WILLMAR -- As expected, Brainerd ran away with its second consecutive title. With its great depth and outstanding senior class, the Warriors' winning margin was a whopping 220 points.
No conference marks were threatened but sophomore Mike Hurley of Fergus Falls set two pool records: 1:57.24 in the 200 individual medley which beat his own record-setting effort in this pool in 2008 of 1:58.68; and 59.59 in the 100 backstroke to better Sauk Rapid's Jason Timmer's 59.87 in 2003.
Hurley won three golds last year as a freshman, two of those in relays.
Brainerd won all three relays this year. The Warriors' Andrew Goll won three golds and a silver.
Willmar's Andy Johnson edged out Goll in the 200 freestyle.
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"When I got to the halfway wall about even with him and Jake (Larson, also of Brainerd), I knew I had it won," said Johnson, a strong finisher. "Usually I'm playing catch-up the last 100."
The 500 is not his regular event, but he swam it for the fourth time this winter. He finished second with a personal best by eight seconds of 5:16.88, only a half-body length behind freshman Tyler Schneider of Brainerd.
Willmar's Steve Kluver was touched out by .02 in the 50. He and Jon Cesena of Sauk Rapids each posted a 22.99 behind sophomore Cameron Hyde of Sartell in 22.97.
In the backstroke, he just couldn't catch up with Ben Swanson of Sauk Rapids and finished second in 58.27.
Willmar took third in both the 200-medley relay and the 200-free relay. They almost got third in the 400-free relay, too. Johnson finished with a sub-50 second anchor leg nearly catching Alexandria's Brian Storhaug.
Willmar was battling illness which curtailed the number events swum by sophomore Kyle Rozendaal and junior Reid Olson. But coach Carl Shuldes stated it wasn't enough to make a difference with Alexandria swimming so well.
The final CLC standings, including dual-meet results, puts Brainerd first, followed by Alexandria in second, Willmar third and Sartell fourth.
Willmar freshmen divers Bennet Woltjer and Aaron Wiedemann finished in sixth and 12th place, respectively, to earn 18 points, only two less than close-rival Alexandria, whose only diver, sophomore Aaron Rooney, finished first with a score of 390.8.
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The Willmar relays took two thirds and a fourth.
Team scores
(1) Brainerd 587 (2) Alexandria 367 (3) Willmar 317 (4) Sartell 302.5 (5) Fergus Falls 248 (6) Sauk Rapids 186.5 (7) St. Cloud Tech 170 (8) St. Cloud Apollo 87 (9) Rocori 60
Individual results
(Winner ... Willmar top 16)
200 MEDLEY RELAY - (1) Brainerd; Jared Anderson, Mike Brekken, Mike Ruen, Evan Reese; 1:41.46 .... (3) Willmar: S. Kluver, Saint, Johnson, Swartz; 1:44.08 (10) Willmar B: Rozendaal, Martinek, Schroeder, M. Kluver; 1:152.78
200 FREESTYLE - (1) Andy Johnson, Wil, 1:52.14 (2) Andrew Goll, Brd, 1:53.68 ... (9) Mike McLain 1:58.88 (11) Kyle Schmidt 2:01.47 (14) Nick Aaker 2:03.71
200 INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY - (1) Mike Hurley, FF, 1:57.24* ... (10) Ben Sain 2:16.56 (14) Kyle Rozendaal 2:20.34 (16) Robert Brau 2:21.34
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50 FREESTYLE - (1) Cameron Hyde, Sar, 22.97 (2) tie, Steve Kluver, Wil, 22.99; Jon Cesena, SR, 22.99 ... (7) Ross Swartz 23.58 (14) Mason Kluver, Wil, 24.89
DIVING - (1) Aaron Rooney, Alx, 390.8 (2) Murrey Britton, Brd, 374.65 ....(6) Bennet Woltjer, Wil, 258.85 .... (12) Aaron Wiedemann 218.15
100 BUTTERFLY - (1) Eben Danielson, FF, 55.97 ... (11) McLain 1:02.14
100 FREESTYLE - (1) Goll, Brd, 50.3 ... (11) Swartz 53.26 (13) Kyle Schmidt 53.51
500 FREESTYLE - (1) Tyler Schneider, Brd, 5:16.54 (2) Johnson, Wil, 5:16.88 ... (10) A.J. Derouin, Wil, 5:44.22 (13) Robert Brau 5:46.70
200 FREESTYLE RELAY - (1) Brainerd: Anderson, Jake Larson, Alek Rudstrom, Goll; 1:31.22 ... (3) Willmar: Swartz, Schmidt, Kluver, McLain; 1:36.31 .... (11) Willmar: Aaker, Saint, Brau, Fuglestad; 1:40.2
100 BACKSTROKE - (1) Ben Swanson, SR, 57.51 (2) S. Kluver 58.27 ... (7) Rozendaal, 1:01.4 (16) Schroeder, Wil, 1:06.06
100 BREASTSTROKE - (1) Hurley, FF, 59.59* ... (7) Ben Saint 1:07.24
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400 FREESTYLE RELAY - (1) Brainerd: Reese, Rudstrom, Goll, Larson; 3:22.08 ....(4) Willmar: Schmidt, McLain, S. Kluver, Johnson; 3:28.77 (10) Willmar: Fuglestad, Aaker, M. Kluver, Brau; 3:40.99 (16) Willmar: Sietsema, Akerson, Fenske, Derouin; 4:00.20
*Pool record
