Abby Husfeldt, Janel Marier and Charity Riesgraf perform their extended trio at the state meet. Click here for a slideshow from the meet.
(Photo by Clint Riese)
Clint Riese
Sports Editor
Forest Lake continued its run among the state’s elite programs by taking fifth place at the state synchronized swim meet Thursday and Friday at the University of Minnesota. The team achievement also came with some prestigious individual honors, as senior Julianna Dahlager and sophomore McKinzie Chelberg earned spots on the eight-member all-state team.
“Only two other swimmers from Forest Lake have earned the title in the past,” said coach Laura Davison. “They both worked so hard for this goal all season. We are so excited that they received this honor.”
Their performances in Thursday’s figures portion of the meet was critical, Davison added. Chelberg won the long figures division and took second in the extended class. Dahlager placed third in extended figures.
Dahlager, a senior captain, said calmer nerves than in years past helped her to perform her best.
“This year was a lot more fun than it has been in the past, because I usually get a lot more tense, but this year I was just able to relax and swim my routines,” she said.
The all-state duo even paired up to take second place in the extended duet division.
“They have a very challenging routine and they swam it well,” Davison said.
Dahlager also combined with Camille Gross and Laura Oberg-Hauser to take fourth in the extended trio division.
“This was their best swim of the year and I am going to miss watching these three swim,” Davison said.
In addition, Dahlager was a member of the fifth-place extended team, along with Gross, Oberg-Hauser, Abby Husfeldt, Janel Marier, Charity Riesgraf, Katie Royce and Kristen Sewall.
“I know that we were all hoping for a higher placement [in this category], but I am happy that they had such a great swim,” Davison said.
Chelberg earned a close second place for her long solo.
The Rangers picked up what Davison called an “amazing” second-place finish in the long team division thanks to Amanda Anderson, Katherine Anderson, Whitney Anderson, Teresa Brockman, Brooke Ewert, Alex Raak, Melissa Richie and Morgan Sperry.
“These girls have worked so hard and it really paid off,” Davison said.
Other individual honors included Oberg-Hauser taking sixth for her extended solo and Amanda Anderson seventh in the short solo division.
Overall, the team can’t complain about taking fifth place after four straight years in fourth. Seven out of the squad’s 10 entries placed in the top seven to earn points. Wayzata won the meet with 125 points. Stillwater took second, Eden Prairie third, and St. Louis Park fourth. Forest Lake had 34 points.
“I’m really pleased with how everything turned out,” Dahlager said. “I didn’t expect to place as high in some things as we did.”
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