Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Prep girls swimming: Cards enjoy a laid-back victory
Willmar beats St. Cloud Apollo 115-63 heading into true-team sections
Willmar sophomore Shelby Reed smiled after finishing first in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 26.5 seconds against St. Cloud Apollo on Thursday, Oct. 14, in Willmar. Matthew Curry/West Central Tribune
WILLMAR — The Willmar girls swim team earned the home victory over St. Cloud Apollo, 115-63.
The Cardinals placed first in nine events and placed second in eight.
“It was a good meet for the girls; we swam some different races and I’m proud of the girls' effort,” Willmar coach Carl Shuldes said. “We were one-two-three in a lot of events and scored a lot of points.
“We knew Apollo was down and we knew we would be favored to get a win. But the girls continued to fight hard and continued to push throughout and really challenged themselves to do their best.”
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Willmar's Shelby Reed dives into the pool for the start of the 50-yard freestyle before placing first with a time of 26.5 seconds on Thursday, Oct. 14, against St. Cloud Apollo in Willmar. Matthew Curry/West Central Tribune
Cardinals’ sophomore Shelby Reed returned to action after being held out for a short time due to shoulder pains.
Reed placed first in the 50-yard freestyle in 26.05 seconds and competed in the 200 and 400 freestyle relays.
“I thought she swam very well in her return,” Shuldes said.
Aside from the performances he saw in the pool, Shuldes said the biggest takeaway was seeing the joy his athletes had.
Willmar senior Ava Brogren placed first in the 500-yard freestyle, finishing in 5 minutes, 51 seconds against St. Cloud Apollo on Thursday, Oct. 14, in Willmar. Matthew Curry/West Central Tribune
“It was just good to see them having fun,” he said. “They were swimming loose and they weren’t under a lot of pressure, but they were just enjoying themselves.
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“They were somewhat competing against each other and themselves, but they were just really enjoying their teammates’ company in and out of the pool.”
Willmar competes in the true team section meet at 8 a.m. Saturday in Hutchinson.
“We know we're not a threat to win it but we’re going to compete our best, have fun, and see how we currently stack up amongst the other teams in our section,” Schuldes said.
Willmar Cardinals' ninth-grader Aly Johnson placed first in the 100-yard backstroke, finishing in 1 minute, 15 seconds against St. Cloud Apollo on Thursday, Oct. 14, in Willmar. Matthew Curry/West Central Tribune