Rochester swimmers will take aim at state berths and Century will look to claim another team title during the Section One, Class AA swimming and diving meet on Thursday and Saturday.
The two-day event will be held at the Rochester Recreation Center and feature seven Section 1AA teams. The preliminary round is on Thursday and the finals are at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Century has won the past eight Section 1AA team titles and is one of the favorites again this season. The Panthers nipped Hastings for the section title a year ago. Hastings figures to challenge for the section crown and John Marshall could also make a push for the team title.
Century won the Big Nine title last weekend.
"We should not be considered favorites at this meet either with the likes of Hastings and JM right there with us," Century coach Linda Freeman said.
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The primary goal is to qualify individual for the Class AA state meet.
Century junior Alex Kofler (100 breaststroke, 50 freestyle) won a pair of individual events a year ago. Kofler has won the 100 breaststroke the past two years at the section meet.
Century junior Will Cima is the defending champion in the 100 butterfly. Junior Sam Hayward was the runner-up in both the 200 and 500 freestyle events while sophomore Jack Ommen was second in the 100 freestyle. Senior Jason Tri was an individual state qualifier in the 500 freestyle last year.
Century also earned state berths in all three relays in 2014. Jerry He could be another individual with a good shot to earn a state berth and he is a key member on a couple of relays.
"That is the focus and goal of the section meet, qualifying as many individuals and relays as we can to the state meet next week and then really see what we can do," Freeman said.
John Marshall outlook
The Rockets feature a pair of elite swimmers in senior Mike Streyle and sophomore John Becker. Both were state qualifiers a year ago.
Becker was the section champion in the 200 individual medley last season and was the runner-up in the 100 breaststroke.
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Streyle returns as the defending champion in the 100 backstroke. Streyle is also coming off a record-setting winning time in the 200 freestyle in the Big Nine Conference Meet. He and Becker were also on last year's state-qualifying 200 medley relay, where Scott Nimke should also fill a key role in this year's meet.
Senior Brandon Merrill also earned a state berth last year, placing second in the diving competition.
Mayo outlook
The Spartans did not have a state qualifier a year ago.
Senior Caleb Van Loon (500 freestyle) and sophomore Franco Lanzino (100 butterfly) both had seventh-place individual finishes at last year's section meet.
Van Loon was third in the 500 freestyle at the Big Nine Meet while Lanzino was fourth in the 200 IM.
Class A
The Section One, Class A meet will be held today (prelims) and Friday (finals) at Veterans Memorial Community Center in Inver Grove Heights.
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St. Thomas Academy is the defending team champion while Austin placed fourth in 2014.
Austin has a trio of returning individual state qualifiers in junior Craig Heimark (100 freestyle, 200 freestyle), senior Sawyer Myers (200 IM, 500 freestyle) and junior Ben Walker (100 butterfly). Heimark and Meyers were part of state relay qualifiers along with junior Seth Clasen and freshman Isaac Christopherson.
