The Free Press, Mankato, MN

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  • Pat Christman

    west swimming

November 21, 2009

West advances to Day 2 in six events

Nack qualifies in three events

By Jim Rueda

MINNEAPOLIS — Mankato West junior Mariah Chesley knew she wasn’t going to place high in Friday’s Class A state swim meet at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center. The fact that she was there was rewarding enough.

“I didn’t have a very good year this year,” Chesley said after her second race. “My times were up and I didn’t know if I was going to make it to state.

“But I had a fantastic taper and cut a lot of time in the section meet. I was surprised when I made it (to state). That kind of makes up for not doing so well (during the regular season).”

Chesley, who went into the meet with a section seed time of 1:04.22 in the 100-yard backstroke, qualified for Day 2 with the last spot in the event in Friday’s preliminaries. She is in 16th place with a time of 1:04.06.

“It’s nice because I’ve come pretty close to qualifying for the state the last two years but just missed out,” she said. “Now I’m going back for the second day. It feels pretty good.”

Chesley will also be swimming today in the 200-medley relay. She joined with Taylor Bacon, Danielle Nack and Emily Sneer for a 12th-place time of 1:54.69 in Friday’s prelims.

Nack, an eighth-grader, competed in four events for the Scarlets. Her highest finish came in the 400-free relay where she combined with a Sneer, Bacon and Danielle DeCock for a 10th-place clocking of 3:42.69.

Nack was also 12th in the 200-freestyle (1:59.84) and 14th in the 500-free (5:23.92).

“I was up here last year in the 500 and finished 14th,” Nack said. “This year my goal was to do better. I’m coming back for the second day (in all four events) so I’ll have a chance to improve my times in all of them.”

West is also coming back in the 200-freestyle as Sneer, Nicole Lohman, Danielle DeCock and Bacon placed 11th in the prelims with a time of 1:42.53.

Bacon failed to qualify for Day 2 in the 50-free, placing 23rd in 25.55.

Friday’s opening session proved to a record-setting day for ninth-grader Marissa Wood of Sartell. She set state Class A marks in the 200-freestyle (1:50.88), the 500-freestyle (4:56.20), the 200-free relay (1:36.76) and the 400-free relay (3:34.62).

The Class A meet concludes with a noon session today at the U of M Aquatic Center.

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