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Glen Strandberg
Sports Editor
Just as expected, last weekend’s state swim meet turned out a series of performances where a winning time in 2007 wouldn’t hold up to this year’s standards.
A quartet of Forest Lake swimmers qualified in a total of five events, landing the Rangers in 34th place overall. And some of those aforementioned standards would affect Forest Lake’s individual placings, even though the Rangers were cranking out personal best times.
In the 100-yard breaststroke, Edina’s Doug Eden claimed first with a time of 56.82, beating last season’s top posting of 57.01. Forest Lake’s Elijah Miller was able to grab seventh place in ‘07, but on Saturday night he would have to settle for a respectable 14th. He clocked a 1:00.49, matching his school record from last year’s state competition.
TRIPLE THREAT: Elijah Miller capped off his high school swimming career at state with a 14th-place finish in the 100-yard breaststroke, a 17th in the 200 IM, and an 18th in the 200 free relay.
Miller also competed as an individual in the 200 individual medley, and was joined by John Goossens, Frank O’Neil and Peter Sandager in the 200 freestyle relay.
That group finished the relay with a season-best time of 1:31.46, which landed them in 18th place in the state.
Like Miller, Goossens had multiple duties on Feb. 29 and March 1, taking part in both the 50- and 100-yard freestyle events. Check that, Goossens did more than just participate — he wound up his swimming career with a 14th place in the 50 free (22.54), a 16th in the 100 (49.28), and broke the Forest Lake school records in both races.
Miller took 17th in the 200 IM (2:04.04), as the Rangers finished the meet with seven points.
“The 2007-2008 boys swimming and diving team had a great season. With a few snafus during our section meet that unfortunately cost us points for a strong team finish, it did provide the team a strong lifelong learning experience,” head swim coach Barbara Vailodash said.
“Even more so, the extremely fast times at state opened a few eyes on our team, since we are graduating all of our remaining state competitors. Many team members will need to look at their goals for the Forest Lake swimming and diving team and decide if this program is to remain competitive, (they’ll need) to dedicate time beyond the short season to prepare themselves for the level of swimming our Minnesota state competition is requiring.”
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