming and Diving Championships, Friday at UM-Morris.

Melrose won four titles on the way to placing first with 686 points, while Sauk Centre was second (491 points), the Gators third with 404 points, Montevideo fourth with 303 and Holdingford fifth with 277.

During the meet, swimmers or relay teams placing in the top two earned All-Conference, while third and fourth place earned honorable mention.

The Gators had six All-Conference swimmers and divers — Becca Femrite, Lyla Stadtherr, Mesa Kittelson, Melena Longtin, Sydney Gibson and Clare Barnstuble.

“What a meet last Friday at the WCC Meet,” coach Sam Oellien said.  “The Gators did great at the meet, placing third overall with a lot of amazing swims and dives.” The Gators are  now set to compete at the Section 8A Meet, set for Nov. 7-9 at UM-Morris.  The top performers from that meet advance to the State Swimming and Diving Meet, set for Nov. 14-16 at the U of M.

WCC Swimming Meet

The Gators competed at the WCC Meet last Friday at UM-Morris.  Included among the five titles for the Gators was one relay; the 200 medley relay.  Swimming on the winning relay were Becca Femrite, Lyla Stadtherr, Mesa Kittelson and Melena Longtin, who were timed in 1:58.28.

Longtin also won her two specialties, the 50 freestyle (25.43) and 100 freestyle (55.48).  During the 50 freestyle, Longtin edged her teammate, Lyla Stadtherr, for first as Stadtherr was timed in 25.54.

Stadtherr added another title in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:13.17, while Clare Barnstuble had the other first for the Gators by winning diving with a Gator-record of 372.6 points.

During the diving portion of the meet, Ella Roering earned third with 353.55 points, which broke the old Minnewaska Area High School record of 345.5 points. “The divers started us off strong, including Clare winning her third-straight title and crushing her 11-dive record with a score of 372.6,” coach Oellien said.  “With Ella also placing third and Adelyn Ferrian placing seventh, it was wonderful to see three Gators on the podium.”

Mesa Kittelson also placed second for the Gators in the 100 butterfly (1:06.7), while the Gators 400 freestyle relay team of Kittelson, Femrite, Longtin and Sydney Gibson placed second with a time of 3:55.74, which was about a second off the winning time of 3:54.55 by Melrose.

Earning fourth for the Gators was Femrite in the 500 freestyle (5:57.38), while placing fifth was Femrite in the 200 freestyle (2:08.91) with a time less than a second away from third, and the 200 freestyle relay team of Jillian Schott, Berdine Kleindl, Gibson and Stadtherr (1:52.13). 

“The swimmers started off with a first by the 200 medley relay team of Becca Femrite, Lyla Stadtherr, Mesa Kittelson and Melena Longtin, who dropped over a second from their top time and earned All-Conference,” coach Oellien said.  “We saw a lot of time-drops and personal-bests and in the 50 freestyle, we finished with three more Gators on the podium.”

Other top-10 finishes were:  Kittelson was seventh in the 200 medley (2:36.95), Adelyn Ferrian was seventh in diving (247.3 points), Gibson was eighth in the 50 freestyle (22.24) and 10th in the 100 freestyle (1:02.69), Vylet Frank was 10th in the 500 freestyle (6:46.52) and Phemie Oeltjen was 10th in the 100 breaststroke (1:24.66).

The Gators also placed ninth in the 400 freestyle relay (Jillian Schott, Frank, Ivy Christians and Kleindl in 4:35.13), and in the 200 freestyle relay, the Gators team Lizeth Vazquez Carmona, Aranza Guerrero Lara, Oeltjen and Ivy Christians earned 10th (2:08.65).

“After the break, Mesa Kittelson swam a strong race with a personal best to earn All-Conference, while a little later, Melena won another title for us and was back on the podium,” coach Oellien said.   “The 500 freestyle was another great race for the Gators with Becca placing fourth and Vylet Frank (6:46.52), Abby Peterson (6:48.62) and Hayden Fadness (7:39.47) all coming through with personal bests. 

“The final race of the evening was intense  The 400 free relay team of Mesa Kittelson (1:01) Sydney Gibson (1:01), Becca Femrite (58.43) and Melena Longtin (54.79) placed second, earning All-WCC and all swimming their best splits this year.  All in all, it was a great day for the Gators.”

at WCC Championships

Team scores:  (1) Melrose 686  (2) Sauk Centre 491  (3) Minnewaska-Morris Gators 404  (4) Montevideo 303  (5) Holdingford 277

Individual results (winner and top-8 relays and top-16 individual Gators):

200 medley relay:  (1) Gators #1 (Becca Femrite, Lyla Stadtherr, Mesa Kittelson, Melena Longtin) 1:58.28

200 freestyle:  (1) Reed, Melrose 2:04.44  (5) Femrite, Gators 2:08.91  (11) Berdine Kleindl, Gators 2:25.12  (13) Abbigail Peterson, Gators 2:28.88

200 individual medley:  (1) Bromenshenkel, SC 2:24.68  (7) Kittelson, Gators 2:36.95  (13) Lizeth Vazquez Carmona, Gators 2:53.33  (14) Phemie Oeltjen, Gators 2:56.34

50 freestyle:  (1) Longtin, Gators 25.43  (2) Stadtherr, Gators 25.54  (8) Sydney Gibson, Gators 28.24

Diving:  (1) Clare Barnstuble, Gators 372.6  (3) Ella Roering, Gators 353.55  (7) Adelyn Ferrian, Gators 247.3  (13)  Yavonne Vanhorn, Gators 207.45

100 butterfly:  (1) Kraemer, Melrose 1:05.36  (2) Kittelson, Gators 1:06.7  (13) Alejandra Garcia Bernabe, Gators 1:22.39  (14) Tenley Steinhofer, Gators 1:24  (16) Maria Heidelberger, Gators 1:29.45

100 freestyle:  (1) Longtin, Gators 55.48  (10) Gibson, Gators 1:02.69  (14) Kleindl, Gators 1:06.67  (15) Ivy Christians, Gators 1:06.71

500 freestyle:  (1) Gross, Hold 5:42.03  (4) Femrite, Gators 5:57.38  (10) Vylet Frank, Gators 6:46.52  (11) Peterson, Gators 6:48.62

200 freestyle relay:  (1) Sauk Centre 1:45.92  (5) Gators #1 (Jillian Schott, Kleindl, Gibson, Stadtherr) 1:52.13  (10) Gators #2 (Vazquez Carmona, Aranza Guerrero Lara, Christians, Oeltjen) 2:08.65

100 backstroke:  (1) Ruoff, Melrose 1:04.24  (12) Vazquez Carmona, Gators 1:19.49  (13) Schott, Gators 1:21.05  (15) Sophie Recker, Gators 1:22.58

100 breaststroke:  (1) Stadtherr, Gators 1:13.17  (10) Oeltjen, Gators 1:24.66

400 freestyle relay:  (1) Melrose 3:54.55  (2) Gators (Kittelson, Sydney Gibson, Femrite, Longtin) 3:55.74  (9) Gators #2 (Schott, Frank, Christians, Kleindl) 4:35.13