Falls victory heavily overshadowed by emotional Parent’s Night festivities

Not even cancer could spoil Parent’s Night for the Falls Broncos girls swimming and diving team.
In a sports world focused on numbers and results, the Broncos’ 100-73 victory Tuesday over Babbitt-Embarrass/Tower Aquatics wasn’t even in the same universe as what transpired out of the water in Falls’ last home meet of the season.
Senior Sara Lindberg, participating for the first time in three weeks since finding out her mom had cancer, was given a surprise of a lifetime.
Nora Lindberg, Sara’s mom and a staunch supporter of Bronco swimming for years, showed up unannounced to watch her daughter’s final home meet, and it turned into an emotional victory.
“At first I didn’t even know what to think, but then I just started crying,” Sara said.
For Nora, Tuesday was the first day she was able to leave the hospital in Duluth since getting diagnosed. Eleven years ago she was diagnosed with colon cancer and recovered, but she started experiencing more signs of trouble roughly three weeks ago.
The trip to the doctor showed the cancer had spread to her liver.
“For all the big life lessons our girls have had to go through this year, the last meet wasn’t so much about swimming, it was about supporting each other,” said Broncos coach Jill Herzig, one of the few who knew about the potential surprise.
“Until she physically got into the building, we weren’t sure,” she said.
Once in the building, Parent’s Night was never more evident.
“Really emotional,” Nora said, fighting tears following the Broncos’ victory. “Just to be there for my daughter.”
“Swimming has been Nora’s thing since the girls were little,” Nora’s husband and Sara’s dad Steve added, while Nora gathered herself.
Sara is the youngest in a family that includes older sister Laura, who was in attendance Tuesday and was also a big part of the Falls swimming and diving program.
“I’m proud of both of my girls,” Nora said. “Sara is the one that’s just been a competitor her whole life.”
Tuesday she turned on that competitiveness and was a part of four top finishes, which is unheard of after taking three weeks off from competition.
“It was pretty emotional,” senior Dorothy Johnson said. “It really meant a lot for Sara.”
Sara helped two relays finish first — the 200-yard medley (2 minutes, 10.48 seconds) and 200 freestyle (1:56.67) — and finished first individually in the 50 freestyle (28.72) and 100 breaststroke (1:19.44).
“If it wasn’t for (mom), I probably wouldn’t be in it still, just cause she gave me the drive to be in it,” Sara said.
There wasn’t a race she was a part of Tuesday that didn’t finish first, but that had no bearing for mom.
“It didn’t matter if she wins or loses,” Nora said. “We always preached that to the girls — sportsmanship.”
Keanna Carlson, Morgan Bruess and fellow senior Erika Mitchell all added first-place finishes for the Broncos, but the story was written when Nora walked into the Falls Natatorium in support of her youngest daughter.
“Today was about heart and integrity,” Herzig said. “They went hard for the seniors. There was a lot of emotion, a lot of tears.”

Meet notes
• Herzig, assistant coach Kayla Gilbert and manager Chevy Arnold were all thrown into the pool following the victory, which was the Broncos’ third of the season.
• The Falls lost at BETA 52.5-41.5 back on Sept. 11, proving Tuesday’s win is a sign of improvement and the team is recovering from all the injuries and illnesses.
“That was so awesome. I was really glad we had everyone,” Johnson said.
• In a special Parent’s Night publication that featured three senior profiles, Sara Lindberg said this in her “Thank You’s” section:
“I would love to thank all of my coaches I have had. I would also like to thank the girls that I’ve swam with. I would also like to thank my dad. Mostly, I would like to thank my mom. She’s always been there to every and even drove to all of the out-of-town meets and picked me up from so many practices.”

I. Falls 100, BETA 73
200-yard medley relay — 1, Morgan Bruess, Sara Lindberg, Paige Herzig, Erika Mitchell, 2:10.48; 3, Aleena Wilson, Dorothy Johnson, Monica Hasbargen, Tamera Stouffer, 2:26.19.
200 freestyle — 2, Rachel Adams, 2:27.53; 3, Taylar Nelson, 2:33.4; 4, Sarah Manka, 2:38.82.
200 individual medley — 2, Stouffer, 2:44.59; 3, Ashley Hasbargen, 2:58.04.
50 freestyle — 1, Lindberg, 28.72; 3, Laura Rognerud, 29.24; 4, Herzig, 29.83.
Diving — 1, Keanna Carlson.
100 butterfly — 2, Stouffer, 1:14.09; 3, Wilson, 1:26.65; 4, Manka, 1:27.22.
100 freestyle — 1, Mitchell, 1:02.44; 5, Rognerud, 1:05.39; 6, Nelson, 1:09.87.
500 freestyle — 2, Adams, 6:47.28; 3, Dorothy Johnson, 6:50.06.
200 freestyle relay — 1, Lindberg, Herzig, Adams, Mitchell, 1:56.67; 3, Bruess, Rognerud, Manka, Johnson, 2:04.45.
100 backstroke — 1, Bruess, 1:13.91; 4, Wilson, 1:24.13; 5, Blair Johnson, 1:26.47.
100 breaststroke — 1, Lindberg, 1:19.21; 3, Ashley Hasbargen, 1:25.93; 5, Monica Hasbargen, 1:27.23.
400 freestyle relay — 2, Adams, Herzig, Stouffer, Mitchell, 4:22.68; 3, Bruess, Manka, Rognerud, Johnson, 4:43.39.
Junior varsity results — I. Falls 114, BETA 42.