Glen Strandberg
Sports Editor

Two more losses for the Forest Lake swimming and diving team may give the appearance the girls are slipping their way through the season, but there’s a reasonable explanation to why the Rangers were beaten by Cambridge-Isanti and Stillwater. Those two teams are good. Really good.

While Stillwater wins state championship after state championship, the Bluejackets are expected to provide serious competition for Forest Lake when it comes time for the section meet. Cambridge earned a 96-90 victory on Tuesday, Sept. 25, which proves Section 7 AA will be very entertaining in early November.

“Though it was tough to watch another close meet slip away, we came away with several nice performances,” head coach Rochelle McKenzie said.

McKenzie is referring to the final event, the 400-yard freestyle relay, where the score was tied at 90.

“The only way to outscore Cambridge and walk away with the win was to take first place,” she said.

Her foursome of Sammi Carr, Julianna Dahlager, Britt Berg and Darian Kaiser opened with the lead, as each swimmer turned in either a personal or season best.

All of that was well and fine, until the Bluejackets’ Kailee McDonald turned in a phenomenal last leg to give Cambridge the victory.

Other notable results, and comments from coach McKenzie —

200 medley relay
1st — Mary Walters, Sarah Williamson, Erin Liljedahl and Kaiser
3rd — Courtney McGee, Natalie Emholz, Berg and Laura Oberg-Hauser

200 freestyle
2nd — Dahlager, with a personal best (PB) of 2:10.58. “She swam a very smart race and looked the best she has all season,” McKenzie noted. “Julianna is really stepping up this year; we’re very impressed.”

200 IM
1st — Walters, with a season best time of 2:26.46.

100 butterfly
2nd — Liljedahl, with a PB of 1:07.34.
4th — Berg
5th — Charity Riesgraf, with a PB of 1:12.91. “I think Charity has gotten at least one PB at every meet so far this year,” McKenzie shared about the 9th grader. “Even in her first year as a varsity swimmer, she is already a major player.”

500 freestyle
1st — Oberg-Hauser, with a season-best time of 6:03.65.
2nd — Anya Waskey, with a personal best time of 6:16.69

200 freestyle relay
2nd — Walters, Liljedahl, Carr and Dahlager

100 backstroke
2nd —Walters
3rd — Kaiser, with a season-best time of 1:07.57

100 breaststroke
1st — Williamson. “Who started off this season with times equal to, and already better than, her times from sections last year.”
2nd — Heidi Merrier, with a season-best time of 1:17.87.

Following the near miss against Cambridge, the girls had the pleasure of hosting the two-time defending state champion Stillwater Ponies. McKenzie said both Forest Lake and Stillwater mixed their regular line-ups, which made the meet a little more fun instead of truly competitive. The Ponies won 102-76.

DIVING

Whereas the swimmers had two opponents last week, the divers were busy with Cambridge-Isanti, Stillwater and a make-up meet against Roseville.

“Tuesday’s meet was good (against Cambridge),” diving coach Deb Welch said. “It was the best diving we have come against all season.”

Best competition? Have no fear, because Erin Eagen is here. Eagen took first place, while the Bluejackets picked up second and third. The Rangers’ Scotti Sampair came in fourth, and Whitney Anderson finished in sixth, as she was filling in for an ailing Allie Bey.

“Thursday was not so great,” Welch admitted.

Her group went to Stillwater to face Roseville as well as the Ponies. Welch explained how Stillwater refuses to dive at Forest Lake, so competing in an empty pool without the support of the swimmers makes it difficult.

“Being in a completely quiet pool with no spectators makes it seem like a practice session instead of a meet,” she said.

That lack of energy contributed to Eagen, Sampair and Bey getting Forest Lake’s lowest score in three years during the Roseville competition, but the Raiders scored even lower.

Eagen still came in first, with Bey moving up to third place and Sampair getting fourth. The trio’s performance allowed the Rangers to win the overall meet against Roseville.

“The same can’t be said for the Stillwater meet,” Welch said.

Against a more skilled group like the Ponies, and dealing with the library-like atmosphere, Welch’s divers would not be so fortunate. Eagen ended up in third place, and she was followed by Bey in fourth and Sampair in sixth place.

Forest Lake travels to Woodbury on Thursday and then is home again on Oct. 11 against White Bear Lake.

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