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state swim team

MWHF Takes Sixth at State Swim and Dive Meet

By K. Thomes, 11/22/21, 8:00AM CST

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Coach Ben Hanson’s Mound Westonka/Holy Family girls swim and dive team earned a team high sixth-place finish in the MSHSL Class A State Tournament.

Coach Ben Hanson’s Mound Westonka/Holy Family (MWHF) girls swim and dive team earned a team high sixth-place finish in the MSHSL Class A State Tournament, which was held November 18–20 at the University of Minnesota Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center. 

True to tradition, the Mound Westonka students lined the halls and honored the team with a clap-out as they headed to the state bus.  After a stop at local elementary schools and a police and fire truck escort past cheering fans, they exited the city limits and headed to the Class A State Swimming and Diving Tournament, which included 38 teams and 272 competitors. 

The MWHF State Team included Annie Springer (SR, Captain), Ellen Ries (SR, Captain), Kathryn Collins (SR, Captain), Hannah Hall (SR, Captain), Jaylyn Storm (JR), Kate Johnston (JR), Kristin Collins (JR), Abigail Ries (SO) Annemarie Johnson (FR). 

Five of the swimmers earned individual event state qualifying times in the Finals of the Section 3A meet: Annie Springer (100 Butterfly); Ellen Ries (500 Freestyle); Jaylyn Storm (50 Freestyle, 100 Freestyle); Kate Johnston (100 Breaststroke) and Annemarie Johnson (100 Breaststroke). The team also qualified for the state tournament with the 200 Medley Relay, 200 Freestyle Relay and 400 Freestyle Relay.

All Class A swimmers with state qualifying times from Section meets compete in preliminary races on the first day of state tournament competition. Those finishing in the Top 16 qualify to return for state finals on day two of competition. The Top 8 qualifiers from prelims race for the championship and places 9-16 compete in the consolation round. 

Kate Johnston was seeded second after prelims in the 100 Breaststroke and held that place in the finals with a season best time of 1:04:83. Storm took fifth in the 50 Freestyle (24.22), improving from a season best time (24.04) and sixth-place finish in prelims. Storm finished prelims in the 100 Freestyle in 11th place, but a twitch on the starting block in the finals caused a disqualification. Springer was 15th after prelims in the 100 Butterfly, a season's best time of 59:81 in finals earned her an 11th-place finish. Johnson was 10th after prelims, and with a 0:00:44 time drop in finals, her season's best time won the consolation heat for a ninth-place finish. Ellen Ries competed in the 500 Freestyle in prelims, finishing in 20th place.  

Hanson pulled together a trio of impressive MSHSL State Tournament qualifying relay teams. The 200 Medley Relay team of Kr. Collins, Johnston, Springer and Storm set a new team record and earned a sixth-place finish in both prelims (1:49:64) and finals (1:49:37). The 200 Freestyle Relay team of Storm, Springer, Johnson and E. Ries also set a new team record and earned a sixth-place finish in both prelims (1:39:78) and finals (1:38:78). The 400 Freestyle Relay team of E. Ries, A. Ries, Johnson and Springer improved from 11th place after prelims (3:41:69) to ninth place, consolation heat champions (3:40:24). 

Congratulations to the MWHF 2021 Girls Swim and Dive team on a record-breaking season.     

Top 10 Teams

  1. Visitation
  2. Hutchinson
  3. Delano
  4. Orono
  5. Waconia
  6. Mound Westonka/Holy Family
  7. Blake School (Tied for 7th)
  8. Breck School (Tied for 7th)
  9. Foley
  10. Benilde-St. Margaret’s
MWHF girls swim state team

MWHF state team (from left): Springer, Storm, Hall, Collins, Collins, Ries, Johnson, Ries and Johnston

Ellen Ries

Ellen Ries

200 Free Relay Team

200 Freestyle Relay Team of Storm, Springer, Ries and Johnson

state meet sign