Teams: Andover, Anoka, Blaine, Cambridge-Isanti, Centennial, Coon Rapids, Duluth East, Forest Lake
- 2023 Section Champion: Blaine – 454 pts
- 2023 Section Runner-up: Anoka – 422 pts
Notable Graduates:
- Kae Pennoyer (Blaine) – 200 Free (5th Sections), 100 Free (5th Sections)
- Amalissa Pollock (Blaine) – 50 Free (10th Sections), 100 Fly (8th Sections)
- Ashley Ripley (Blaine) – 50 Free (8th Sections), 100 breast (4th Sections)
- Kalli Stark (Blaine) – 50 Free (1st Sections/6th State), 100 Free (1st Sections/12th State)
- Grace Morphew (Anoka) – 50 Free (6th Sections), 100 Free (6th Sections)
- Kiera Elliott (Andover) – 100 Free (10th Sections, 100 Back (3rd Sections)
- Eva King (Andover) – 50 Free (7th Sections), 500 Free (4th Sections)
- Grace Summerbell (Andover) – 100 Free (11th Sections), 100 Back (7th Sections)
- Grace Chatwin (Forest Lake) – 100 Free (4th Sections), 100 Back (2nd Sections)
- Emmi Gunderson (Forest Lake) – Diving (5th Sections)
- Delaney Nickles (Forest Lake) – Diving (1st Sections/9th State)
Team Outlook
This is going to be a battle between defending champion Blaine and last year’s runner up Anoka. The Bengal’s senior class will feature Gabby Busch and Nevaeh Miller. Busch finished 4th in the 200 IM and 5th in the 100 Back, while Miller placed 2nd in both the 200 IM and 100 Fly. Junior Lanna Ryan returns as section champion in the 500 Free and she also placed 3rd in the 200 Free. Sophomore Reese Forrest will lead her class this season. Forrest scored a 5th place finish in the 50 Free and 8th in the 100 Free last season. Blaine features some top point scorers from last year in their younger classes with freshman Sydney Hernandez and eighth grader Sydney Edwards. Hernandez finished 5th in both the 200 IM and 100 Fly last season and Edwards placed 2nd in both the 500 Free and 100 Breast.
Anoka has a lot of strength in their senior class with Kristen Bailey, Sydney DeRung, Ally Diehl, Norah Sloth, and Mackenzie Solberg. Bailey led the diving crew last year with a 3rd place finish at the sections meet. DeRung placed 3rd in the 50 Free and 6th in the 100 Back, Diehl was section champion in both the 200 IM and 100 Fly, Sloth was section champion in the200 Free and placed 3rd in the 100 Free, and Solberg scored 3rd place finishes in both the 200 IM and 100 Breast. Junior Sarah Hoang added a 6th place finish in the 100 Fly and fellow junior Sarah Jensen finished 7th in the 200 Free and 500 Free. Sophomore Abi Johnson also had a strong meet in 2023. She placed 4th in the 200 Free and 3rd in the 500 Free. Ally Diehl scored some points at the state meet as well last season with a 16th place finish in the 200 IM and 12th place finish in the 100 Fly.
Other Notables
Andover senior LeeAnna Seward returns to lead her squad this season. Seward placed 2nd in the 200 Free and 3rd in the 100 Fly in 2023. Junior Lydia Gorowsky also had two top 8 finishes last season, placing 8th in the 200 IM and 7th in the 100 Fly. On the boards, sophomore Candace Andersland returns after placing 7th last year.
Forest Lake senior Avery Fallon is the top returning point scorer for the team this season. Fallon notched a 4th place finish in the 50 Free and 7th place finish in the 100 Free in 2023. Juniors Hailey Johnson and Megan Reid will also be top contributors this year. Johnson placed 8th in the 200 Free and 6th in the 500 Free, while Reid was 11th in the 50 Free and 4th in the 100 Back. Sophomore Delaney Nilius returns to defend her section championship in the 100 Breast.
Duluth East graduates only a few section points and will be looking to move up the leaderboard this year. Juniors Maddie Yapel and Anna Greminger will be the top returners in the pool. Yapel placed 6th in the 200 Free and 9th in the 100 Back, while Greminger finished 10th in the 200 IM and 4th in the 100 Fly. Senior Elsie Zimpel returns on the boards after finishing 8th at the section meet last season. Freshman Anna Schiller finished up her 8th grade year with a 5th place finish in the 500 Free will look to add some more points in 2024.
Centennial senior Kathryn Woelfel was section runner up in diving last season and is the top returning diver for this season. At the state meet Woelfel placed 11th. Freshman Sophia Nguyen had an impressive meet last year with a 3rd place finish in the 100 Free and was section champion in the 100 Back. Another youngster with a big meet last year was eighth grader Lydia Hydukovich. Hydukovich placed 9th in the 200 IM and 6th in the 100 Breast in 2023. Junior Claira Zebell will be looking to improve on her 6th place finish in the 200 IM and 8th place finish in the 100 Back from last season.
Coon Rapids senior Gabrielle Lewis will lead the way for her squad in 2024. Lewis notched a 13th place finish in the 200 Free ad 8th place finish in the 500 Free for the Cardinals.
Cambridge-Isanti junior Jovie Ebertowski placed 4th in diving and punched her ticket to the state meet in 2023.