MEDFORD GIRLS SWIMMING - Swimmers have no trouble with Hatchets; key meet with Colby-Abby today

MEDFORD GIRLS SWIMMING

Taking advantage of a young Tomahawk squad that entered just nine swimmers, the Medford Raiders came within five points of dual meet perfection while outscoring the host Hatchets 135-31 Thursday evening.

Seven different swimmers won individual races and Medford took the top two spots in all three relays while improving to 3-1 in the Great Northern Conference and 6-1 overall.

The win sets us a key mid-season showdown today, Thursday, at 5:30 p.m. at the MASH pool with 4-0 Colby-Abbotsford in the race for second place behind Rhinelander, who looks like it won’t be challenged again this year for the top spot.

Freshman Sophie Sperl was the one Raider who won twice individually. She led a Medford sweep of the top spots in the 50-yard freestyle by finishing in 28.66 seconds, just ahead of teammates Adalyn Dittrich (28.95) and Tori Nicks (28.98). Sperl later took the 100-yard breaststroke in another Raider sweep. Sperl finished in 1:17.21, while Chelsea Gebauer (1:19.19) and Jayda Fryklund (1:24.83) were second and third.

Senior Tana Rappe led Medford’s sweep of the top spots in the 200-yard freestyle, winning in 2:21.28. Mackenzie Petersen was second in 2:29.21 and Cadance Haenel was third in a season-best 2:31.44. Dittrich led a sweep in the 500yard freestyle with a time of 6:18.23. Mackenzie Petersen lowered her time to 6:21.35 and Fryklund was third in 6:32.35.

Chiara D’Arienzo swam the 200-yard individual medley for the second time this season and won it in an improved time of 2:29.62 with Kodi Rappe taking second in a season-best 2:35.4 and Layla Petersen taking third in 2:39.71 in her first medley of the fall.

Sydney Sperl edged D’Arienzo by 0.59 seconds while winning the 100-yard butterfly in 1:09.35. Gebauer won the 100yard freestyle in 1:00.94, while Tana Rappe was second in 1:04.3, 0.75 seconds ahead of Tomahawk’s Emma Hoff. Haenel was fourth at 1:07.88. Layla Petersen won the 100-yard backstroke, another first event of the season for the junior, with a time of 1:15.66. Nicks was second in 1:18.13 and Aliyah Galan was fourth in a much-improved time of 1:23.65, 1.9 seconds behind Hoff. D’Arienzo, Gebauer, Sydney Sperl and Kodi Rappe won the 200yard medley relay in 2:04.28, 5.81 seconds ahead of teammates Dittrich, Sophie Sperl, Fryklund and Tana Rappe. The team of Galan, Autumn Venzke, Mackenzie Peterson and Decker was fourth in 2:35.88.

D’Arienzo, Gebauer, Layla Petersen and Kodi Rappe won the 200-yard freestyle relay in 1:50.38, while Haenel, Nicks, Sophie Sperl and Sydney Sperl were second at 1:56.48. Kodi Rappe, Sydney Sperl, Tana Rappe and Layla Peterson closed the meet by winning the 400-yard freestyle relay in 4:22.84, while Dittrich, Mackenzie Petersen, Fryklund and Haenel were second at 4:39.68.

In JV races, Galan (33.14), Venzke (34.33) and Decker (39.67) swam the 50yard freestyle, while Venzke (1:18.99) and Decker (1:30.04) swam the 100-yard freestyle.

After tonight’s meet with Colby-Abbotsford, the Raiders will next travel to take on the Ladysmith Co-op Oct. 10.