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.

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 new Gator record of 372.6 points.

During the diving portion of the meet, Ella Roering also earned third with 353.55 points, which also broke the old Minnewaska Area record of 345.5 points.

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, just over a second off the winning time of 3:54.55 by Melrose.

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.

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-3 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

200 individual medley:  (1) Bromenshenkel, SC 2:24.68

50 freestyle:  (1) Longtin, Gators 25.43  (2) Stadtherr, Gators 25.54

Diving:  (1) Clare Barnstuble, Gators 372.6  (3) Ella Roering, Gators 353.55

100 butterfly:  (1) Kraemer, Melrose 1:05.36  (2) Kittelson, Gators 1:06.7

100 freestyle:  (1) Longtin, Gators 55.48

500 freestyle:  (1) Gross, Hold 5:42.03

200 freestyle relay:  (1) SC 1:45.92

100 backstroke:  (1) Ruoff, Mel 1:04.24

100 breaststroke:  (1) Stadtherr, Gators 1:13.17

400 freestyle relay:  (1) Melrose 3:54.55  (2) Gators (Kittelson, Sydney Gibson, Femrite, Longtin) 3:55.74