After back-to-back away meets against swimming powers Hibbing and Grand Rapids, the Broncos were just happy to be home Thursday against an equal opponent in Eveleth-Gilbert.
“It was just nice to go against competition that was actually our competition,” senior Dorothy Blaine-Johnson said.
The young International Falls squad lost 101-81 in the home opener, but trailed only 65-57 with four races to swim. The Broncos held a 54-53 lead with five races left before the Golden Bears’ depth took over.
International Falls’ depth was hampered by senior Erika Mitchell’s shoulder injury and junior Monica Hasbargen feeling under the weather. The Broncos have only three seniors, one junior and three sophomores before the lineup dives into freshman, eighth and seventh graders.
“Our girls swam very, very well today,” first-year coach Jill Herzog said.
Herzog and first-year assistant Kayla Gilbert are still moving girls around to maximize the lineup and trying to work on the biggest weaknesses at the same time — endurance and depth.
“We’re trying to see what we can do in other events,” Mitchell said.
Despite being slowed by an injured shoulder, Mitchell led the squad with two top finishes in the 50-yard freestyle (28.11 seconds) and 100 freestyle (1:03.65). She was also a part of two relays that finished first — the 200 medley with Sara Lindberg, Tamera Stouffer and Paige Herzig (2:11.14), and the 200 freestyle with Herzig, Laura Rognerud and Lindberg (1:57.53).
“We had fun,” Mitchell said.
Lindberg added the only other top finish for the Broncos with a time of 1:20.57 in the 100 breaststroke.
Posting runner-up finishes were Hasbargen in the 200 freestyle (2:33.86), Morgan Bruess in the 200 individual medley (2:49.84), Keanna Carlson in diving, Lindberg in the 100 butterfly (1:17.43) and the foursome of Stouffer, Rachel Adams, Bruess and Hasbargen in the 400 freestyle relay (4:37.05).
The Broncos’ junior varsity team topped the Golden Bears 84-78.
International Falls returns to action Saturday in a road competition in Bemidji.

Eveleth-Gilbert 101,
I. Falls 81
200-yard medley relay — 1, Mitchell, Lindberg, Stouffer, Herzig, 2:11.14; 3, Bruess, Hasbargen, Rognerud, Adams, 2:20.12; 5, Johnson, Youso, Wilson, Manka, 2:37.15.
200 freestyle — 2, Monica Hasbargen, 2:33.86; 4, Rachel Adams, 2:34.86; 6, Taylar Nelson, 2:45.73.
200 individual medley — 2, Morgan Bruess, 2:49.84; 3, Laura Rognerud, 2:55.59; 5, Tamera Stouffer, 2:57.26.
50 freestyle — 1, Erika Mitchell, 28.11; 4, Paige Herzig, 29.85; 6, Nelson, 33.42.
Diving — 2, Keanna Carlson; 3, Ashley Hasbargen.
100 butterfly — 2, Sara Lindberg, 1:17.43; 4, Stouffer, 1:25.29; 6, Aleena Wilson, 1:34.65.
100 freestyle — 1, Mitchell, 1:03.65; 3, Rognerud, 1:10.02; 6, Sarah Manka, 1:14.24.
500 freestyle — 3, Adams, 7:10.38.
200 freestyle relay — 1, Mitchell, Herzig, Rognerud, Lindberg, 1:57.53; 4, Nelson, Manka, Johnson, Hasbargen, 2:11.99.
100 backstroke — 4, Blair Johnson, 1:32.99; 5, Dorothy Johnson, 1:37.16; 6, Bruess, 1:44.94.
100 breaststroke — 1, Lindberg, 1:20.57; 4, Herzig, 1:28.52; 5, A. Hasbargen, 1:29.07.
400 freestyle relay — 2, Stouffer, Adams, Bruess, M. Hasbargen, 4:37.05; 4, Nelson, A. Hasbargen, Manka, Johnson, 5:05.36.

Junior varsity results — I. Falls 84, Eveleth-Gilbert 78.