Swimming: Mayo looks for lofty state finish

In a sense, some pressure has been lifted from the top swimmers at Mayo as they prepare to head into the Class AA state meet.

The Spartans had a dominating run at the Section One, Class AA meet as they easily won the team title and qualified swimmers or divers in 11 of the 12 events.

A trio of talented seniors — Kallyn Barkey, Olivia Cook and Hannah Baratz — all have very lofty state goals — as does the entire Mayo team — but they all freed up some personal pressure by recently deciding on which college to attend.

Barkey (500 freestyle, 200 individual medley), Cook (100 butterfly, 200 IM) and Baratz (50 freestyle, 100 backstroke) have qualified for two individual events and will join Shavonne Chen on the 200 and 400 freestyle relays. Barkey has also declared her intent to attending and swim at Arizona State while Cook will go to Iowa and Baratz will go to Division II power Emery in Atlanta.

"I just really happy and super excited," Barkey said of her decision to attend Arizona State. Barkey said Mayo coach Juliet Parlette was a big help in the decision process.

"They all know where they're going to go (to college) so I think that takes come of the pressure off them," Parlette said. "Now all they need to do is swim well."

Cook is also looking forward to swimming in college.

"I'm excited to go (to Iowa)," she said. "I can't wait to go."

But first Mayo will take a shot at a lofty state team finish and some high individual finishes as well. The meet is today through Friday at the University of Minnesota. Friday's swimming and diving finals start at 6 p.m.

Top five finish?

"I would love for us to be in the top five (in the team standings)," Parlette said. "I think that's pretty lofty, but not impossible."

Especially considering Mayo has a number of swimmers and relays seeded in the top eight. The Spartans placed 10th in the team standings last year.

Barkey is seeded third in the 500 freestyle and fourth in the 200 IM. She set a section record of 5:01.60 in the 500, but believes she can go much faster at state.

"I'd like to be in the 4:50s at state," Barkey said. That could put her in contention for a state title.

Baratz is seeded fourth in the 50 freestyle and seventh in the 100 backstroke.

"I want to make top eight in the 50 free and 100 back," Baratz said of her state goals. She holds the school record in the 100 backstroke and would also like to set the mark in the 50 free in her final meet.

Cook is seeded sixth in the both the 200 IM and100 butterfly.

"In think I can go faster," Cook said of comparing her state meet times to the section meet. "And I want to get my best times."

Baratz, Chen, Cook and Barkey are seeded third in the 200 freestyle relay and fourth in the 400 freestyle relay.

"We want to do as well as we can in the relays," Cook said. "I' can't wait to see how fast we can go."

Senior Roberta Lanzino (100 breaststroke) and sophomore Sophia Alfred qualified for state after coming off section titles. Lanzino feels she can improve her section time at state.

"That's the plan," she said. "I think I can go faster."

Lanzino is also a state qualifier in the 200 medley relay with first-time state entrants Ece Kremers, Catherine Yang and Willemijn van Duersen. Eighth-grade diver Monet Meyer will also be making her first state appearance.

Jacobs a title contender

Century junior diver Andrianna Jacobs is coming off a record-setting performance at the Section 1AA meet. She won the section title for the second straight year with a meet-record score of 455.55 points.

Jacobs earned her fourth state berth in diving. A year ago she was the Class AA runner-up.

"I just want to do the best I can," Jacobs said of the state meet.

She should a legitimate contender to capture a state championship as her section score was more than 50 points better than her 11-dive total at the state meet in 2013.

"I just have to take it one dive at a time and not get down on myself," she said.

Century's Kate Heins is also a state qualifier in diving.