Faribault Has Two Conference Champions at Swim Meet

Faribault Falcons senior Abby Larson won the 200 Yard Freestyle and classmate Verity Wray-Raabolle was the only person to go under a minute in the 100 Yard Backstroke Saturday during the Big Nine Conference Swimming and Diving Meet. The event was held virtually with all schools participating in their respective pools.

That concerned the seniors a bit on Saturday. We spoke with five of them on the team following their performances and aired the interviews Saturday evening on KDHL. The Falcons finished 7th which is pretty good considering they had no varsity divers and are low in overall numbers.

Larson's time of 1:56.94 was nearly a full second ahead of Kattie Homme, a sophomore from Big Nine Conference Meet Champion Rochester Century 1:57.90. Century had three of the top five finishers in that event.

Wray-Raabolle had a time of 59.46. Sophomore Login Norrid of Owatonna finished second with a time of 1:00.45

The Panthers had 388 total points. Northfield was second with 372. Rochester Mayo was third with 297.5.

Larson also finished second in the 500 Yard Freestyle behind John Marshall senior Anna Ogren. Ogren's time was 5:10.57, Larson 5:18.77.

The concern expressed by all the ladies we interviewed was the fact that each school pool is different. Some pools are faster than others so not everyone was swimming under the same conditions. Just another COVID-19 influence on a sport where all the meets were held virtually.

The Section meet will be the same this coming weekend. There will be no state meet.

When I asked the ladies why that can't be held virtually they said it wouldn't be fair due to the differences in pools across the state.

The Falcons 400 Yard Freestyle Relay also finished second with a time of 3:54.33. Sophomore Ava Nelson started the relay followed by freshman Bennett Wray-Raabolle, seniors Verity Wray-Raabolle and Abby Jones finished the relay. John Marshall was conference champion with a time of 3:52.41.

Northfield had just one Big Nine Champion event. The 200 Yard Freestyle Relay team of junior Anna Scheglowski, senior Ellen Varley, sophomore Amanda Myint and junior Lindsay Sundby swam the fastest time of 1:40.92. Century was second 1:42.65.

Northfield's 200 Yard Medley Relay was second. Juniors Paige Steenblock and Lindsay Sundby start and senior Ellen Varley, junior Anna Scheglowki finish. Mayo was the champion in that event.

Steenblock was 4th in the 200 Yard Individual Medley which Owatonna sophomore Logan Norrid won with a time of 2:11.96.

Raiders Scheglowski and Varley finished third and fourth in the 50 Yard Freestyle.

Northfield senior Zibby Hanifl was second in diving in a very tight race. Hanifl had a final score of 451.70. Issara Schmidt of Winona was Conference Champion with a score of 452.35.

Varley was third in the 100 Yard Butterfly. Sundby and Scheglowski were third and fourth in the 100 Yard Freestyle. Sundby was third in the 100 Yard Breastroke. Northfield was also third in the 400 Yard Freestyle. Steenblock started, sophomore Amanda Myint was next, junior Siri Narveson third and junior Liv Fossum anchored.

A list of Big Nine Conference Champions is below: