Individuals in swimming and diving, one relay team from Austin Packers girls swimming and diving team qualify for State Class A Meet

Various individuals and relay teams from the Austin Packers girls swimming and diving team were at Mankato East for diving Thursday and at the Rochester Rec Center Friday looking to advance to the State Class A Meet at the University of Minnesota November 16th through the 18th, and among the individuals for Austin qualifying for state were senior Olivia Walsh, who took third in the 50 freestyle with a time of 24.54 seconds, and Walsh also broke the Austin High School record with her time in the 100 freestyle of 53.24 to take first in the event, just edging out freshman Ella Schmiesing of Tri-City United, who was second with a time of 53.62.

Also qualifying for the Packers for the State Class A Swimming and Diving Meet were sophomore divers Alayna Kennedy and Reese Norton, who were second and third with scores of 373.85 and 352.60, respectively, and 8th grader Gracie Greenman is also headed to state as she was second in the 500 freestyle with a time of 5:29.28.  Austin will also be sending a relay team to state as the team of freshman Alivia Hemry, 8th grader Abbie Boysen, Greenman and Walsh took second Friday with a time of 1:42.30, only 3/100ths of a second behind first place Red Wing at 1:42:27.

The Minnesota State Class A Girls Swimming and Diving Meet will be held at the Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center at the University of Minnesota this Wednesday through Friday,  November 16th through the 18th, with the girls Class A diving prelminaries getting underway at noon on Wednesday, and the swimming prelminaries will start at noon on Thursday.  The Class A girls swimming and diving finals are scheduled to start at noon on Friday.