2023 Section 5AA Preview

Teams: Champlain Park, Irondale, Maple Grove, Osse, Park Center, Spring Lake Park, Wayzata

  • 2022 Section Champion: Wayzata – 680.5 pts
  • 2022 Section Runner-up:  Maple Grove – 407.5 pts

Notable Graduates: 

  • Peyton Brefeld (Wayzata) – 100 Fly (6th Sections), 500 Free (4th Sections)
  • Kimberly Lan (Wayzata) – 100 Free (1st Sections/8th State), 100 Back (2nd Sections/8th State)
  • Nora Rabe (Wayzata) – 200 IM (3rd Sections/12th State), 100 Breast (1st Sections/10th State)
  • Claire Reinke (Wayzata) – 200 IM (1st Sections/2nd State), 100 Fly (1st Sections/1st State)
  • Erika Schraber (Wayzata) – 200 Free (1st Sections/16th State), 500 Free (1st Sections/11th State)
  • Bridget Stowe (Wayzata) – 50 Free (3rd Sections), 100 Breast (2nd Sections/15th State)
  • Greta Severson (Wayzata) – Diving (3rd Sections)
  • Kari Bork (Champlain Park) – 50 Free (4th Sections), 100 Free (3rd Sections)
  • Lola Sanders (Champlain Park) – 200 IM (10th Sections), 500 Free (6th Sections)
  • Carly Lindquist (Spring Lake Park) – 100 Fly (11th Sections), 100 Back (8th Sections)
  • Gina Pehl (Irondale) – 200 IM (8th Sections), 100 Fly (8th Sections)

Team Outlook

The section will be down a team from 2022 with Robbinsdale Cooper shifting to Class A.  For all the details of the section realignments, you can visit our previous article

Wayzata lost a lot to graduation but still has enough returning talent to be considered the favorite for the section.  Seniors Geneva Fackler and Linnea Kallebo will be leading the way for the Trojans going into this season.  Fackler was top three in the 200 and 500 Free at sections last year and Kallebo was fourth in both the 200 IM and 100 Back.  Junior Lucy Troyak finished second in the 200 and 500 Free in 2022 and returns at the favorite in those events this season.  Fellow junior Liya Dai will be a factor in the 200 IM and 100 Breast, finishing in the top seven in both in 2022.  Looking to continue to add to their contributions will be a trio of sophomores.  Tessa Moore was second in 2022 in the 100 Fly and third in the 100 Back, Ella Stark was third in the 100 Free and fourth in the 200 Free, and Emily Alberts was first in the 50 Free and second in the 100 Free. Moore and Alberts went on to contribute individual points at the state meet.  Finally, freshman Ashley Mouyenga returns as the top placing diver from sections. 

Maple Grove should make up some ground on Wayzata at a minimum, graduating only five individual points from last year’s section team.  Junior Libby Bakker returns as one of the section’s top performers with a second place finish in 2022 in the 200 IM and a first place finish in the 100 Back.  Bakker went on to place third at the state meet in the 100 Back.  Junior Kaya Flaherty returns as another top point scorer as section champion in the 50 Free and third place finisher in the 100 Fly. Junior Charlotte Woods finished seventh in the 50 Free and fifth in the 100 Free last season and should be looking to move in to the top four in each in 2023.  Sophomores Madeline Hetland and Molly Carlson each scored well in 2022.  Hetland, with top eight finishes in the 100 Fly and 500 Free and Carlson with top eight finishes in the 200 and 100 Free. Senior Sarah Kahl returns as a top eight finisher in the 200 IM and was ninth in the 100 Fly.  Freshman Morgan Thompson had a big meet last year, finishing sixth in the 50 Free and 100 Back.  It’s a tough section for both events but she will be looking to push into the top four range. 

Other Notables

Champlain Park sophomore Sophie Norsted placed fifth in the 200 Free and fourth in the 100 Fly last year.  She will be looking to move up in those events and qualify for the state meet in 2023.Junior Mari Lachinski finished sixth in the 200 Free and seventh in the 500 Free last season.  She will help bolster a couple relays as well.

For Osseo, unfortunately, senior Alexis Horn, who was a top breaststroker in the section in 2022, has moved to Florida.  Senior diver Abby Ahlquist finished fifth last season and will be looking to jump into the top four to qualify for state this year.  Osse is hoping that all the recruiting they did in the off season will help bolster the squad.

Irondale junior Lulu Semakula is the returning section champion in diving and placed eleventh at the state meet.  Senior Sarah Wang will look to build on top eight performance in the 50 and 100 Free from 2022

Spring Lake Park sophomore Cora Roseborough finished sixth in the 200 IM and fifth in the 100 Breast in 2022 and senior Kylie Nordenstrom was a top eight finisher in the 200 and 500 Free. Park Center junior diver Maya Woods finished fourth last season and earned a trip to the state meet. She will look to continue to improve on that in 2023.

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