Century has lofty goals, high seeds at Class AA state swimming and diving meet

Published: Thursday, March 2, 2023 at 11:00 am

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ROCHESTER A lot of the pressure is off and this is a fun time for swimmers across the state, but Rochester swimmers and divers will be looking to close the season on a high note at the Class AA state meet.
The boys swimming and diving meet will be held Thursday-Saturday at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center. Each Class A session begins at 12 p.m. and AA sessions begin at 6 p.m. The diving preliminary and semifinals rounds are today, swimming prelims are Friday and the championship finals for both are on Saturday.
This is probably the strongest our team has been in a while so Im really excited for state, Century senior Jensen Richard said.
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Traci Westcott
Century has placed in the top 10 in the team standings in six of the past 12 state meets. With state qualifiers in eight of the 12 events, and a limited number of swimmers who earned pre-set time standards this season, the Panthers should be primed for another top-10 finish.
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Thats always the goal, Century coach Linda Freeman said, but then you look up at the scoreboard and youre 33rd or something. You never know but its very special for a non-metro team to place in the top 10.
Century senior Jack Homme is the top seed of all the Rochester swimmers. He enters with the second-best time in the 50 freestyle. He is also seeded No. 8 in the 100 butterfly.
The goal for state is just to see what I can do, Homme said. The pressure is off so its just the next step so Im excited for that.
Richard is seeded fifth in the 100 backstroke. Like Homme in the 50 freestyle, Richard was a Section 1AA individual champion.
Top eight would be really nice, but I want to get at least top 16, Richard said. That would be really nice.
Century has qualified all three of its relays for state and the 200 medley, 200 freestyle and 400 freestyle are all seeded seventh. Homme, juniors Albert Hu and Nathan Kram, sophomore Owen Kelly and freshman Andrew Linden are all part of two relays.
With the relays, we get to bring more guys and that makes it a fun time, Homme said.
Century senior Nathan Zhang and freshman Gavin Potter are each on one relay. Potter has also qualified in two individual events. He is seeded 14th in the 500 freestyle and 15th in the 200 freestyle.
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Senior Alonzo Montori is Mayos lone state qualifier. He is seeded in the top eight in his two individual events, No. 5 in the 200 freestyle and No. 8 in the 100 freestyle. Montori said he has the potential to go faster in the state meet than he did at the section meet, where he placed second in both his events.
I would love to get an All-American consideration time, Montori said of the 200 freestyle. I think that would be really huge. Its almost a two-second drop from where I am now, but anything is possible.
Freeman said the real pressure is getting through the section meet to qualifying for state. She said the Panthers were tapered for the section meet, but not completely. That could mean the Century swimmers could post even better times at the state meet.
Now the pressure is off, so now its Lets just go and swim fast, Freeman said. Theyre all feeling good and its really fun to see. I think they can all do really well.
The top 16 swimmers in each event from the preliminary round advance to the finals on Saturday. Swimmers 9-16 in each event swim in the consolation finals and those in the top eight swim in the championship finals.
Century eighth-grader Silas Wagstaff earned his first state berth in diving. Divers are not seeded heading into the state tournament.
Hopefully hell get through it, that would be great, Freeman said. Thats a pretty nervy experience for an eighth-grader.
In the Class A state meet, Austin has state qualifiers in 11 of the 12 events.
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3. Austin (Brent Dahl, Winston Walkup, Joey Hilkin, Kenny Cabeen) 1:38.84.
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4. Zach Evenson (Aus) 1:48.39.
200 IM
1. Winston Walkup (Aus) 2:01.70.
50 freestyle
4. Kenny Cabeen (Aus) 22.35.
Diving
1. Zachary Mikkelson (RW) 336.75, 3. Landen Nelson (RW) 316.70, 4. Riley Ferguson (Aus) 316.25.
100 butterfly
3. Ethan Ihrke (RW) 54.48, 4. Joey Hilkin (Aus) 55.23.
100 freestyle
3. Kenny Cabeen (Aus) 49.33, 5. Zach Evenson (Aus) 49.83.
500 freestyle
3. Brent Dahl (Aus) 4:52.55.
200 freestyle relay
2. Austin (Evenson, Hilkin, Myers, Cabeen) 1:30.31.
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3. Colin White (Win) 54.00, 4. Winston Walkup (Aus) 54.58, 5. Brent Dahl (Aus) 55.38.
400 freestyle relay
4. Austin (Evenson, Dahl, Walkup, Myers) 3:22.45.
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