Rochester Teams Shine at State Swimming Finals – Key Races Ahead!

UPDATE: Rochester’s presence looms large at the state girls swimming and diving finals, set for 6 p.m. on Saturday at the Freeman Aquatic Center in Minneapolis. Teams from Rochester Century, Mayo, and John Marshall excelled during the preliminaries, showcasing their talent against top competitors.

The Mayo 200-yard medley relay team, featuring Elise Weingarten, Corrina Tonn, Madeline Gau, and Penelope Hauser, clinched an impressive eighth place with a time of 1:48.53, earning a coveted spot in the championship finals. The excitement is palpable as the top eight finishers advance to compete for state honors.

Rochester Century’s relay team of JiaYin Jian-Gross, Sophie Blixt, Chloe Magnuson, and Sarah Homme narrowly missed out, finishing ninth with a time of 1:49.10. They will participate in the consolation finals alongside John Marshall’s team, which secured twelfth place at 1:49.98.

The stakes are high in the individual events as well. Julia Ogren dominated the 100-yard butterfly preliminaries, clocking in at 53.88, and will compete for the title on Saturday. Joining her is Sophie Blixt, who placed second with a time of 55.70, and Madeline Gau, finishing sixth at 56.86.

In the 50-yard freestyle, Chloe Magnuson and Corrina Tonn put forth strong performances, placing 11th and 12th, respectively, with times of 24.24 and 24.26. Despite their efforts, they will swim in the consolation finals after a thrilling tie required a swim-off.

Adding to the excitement, Ogren will also contend for a championship in the 100-yard freestyle, where she finished sixth in the prelims at 51.95. Meanwhile, Magnuson faced a tough tie for 16th, clocking in at 53.56, but missed the consolation final spot.

The performances continue to impress, with Century’s relay team of Magnuson, Homme, Ally Pool, and Sophie Blixt finishing fourth in the 200-yard freestyle relay with a time of 1:38.05. John Marshall’s squad, featuring Kayla Mingo, Abigail Tri, Julia Ogren, and Maysen Pettengill, secured fifth place at 1:38.32. Both teams will swim for state titles on Saturday.

Weingarten will chase glory in the 100-yard backstroke, having secured eighth in the prelims at 57.83. Gau will compete in the consolation final after finishing just behind her at 57.95.

In the 100-yard breaststroke, Blixt marked her territory with a second-place finish in the prelims at 1:04.37. This seasoned competitor was the state runner-up last year, fueling anticipation for the finals. East Ridge’s Logan Havermann won the prelims with a time of 1:03.91.

The Class 1A diving prelims and semifinals took place Thursday, setting the stage for thrilling finals. Gracie Greenman from Austin, a returning state runner-up, will vie for the title in the 100 back after finishing third in the prelims with 57.97.

As the excitement builds, fans and families will be closely watching the finals this evening. The Rochester teams have made a remarkable impact, and the anticipation for these high-stakes races is at an all-time high. Stay tuned for live updates as these young athletes strive for state glory!