Teams: Albert Lea, Austin, Faribault, Mankato East, Mankato West, Northfield, Red Wing, St. Peter, Tri City United, Winona
- 2023 Section Champion: Northfield – 459.5 pts
- 2023 Section Runner-up: Mankato West – 323 pts
Notable Graduates:
- Alivia Kortuem (Northfield) – 200 Free (2nd Sections), 500 Free (2nd Sections)
- Josie Hauck (Northfield) – 200 IM (5th Sections), 100 Back (3rd Sections)
- Charlotte Flory (Northfield) – 200 Free (3rd Sections), 100 Free (5th Sections)
- Aya Myint (Northfield) – 50 Free (9th Sections), 100 Free (8th Sections)
- Leah Enedy (Northfield) – 50 Free (8th Sections), 100 Breast (4th Sections)
- Whitney Gray (Northfield) – Diving (6th Sections)
- Olivia Leonard (Mankato West) – 200 IM (2nd Sections/4th State), 100 Breast (2nd Sections/5th State)
- Catherine Bittner (Mankato West) – 200 IM (8th Sections), 100 Breast (5th Sections)
- Lucy Vogt (Mankato West) – 50 Free (3rd Sections/11th State), 100 Free (4th Sections)
- Annika Ward (Mankato West) – 500 Free (3rd Sections), 100 Back (7th Sections)
- Grace Nelson (Winona) – 200 IM (9th Sections), 500 Free (8th Sections)
- Harper Wolner (Winona) – 50 Free (12th Sections), 100 Back (5th Sections)
- Avery Schuh (Mankato East) – 50 Free (1st Sections/10th State), 100 Free (3rd Sections/9th State)
- Sophie Steindl (Mankato East) – 100 Breast (8th Sections)
- Hannah Denzer (St. Peter) – 200 Free (1st Sections/3rd State), 500 Free (1st Sections)/5th State)
- Isabell Johnson (St. Peter) – 200 Free (7th Sections), 500 Free (12th Sections)
- Laura Klatt (St. Peter) – Diving (3rd Sections/4th State)
- Sarah Kolby (Red Wing) – 200 Free (9th Sections), 100 Fly (10th Sections)
- Kyrrah Mullaney (Red Wing) – 50 Free (4th Sections), 100 Breast (3rd Sections)
- Emma Hoppman (Red Wing) – 100 Free (2nd Sections/12th State), 100 Back (4th Sections)
- Ari Holzer (Red Wing) – 200 IM (10th Sections), 100 Back (8th Sections)
- Miller Munoz (Faribault) – Diving (5th Sections)
- Emery Brouwers (Albert Lea) – 50 Free (11th Sections), 100 Free (5th Sections)
Team Outlook
This is a section that will look quite a bit different in 2024 due to the large graduating class at the top. Northfield should still be the favorite, but they are losing 160 points from their 2023 section team to graduation. Senior Nora Kortuem returns as section champ in the 100 Fly and 100 Back where she placed 4th and 3rd respectively at the state meet. Sister Greta, a sophomore, placed 3rd at sections in the 200 IM and 4th in the 100 Fly. Senior Maria Hegland will lead the team in the sprint free events after placing 7th in the 50 free and 9th in the 100 Free in 2023. Juniors Ella Porter and Ella Holleran also return after top 8 finishes last season. Porter placed 7th in the 200 IM and 6th in the 500 Free while Holleran placed 6th in the 100 Back. Sophomore Hollis Holden placed 7th in the 100 Fly and fellow sophomore Mae Bowers placed 6th in the 100 Breast.
Winona looks to be in the best position for the runner up spot in 2024. Junior Abby Williams will lead the charge for the Winhawks, returning as section champ in the 200 IM and 100 Breast. Williams went on to place 6th and 7th in those events at the state meet. Senior Madeline Modjeski placed 6th in the 200 Free and 4th in the 500 Free in 2023. She will be in the mix to finish top 2 in those events this year and punch her ticket to the state meet. Fellow senior Mikayla Finnegan was an 8th place finisher in the 100 free last year as well as placed 15th in the 100 Back. Junior Erica Beckman finished 9th in the 100 Back and 15th in the 100 Free last season and will be gunning for top 8 finishes this year.
Other Notables
Mankato West will be rebuilding some after graduating top points in 2023. Senior Ella Lee placed 5th in the 50 Free and 2nd in the 100 Fly last year. At the state meet, Lee placed 8th in the 100 Fly. Junior diver Anna Kapsner qualified for state last year after a 4th place section finish and will look to build upon that in 2024.
Mankato East junior Emma Born placed 3rd in the 200 Free and 7th in the 500 Free in 2023. Sophomore sprinter Camryn Schuh placed 6th in the 50 Free and 10th in the 100 Free last year and will be pushing to move into top 3 range in both this season. Fellow sophomore Kelsey Andersen will also be looking to move up the section ranks after placing 5th in the 100 Fly and 14th in the 200 IM in 2023.
Austin returns the top two divers in the section with senior Alayna Kennedy returning as state champion and Reese Norton returning as section champion (6th at State). Sophomore Gracie Greenman will lead the swimming side, returning after placing 4th in the 200 IM and 2nd in the 100 Back in 2023. Fellow sophomore Abbie Boysen placed 7th in the 100 Free in 2023 and should be in the mix for the top half of the finals heat this year.
St. Peter loses some freestyle strength to graduation, but sophomore Adela Madson placed 6th in the 200 IM and 100 Fly last year and should move up some in those events in 2024. Senior diver Addison Landsom placed at last year’s section meet and will be in contention for one of the top four spots this year.
Red Wing is another school that will have to retool after graduating a substantial amount of top section points and relay contributors. Sophomore Eliana Cory placed 4th in the 200 Free and 5th in the 500 Free last year and will be in the mix for the top two spots in those events this season.
Ella Schmeiesing, the junior from Tri City United, returns as the section runner up in the 50 Free and section champion in the 100 Free. She ended up placing 7th in both events at the state meet in November.
Faribault senior Claire Ray finished 9th in the 100 Fly last season and will be looking to crack the top 8 this year. Fellow senior Morgan Klumb was a 7th place finisher in the 100 Breast in 2023 and is in good position for a top 4 finish this year.
Albert Lea senior Hailey Deming placed 18th in the 100 Back in 2023 and should be able to crack the top 16 this year. Freshman Emilie Troster placed 17th in the 100 Fly last year and will look at making a top 16 run in 2024.