Sartell and Moorhead traded momentum throughout a tightly contested dual Tuesday night, with the Sabres ultimately holding off the Spuds for a narrow 95–91 varsity victory. The meet stayed within a handful of points most of the way, and the outcome wasn’t secured until Sartell’s strong showing in the final relay.
Moorhead struck first in the varsity 200 Medley Relay as Alex Hebert, Sahan Nagodavithana, Francis Casey, and Paddy Kellam touched first in 1:45.40, outscoring Sartell’s A and B relays and giving the Spuds an early edge.
Sartell answered immediately in the 200 Freestyle behind Hayden Lenarz, who won in 1:51.34, while Moorhead countered with Francis Casey (1:54.82) and Alex Hebert (1:56.38) to keep the team score close.
The 200 IM delivered another swing toward Moorhead as Sahan Nagodavithana claimed the win in 2:06.85, but Sartell limited the damage with scoring swims from Callum Huberty, Willis Lin, and Elias Finnern, preventing the Spuds from opening a gap.
Sprint speed favored Sartell in the 50 Freestyle, where Thomas Runkle won in 22.72, followed by teammate Sawyer Albjerg (23.26). Moorhead stayed in range with points from Matthew Brendemuhl and Gavin DeKrey, keeping the meet within reach.
A key moment came on the diving boards, where Sartell’s Jack Rodine delivered a big win with a score of 239.15, while Moorhead added depth points behind him. The diving event helped Sartell reclaim momentum heading into the middle of the meet.
Sartell continued to build in the 100 Butterfly as Hayden Lenarz picked up his second win of the night in 54.86, with teammate Vincent Lin adding third. Moorhead stayed close with Francis Casey finishing second, but Sartell again outscored the Spuds in the event.
The Sabres added more separation in the 100 Freestyle, sweeping the top two spots with Sawyer Albjerg (50.34) and Thomas Runkle (50.95). Moorhead’s Gavin DeKrey placed third to keep his team within striking distance.
Distance racing went to Moorhead in the 500 Freestyle, where Matthew Brendemuhl earned the win in 5:05.32. Sartell countered effectively with Nolan Snyder (5:15.49) and Silas Albjerg (5:30.64) finishing second and third, limiting the point swing and keeping Sartell narrowly in front.
Moorhead gained critical ground in the 200 Free Relay as its A relay of Nagodavithana, Brendemuhl, Casey, and Hebert surged to victory in 1:31.65, trimming the Sartell lead heading into the final individual events.
The backstroke proved pivotal for Sartell. Alex Hebert won the 100 Backstroke for Moorhead in 58.48, but Sartell stacked points behind him with Nolan Snyder, Jack Lewis, and Silas Albjerg all scoring, swinging the team totals back in Sartell’s favor.
Moorhead picked up another individual win in the 100 Breaststroke as Sahan Nagodavithana touched first in 1:03.08, but Sartell answered with three scorers—Willis Lin, Hunter Jepperson, and Elias Finnern—to protect its slim lead heading into the final relay.
With the meet on the line, Sartell delivered in the 400 Free Relay. The A relay of Thomas Runkle, Sawyer Albjerg, Nolan Snyder, and Hayden Lenarz captured the win in 3:25.57, sealing the Sabres’ victory and preventing any late comeback from Moorhead.
Updates and information around swimming in the state of Minnesota.