Above: Excitement abounded in the recent YMCA swim meet held at the Cook County Community YMCA pool. Cheering loudly for their teammates, Martine Redshaw (left) and Mary June Wharton urge their friends to the finish in one of dozens of races held over multiple distances in the meet. Right: Will Surbaugh showed excellent form in the 100-yard breaststroke, an event he won. Will also took a first and third in two other individual events, as well as competed on relay teams.
On January 23, the YMCA Northern hosted a meet at the Cook County Community YMCA pool. Over 100 swimmers ages 5 to 68 years old came together from Duluth, Superior, and Cook County to compete one last time before heading off to the Northern Sectional Swim Meet on January 30.
Sixteen youth and eight adults were present from the Cook County team. “There were dozens of close races, tons of dropped time, and we even had our first Regional Qualifier at this meet,” said Coach Emily Marshall.
Ella Hedstrom qualified in the 50 breaststroke and now has the opportunity to go to the Regional swim meet in March where she will compete against some of the fastest swimmers from 11 different states in the Midwest.
Coach Marshall said, “She has been working so hard and making a qualifying time is a huge accomplishment.
“Several of our other swimmers are really close to a region time, so it’ll be exciting to see how they perform at Sectionals and State,” said Marshall.
Above right: Aurora Schelmeske powered through the water to a first place finish in the 100-yard I.M. Schelmeske also had two other individual first place finishes at the meet.
When competing at the Sectional meet, the top three swimmers or relays in each race will advance to the State meet at the University of Minnesota.
In the 8 and under category Lexi Surbaugh, Lily Fadiewicz, Laney Gunderson, and Megan Gunderson placed 1st in the 100 freestyle relay. In the same age group Mary June Wharton, Piper Linn, Josephine Fadiewicz and Emma Cranston placed first in the 100 medley relay, and Mary June Wharton, Emma Cranston, Laney Gunderson, and Lexi Surbaugh won the freestyle relay.
Martine Redshaw, Ava Niksich, Natalya Kilsdonk, and Greta Hendrickson placed 1st in the 200 medley relay for the 9-10 age group. Also placing 1st in the boys’ 200 medley 9-10 age group were Sam Clark, Noah Heller, Tristan Surbaugh, and Trevor Fay. Ava Niksich, Martine Redshaw, Ginger Giddings and Liv Hedstrom placed 1st in the (9-10) 400 freestyle event.
In the 11-12 age group, Malin Anderson placed 3rd in the 200 freestyle, 1st in the medley relay with Louise Ramberg, Ella Hedstrom, and Shaelyn Hingos, and 2nd in the 200 freestyle rely with the same girls.
Ole Sorenson was 1st in the 13-14 age group freestyle, 1st in the 200 medley relay with Henry DeArruda- Weaver, Will Surbaugh, and Beau Giddings; 1st in the 200 freestyle relay with the same guys and 2nd in the open 100 freestyle. In the 13-14 girls 200 freestyle relay Chloe Blackburn, Josie Fay, Anna Kapsner, and Aurora Schelmske placed 2nd.
In the individual events Lexi Surbaugh was 3rd in the (8 & U) 100 I.M. and 1st in the 25 yard breaststroke. Mary June Wharton (8 & U) was 2nd in the 25 butterfly. Isaak Lien (8 & U) was 1st in the 25 backstroke and 2nd in the 100 I.M. Ella Hedstrom was 1st in the 50 breaststroke, 2nd in the (11-12) 100 I.M. and 3rd in the 50 backstroke. Tristan Surbaugh was (9-10) 2nd in the 100 I.M., and 2nd in the 100 butterfly. Grace Blomberg (9-10) was 3rd in the 100 freestyle; Chloe Blackburn (13-14) was 2nd in the 200 I.M. and 2nd in the 100 butterfly. Will Surbaugh (13-14) was 3rd in the 50 freestyle, 1st in the 100 I.M. and 1st in the 100 breaststroke. Aurora Schelmeske (13-14) was 1st in the 50 freestyle, 1st in the 100 I.M. and 1st in the 100 freestyle. Louise Ramberg (11-12) was 3rd in the 100 freestyle; Tanner DeBoer (15 on up) 2nd in the 200 backstroke, 2nd in the 500 freestyle, and 1st in the 200 breaststroke. Henry DeArruda-Weaver (13-14) was 1st in the 200 I.M. and 1st in the 100 backstroke.
Local adults included Mark Abrahamson 2nd in the 100 I.M., 3rd in the 100 backstroke, 1st in the 100 breaststroke, and 2nd in the 50 freestyle. Dave Nonnemacher placed 1st in the 200 freestyle and 2nd in the 100 freestyle. Lee Bergstrom was 3rd in the 100 freestyle, and 3rd in the 50 freestyle; Joseph Friedrich was 1st in the 50 freestyle and 1st in the 100 freestyle. Sally Summer Mellang was 2nd in the 100 breaststroke and 3rd in the 100 I.M.
The 200 adult medley relay team of Linda Kratt, Caro Linn, Mellang and Friedrichs placed 1st, while Kratt, Mellang, and Friedrich teamed with Anne Belleman to finish 2nd in the 200 freestyle relay. Betsy Bowen joined Abrahamson, Bergstrom, and Nonemacher to win the 200 freestyle relay.
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