Glen Strandberg
Sports Editor

A quick study of synchronized swimming in the state of Minnesota shows there were two elite programs spending time in the penthouse, and then a couple others who wanted to crash the party.

After Wayzata’s big win at the 2007 state meet on Thursday, May 24 and Friday, May 25, there are now three teams — St. Louis Park and Stillwater being the others —who have claimed first place in the history of the sport. Forest Lake finished in fourth, which again proved that the Rangers are poised to join current and past champions, but they will have to try it again next year.

“A great meet to end a great season,” head coach Laura Davison shared. “We met some tough competition, and held our own. I wish that the season was not over.”

Davison went on to rave about her athletes, who put in extensive amount of time training in the pool, on dry land, and finding more than a moment to study; Forest Lake was the Section 7AA academic champions

“These are the kind of athletes any coach would be lucky to be able to work with,” she said. “We are losing 13 seniors this year, and each one of them will be missed.”

FINAL TEAM STANDINGS

1. Wayzata

2. Stillwater

3. St. Louis Park

4. Forest Lake

5. Eden Prairie

SOLOS - “Dianna Schave amazed us all with her best swim to take second in the short division,” Davison said.

In the long division, the entertaining Ann Husfeldt came in fifth, while Frances VanSloan also turned in a magnificent swim to end that portion of her high school career.

DUETS - Aayla Anderson and McKinzie Chelberg also ended their seasons with their best performances and came away with second place in the short division.

Alissa Moberg and Carrie Peterson took seventh in the extended division, which Davison felt was at least four spots below what they deserved.

“I was expecting this duet to place higher than they did. I was not happy with the scores that they received. In my book they would have been in the top three.”

According to Davison, Peterson and Moberg were near-misses for all-state

TRIOS - In the long and extend division, both trios teams ended up in the top seven, and they are made up entirely of seniors. The top extended trios team of Moberg, Peterson and Kate Harrison took third, while the other extended trio of Heidi Bolenbaugh, Husfeldt and VanSloan finished in fifth place.

“The long trios (Camille Gross, Heidi Merrier and Laura Oberg-Hauser as well as Julianna Dahlager, Paige Faymoville and Abby Husfeldt) have some big shoes to fill next year but I have faith that they will be able to do it,” Davison said.

TEAMS - The extended A team (Breakdance) earned fourth place, and Davison felt they had a lot to be proud of. In the routine portion, the eight swimmers — Bolenbaugh, Harrison, Husfeldt, Merrier, Moberg, Peterson, Heather Ristow and VanSloan — were tied for second. However, the other 50 percent of judging was based on figures. And even though they were close to the top three schools, this is where the Rangers dropped to the fourth position.

The extended B team (pictured in last week’s newspaper), comprised of Dahlager, Faymoville, Gross, Kelsey Lefto, Lindsey Quale, Schave, Oberg-Hauser and Abby Husfeldt came in 10th place.

Top of Page