MEDFORD AQUAFINS SWIMMING - Great season for Aquafins ends at Minnesota’s Midwest Regionals

MEDFORD AQUAFINS SWIMMING

An outstanding winter season for the Medford Aquafins Swim Club ended with a record 17 club representatives competing in the Midwest Regional Swim Meet at the University of Minnesota March 29-30.

Prior to that, the Aquafins placed second in the team standings of the Central Wisconsin Swim Conference’s West Divisional meet held Feb. 1-2 in Medford and placed fourth the following weekend at the full conference meet in Tomahawk.

From there, five swimmers from the club swam in either the 10 and under or age 11-14 state meets before the finale in Minneapolis, which was open for up to 1,300 youth swimmers. To enter, swimmers had to meet at least one qualifying standard during the season. Once they did that, they could enter up to six bonus events.

The head coach for Medford in 2024-25 is Janelle Hamland.

Ages 11-14

Medford’s Midwest Regional swimmers in the 11-14 age class included Liv Emmerich, Saige Fettes, Adalyn Hackbarth, Mylah Hamland, Savannah Hebert, Emily Leao, Sophie Sperl, Eva Strebig and Charlotte van der Berg.

Sperl was part of a championship effort, joining three Northern Lakes Aquatic Club teammates to post a winning time of 2:01.79 in the mixed 14-and-under 200yard medley relay. Sperl had four top-10 individual placements. She took second in the girls 13-14 200-yard breaststroke in 2:40.26, 2.73 seconds behind Piper Gevock of Iowa, and third in the 100-yard breaststroke at 1:12.75, 1.78 seconds behind champion Kamille Andresen of Minnesota. Emmerich (2:58.45) was 10th and Strebig (2:58.82) was 11th in the 200yard race. In the 100, van der Berg (1:21.2) and Strebig (1:21.82) were 10th and 11th.

Sperl was ninth in the 13-14 200-yard individual medley at 2:31.44, while Hamland was 11th at 2:34.01. Sperl was eighth in the 13-14 100-yard freestyle at 59.92 seconds and 12th in the 200-yard freestyle.

Hamland had two top-seven finishes. She took sixth in the 13-14 500-yard freestyle at 6:00.05 and seventh in the 1314 200-yard backstroke at 2:29.53. Hamland was 13th in the 100-yard freestyle, 15th in the 100-yard backstroke and 16th in the 200-yard freestyle.

Hamland and Sperl were part of a Northern Lakes 14-and-under 400-yard medley relay team that placed second in a time of 4:33.41. They were 9.01 seconds faster than the third-place club from Green Bay and 9.0 seconds behind the champions from Iowa. Hamland also led off for the third-place 200-yard medley team that finished in 2:07.41 behind teams from Iowa (2:05.37) and Green Bay (2:06.53).

Another top-10 finish was earned by van der Berg, who took eighth in the 13-14 50-yard freestyle in 27.46 seconds, 2.17 seconds behind the winner. She was 14th in the 200-yard freestyle and 20th in the 100-yard freestyle. Emmerich added a solid 12th-place time of 1:10.33 in the 100yard backstroke.

There were three all-Medford relay teams. Hebert, Leao, Strebig and van der Berg took sixth in the 14-and-under 400yard freestyle relay at 4:33.47. van der Berg, Emmerich, Strebig and Leao were ninth in the 200-yard medley relay at 2:16.08 and van der Berg, Fettes, Hebert and Leao were 10th in the 200-yard freestyle relay at 2:05.45.

Hackbarth competed in five individual events and was in the top 20 in four of them, placing 12th in the 11-12 50-yard backstroke and 100-yard breaststroke, 15th in the 100-yard backstroke and 17th in the 50-yard backstroke. She was 47th in the 50-yard freestyle.

Leao was 19th in the 13-14 200-yard backstroke, 28th in the 100-yard backstroke, 42nd in the 100-yard freestyle and tied for 46th in the 50-yard freestyle. Strebig was 22nd in the 100-yard butterfly and 56th in the 100-yard freestyle.

Fettes swam in six individual events and cracked top 50 in the 13-14 500-yard freestyle (21st), 200-yard individual medley (30th), 100-yard breaststroke (39th) and 200-yard freestyle (44th). Hebert swam in four events taking 42nd in the 13-14 200-yard freestyle, 47th in the 100-yard backstroke, tying for 52nd in the 100-yard freestyle and 64th in the 50-yard freestyle.

Ages 9-10

Twin sisters Mallory and Brynn Hackbarth had big weekends in the 9-10 age class and Grace Moodie turned in some strong times too.

Individually, Mallory swam in seven events, placing 11th or better in all of them. Plus, she and Medford’s Violet Hamland were part of the Northern Lakes’ championship 10-and-under girls 200yard freestyle relay team. Their time of 2:16.68 beat a runner-up Iowa team by 11.17 seconds. Hamland and Hackbarth also were part of the second-place 200yard medley relay team that finished in 2:39.26, 1.8 seconds behind the Green Bay Club.

Mallory Hackbarth was third in the 910 50-yard breaststroke (42.94), while Brynn was seventh (46.27) and Moodie was 27th (54.72). Mallory Hackbarth was fourth in the 100-yard individual medley at 1:24.11. She was seventh in the 50-yard butterfly at 37.41 seconds and seventh in the 100-yard backstroke (1:26) while Brynn was 10th (1:27.8).

Brynn Hackbarth was third in the 100yard breaststroke with her time of 1:40.11. Maggie Kovalyov of North Dakota won in an impressive 1:27.77. Hackbarth took seventh in the 50-yard backstroke at 39.84 seconds, while Mallory was ninth (40.15) and Moodie was 12th (40.72). Mallory Hackbarth was 10th in the 100yard freestyle at 1:15.9 and 11th in the 50yard freestyle 34.62 seconds. Brynn Hackbarth was 18th (35.77) and Moodie was 28th (37.95) in that race.

8 and under

Violet Hamland and Mak Niggemann were busy in girls 8-and-under competition.

Hamland swam in five individual events and was a top-five finisher in all of them. She took third in the 100-yard freestyle at 1:28.27, third in the 25-yard backstroke at 20.2 seconds, third in the 25-yard butterfly at 20.85 seconds, fourth in the 50-yard backstroke at 45.34 seconds and fifth in the 50-yard breaststroke at 54.7 seconds.

Niggemann took fourth in the 25-yard freestyle (19.26), fourth in the 25-yard backstroke (21.79), seventh in the 50-yard freestyle (44.92), eighth in the 100-yard freestyle (1:51.15) and ninth in the 25-yard butterfly (26.14).

Sam Sayer took seventh in the 25-yard freestyle (19.81) and the 25-yard backstroke (22.81) and 13th in the 50-yard freestyle (49.04).

The Aquafins had two male swimmers compete in this age group.

Caleb Krug was second in the 50-yard backstroke at 45.29 seconds and third in the 25-yard backstroke at 20.78 seconds, 1.89 seconds behind winner Ryan Chen of North Dakota. Krug was ninth in the 25yard freestyle (19.6) and 11th in the 50yard freestyle (43.67).

Hudson Strebig got seventh in the 50yard backstroke (1:02.13), 14th in the 50yard freestyle (46.33), 15th in the 25-yard freestyle (21.39) and 16th in the 25-yard backstroke (26.14).

Strebig, Niggemann, Sayre and Moodie were eighth in the 10-and-under mixed 200-yard freestyle relay in a time of 2:50.63.

State highlights

Mallory and Brynn Hackbarth, Violet Hamland and Krug competed in the 2025 Wisconsin 10 and under state championships held March 1-2 in Verona. Krug did well in backstroke events, placing 12th in the 8-and-under 50-yard race (43.94) and 15th in the 25-yard race (20.74). He was 35th in the 50-yard freestyle and 49th in the 25-yard freestyle, plus he was part of two Northern Lakes Aquatic Club relays. He was on the fifthplace 8-and-under 100-yard medley relay team and on the seventh-place 100-yard freestyle relay team.

Hamland swam in six individual events and two relays. Her highest finishes were 14th in the girls 8-and-under 25-yard backstroke, 16th in the 100-yard freestyle and 19th in the 50-yard backstroke. She was on the 17th-place 8-and-under 100yard medley relay team and on the 20thplace 100-yard freestyle relay team.

The Hackbarth twins swam in four individual events and two relays. Mallory’s top finishes were 33rd in the 10-and-under 50-yard freestyle and 40th in the 50-yard breaststroke. Brynn’s top finishes were 42nd in the 100-yard breaststroke and 49th in the 50-yard breaststroke. Mallory was on 12th-place teams in the 200-yard freestyle and 200-yard medley relays. Brynn was on the 18th-place 200-yard freetsyle relay team and 20th-place 200yard medley relay team.