WILLMAR -- Opening the 2007 season in their home tank, the Willmar Cardinal girls swim team collected two victories and finished second to powerful St. Cloud Tech on Saturday.
The Cardinals chased the Tigers' tail from the first event on, but there was no catching their Central Lakes Conference foe.
"Tech is at another level right now," said Willmar coach Carl Shuldes, who nonetheless expressed satisfaction with the Willmar showing.
Willmar sophomore Alissa Tinklenberg started her fourth varsity season by winning the 200 freestyle in 2:01.03, which matched her state-qualifying time from last November.
It was Willmar's only individual first of the meet that featured seven teams.
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Willmar's other win came in the 200 freestyle relay behind Sarah Hund, Sarah Frank, Shantel Kelly and Tinklenberg in a time of 1:44.7.
Another bright spot for Willmar was a display of diving depth. Alicia Alvarado in third, Brooke Feichtinger in fifth and Beth Pollock in sixth all scored over 150 for the six-dive menu. Laura Polman's 146.5 gave the Cardinals four section-qualifying scores on the first day. Alvarado's 157 included three dives that toted at least 18 points, led by an 18.5 back dive.
Tech's Tasha Harr, a 2006 Class AA state qualifier, won diving going away at 196.5.
Tech also dominated swimming by winning 8 of 11 events. State entrant Ali Domeier won the 50 free in 25.4 and the 100 free (over Tinklenberg by a second) in 55.48.
Tech freshman Kelly Morford was first in the individual medley and the backstroke.
"It's pretty obvious who swam over the summer and who didn't," said Shuldes, referring to strokers who excelled on opening day.
Willmar will host Central Lakes Conference defending champion Fergus Falls on Thursday in the dual-meet debut.
Team scores
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(1) St. Cloud Tech 586 (2) Willmar 507 (3) Sauk Centre 437 (4) Melrose 387.5 (5) Bemidji 265.5 (6) Montevideo 114 (7) Minnewaska/Morris/Chokio-Alberta 28
Individual results
(Event winner, area results top 16)
200 MEDLEY RELAY - (1)St. Cloud Tech 1:56.29 (2) Melrose 2:02.21 (3) Willmar: Shelby Morton, Kendra Sietsma, Jennifer Frank, Shantel Kelly; 2:04.14 ... (7) Willmar B 2:09.78 (8) Montevideo A 2:11.29 (12) Willmar E 2:15.69
200 FREESTYLE - (1) Alissa Tinklenberg, Wil, 2:01.83 (2) Makenzie Pillsbury, Tec, 2:10.16 ... (4) Sarah Hund, Wil, 2:11.65 (11) Miss Varpness, Mtv, 2:19.89 (14) Emily Zondervan, Wil, 2:22.63 (15) Megan Michaelis, Wil, 2:23.01
200 INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY - (1) Kelly Morford, Tec, 2:19.58 ... (5) Liz Dvorak, Mtv, 2:38. 52 (6) Ashley Alvarado, Wil, 2:39.23 (7) Katie Burns, Mtv, 2:39.89 (10) Valor Gorans, Wil, 2:43.98 (13) Liz Gorans, Wil, 2:45.89 (14) Anna Fuglestad, Wil, 2:46.94
50 FREESTYLE - (1) Ali Domeier, Tec, 25.4 ... (6) Sarah Frank, Wil, 27.24 (13) Shantel Kelly, Wil, 28.23 (15) Laura Moe, MMCA, 28.83 (16) Mariel Aamot, Wil, 29.13
DIVING - (1) Tasha Harr, Tec, 196.50 (2) Anna Heine, Tec, 164.15 (3) Alicia Alvarado, Wil, 157.8 (4) Jessi Haider, Mel, 157.0 (5) Brooke Feichtinger, Wil, 155.45 (6) Beth Pollock, Wil, 153.10 ... (9) Laura Polman, Wil, 146.35 (13) Brooke Barrett, Wil, 117.6 (15) Lyndsae Norman, Mtv, 107.65
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100 BUTTERFLY - (1) Kirtsten Koetter, Mel, 1:03.63 ... (6) Katie Burns, Mtv, 1:14.09 (8) Megan Michaelis, Wil, 1:16.57 (9) Amanda Aaerud, Mtv, 1:16.64 (10) Anna Fuglestad, Wil,1:16.78 (13) Jenny Frank, Wil, 1:18.35 (14) Valor Gorans, Wil, 1:20.75
100 FREESTYLE - (1) Ali Domeier, Tec, 55.48 (2) Alissa Tinklenberg, Wil, 56.49 .... (5) Sarah Hund, Wil, 59.06 (11) Melissa Varpness, Mtv, 1:01.76
500 FREESTYLE - (1) Makenzie, Tec, 58.83 ... (7) Shelby Stevens, Wil, 6:16.88 (7) Ashley Alvarado, Wil, 6:21.78 (11) Emily Zondervan, Wil, 6:28.5 (14) Sara Tinlenberg, Wil, 6:42.67
200 FREESTYLE RELAY - (1) Willmar: Hund, S. Frank, S. Kelly, A. Tinklenberg; 1:44.7 (2) Sauk Centre 1:46.9 ... (7) Willmar D 1:58.22 (10) Willmar B 1:58.83 (12) Minnewaska/M/CA A 2:03.7 (13) Willmar E 2:04.02
100 BACKSTROKE - (1) Kelly Morford, Tec, 1:01.43 ... (7) Mariel Aamot, Wil, 1:12.92 (8) Cassie Yoakum, Wil, 1:13.11 (13) Renae Clark, Mtv, 1:16.82 (14) Paige Entzi, MMCA, 1:16.87 (15) Liz Gornas, Wil, 1:18.6 (16) Liz Gorans, Wil, 1:18.6,
100 BREASTSTROKE - (1) Frankie Domeier, Tec, 1:17.86 (2) Rachel Erickson, Tec, 1:18.64 (3) Katie Pakola, Wil, 1:18.71 (4) Kendra Sietsema, Wil, 1:18.75 (5) Liz Dvorak, Mtv, 1:19.43 (9) Alysha Cuchna, Wil, 1:22.24 (10) Kristen Daniels, Wil, 1:22.42 (14) Katie Kroona, Wil, 1:25.65
400 FREESTYLE RELAY - (1) St. Cloud Tech 3:50.98 (2) Sauk Centre 3:55.65 (3) Willmar: Hund. S. Frank, Michaelis, A. Tinklenberg; 3:58.53 ... (9) Willmar B 4:19.64 (12) Montevideo 4:32.0 (13) Minnewaska/M/CA 4:34.75 (15) Willmar D 4:35.0 (16)
