Glen Strandberg
Sports Editor

Not only does the picture of the Ranger swim team standing underneath the sign that reads ìSection Championsî look pretty slick, it has an awfully nice ring to it, too.

Yes indeed, the Forest Lake girlsí swimming and diving team is the 2006 Section 7AA champion.

ìIím so impressed with how much the girls have improved, not only this year, but over the last few years,î head swim coach Rochelle McKenzie shared. ìA total of five school records fell over the weekend and we had numerous personal bests.î

In much the same way as the entire season unfolded for the Rangers, the section meet in Coon Rapids was one where the girls kept coming on, and coming on and coming on, until finally the only place left to go was to the top of the medal stand.

After Friday nightís diving competition, in which Janel Duffy took second and earned her third consecutive trip to the state meet, Forest Lake was locked in behind first place Centennial, and it almost felt like the Rangers would stay there. Amanda Nelson won the 100 butterfly with a school record time of 58.00, and then she and Gaby Bunten grabbed first and third in the 100 freestyle, yet Centennial still hung on to the team lead. Throw in a surging Blaine squad and the scene became even more precarious.

But just a few events later, not only was Blaine disappearing, but Centennial had slipped and there was Forest Lake standing as the team to beat ó by all of four points. Helping the Ranger cause was a fifth place finish in the 100 breaststroke by Sarah Williamson (with a personal best of 1:12.25), because in the dayís final race, the 400 yard freestyle relay, the Rangers took fifth while Centennial came in second.

With a 34 point lead going into the relay, though, Forest Lake was in good shape and ended the afternoon with a total of 345 points to Centennialís 317.

ìIt feels really cool because last year we were third and then we got to first,î Bunten said about winning the meet. ìAnd our teamís been improving so much.î

A large reason for Forest Lakeís improvement goes to McKenzie, who has seen her team rise from seventh just two years ago, to the section champions in 2006, and was named Section Coach of the Year.

ìIím just blown away with the hard work and dedication these girls show everyday,î McKenzie noted. ìItís always nice to see it pay off in such a dramatic fashion.î

The dramatics will continue next week for five girls when they compete in the sate tournament from Nov. 20 - 22 at the University of Minnesota. The Ranger qualifiers will enter those proceedings with solid credentials, led Duffy by in diving and the Fantastic Four of the 200 medley relay team (Mary Walters, Williamson, Nelson and Bunten). The foursome was up to their old tricks last weekend and broke the school record for a fifth time this season with a posting of 1:55.50.

Nelson capped off a spectacular day with school records and state berths in both the 200 freestyle (1:58.16) and the 100 butterfly, and will be joined in the 200 free by Bunten, who will also compete in the 500 free after she ripped more than seven seconds from the previous school record (5:11.35).

ìThat was kind of a surprise because I had Mono all year,î she said, ìso I really didnít expect to go that fast. That was really cool to find out that I broke the record.î

With state still to come for a handful of Rangers, the entire team can sit back and stare at a picture that shows them as champions and remember one incredible season.

And if the win wasnít enough, the girls were also honored with the Academic Excellence Award.

As McKenzie put it: ìWhat an amazing way to end the season!î

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Forest Lake Times
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Forest Lake, MN 55025
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