Sometimes, it’s tough to beat the numbers.
The International Falls Bronco girl’s swimming and diving team opened their 2008 season Thursday with a hard-fought, but mathematically tough duel meet loss in Hibbing, 98-64.
In swimming, duel meet scoring gives a distinct advantage to larger teams, and the Falls comes in this season with a slightly smaller group.
“The team total,” first-year coach Jill Herzig said, “is not as important as the personal records right now. We knew we’d be more on a building year and I’m very excited about the talent we have this year.”
Sara Lindberg turned in a time of 29.00 to take second in the varsity 50 freestyle. But this meet was largely about preparing for the future for the Broncos. Seventh-grader Blair Johnson competed very well in the varsity 100 backstroke.
“We have a smaller, determined team this year” Herzig said. “And we hope to be getting more girls out once school starts. We’re not looking at the winning and loosing right now, we’re looking at bettering out times. A lot of the younger girls have really stepped up. We hung with them. I was very impressed with them.”
The Broncos travel to Grand Rapids today for their next duel meet.
Thursday’s varsity results
200 Medley Relay
Erika Mitchell, Sara Lindberg, Tamera Stouffer-Batcher & Paige Herzig 2:09.02 3rd. Morgan Bruess, Monica Hasbargen, Laura Rognerud & Taylar Nelson 2:19.67
200 Free Style
M. Hasbargen 2:37.49 5th
Rachel Adams 2:35.34 4th
200 Individual Medley
Bruess 2:49.68 3rd
Rognerud 2:55.57 4th
50 Free Style
Lindberg 29.00 2nd
Herzig 29.54 4th
Nelson 32.76
Sarah Manka 32.79
Diving
100 Butterfly
Tamera Stouffer 1:22.91 4th
Manka 5th
100 Free Style
Mitchell 1:01.28 3rd
M. Hasbargen 1:08.06 4th
Abby Oveson 1:13.04
500 Free Style
200 Free Style Relay
Mitchel, Herzig, Bruess & Lindberg 1:57.88 3rd. Stouffer, Rognerud, Manka, Hasbargen 2:04.70 4th
100 Back Stroke
Johnson 1:40.14
100 Breast Stroke
Lindberg 1:23.30 3rd
Herzig 1:25.06
Ashley Hasbargen 1:25.81
400 Free Style Relay
Mitchell, Stouffer, Bruess & M. Hasbargen 4:50.27
Nelson, Adams, Manka & Rognerud 4:55.00
Team Score: Hibbing 98, International Falls 64
JV: Hibbing 103, International Falls 54