With the South Suburban Conference championship on the line, Lakeville North delivered a poised, complete performance Friday night, defeating Prior Lake 100–84 to secure the conference crown and cap a title-clinching dual.
The Panthers wasted no time setting the tone in the 200 medley relay. Lakeville North’s A relay of Luke Hoffman, Oliver Snaza, Micah Debeltz, and Owen Beaudette fired off the blocks and touched first in 1:39.70, narrowly edging Prior Lake and immediately putting pressure on the Lakers in a meet where every point carried postseason weight.
Prior Lake answered in the 200 freestyle behind Jamey Solt, who surged to a win in 1:47.85 to pull the Lakers back even. Lakeville North responded with depth, stacking points behind Kellan Krance and Parker Mann, a recurring theme that allowed the Panthers to absorb individual losses without losing control of the team race.
Momentum swung again in the 200 IM, where Braxton Helmers delivered a strong win for Prior Lake in 2:04.06. But Lakeville North stayed firmly in the title fight with scoring swims from Oliver Snaza and Aiden Sorlie, keeping the margin tight as the meet moved into the sprint phase.
Sprint speed belonged to Prior Lake in the 50 freestyle, as Owen Beaudette blasted a 21.70 to win and briefly tilt the energy toward the Lakers. Lakeville North quickly answered in a decisive way on the diving boards. Caleb Baldeshwiler led a big Panthers showing in 1-meter diving, winning with a score of 224.20, while teammates added key depth points to swing the meet back in North’s favor.
The back-and-forth continued in the butterfly, where Helmers doubled up with a 53.45 win for Prior Lake. Lakeville North countered immediately in the 100 freestyle, as Solt returned to win in 47.73, preventing the Lakers from building momentum and keeping the Panthers’ conference hopes firmly intact.
Distance racing proved to be a turning point for Lakeville North. Luke Hoffman controlled the 500 freestyle from the opening length and touched first in 5:14.30, with Jonathan Colbert close behind. That one-two punch created critical separation on the scoreboard as the meet entered its final stretch.
Relays again became a focal point in the 200 freestyle relay. Prior Lake’s A relay of Owen Beaudette, Luke Hoffman, Micah Debeltz, and Jamey Solt captured the win in 1:31.54, trimming the deficit and keeping the conference title undecided heading into the closing events.
Lakeville North answered with poise in the 100 backstroke. Parker Mann delivered one of the most important swims of the night, winning in 58.55 and restoring breathing room for the Panthers. Prior Lake refused to fade, as Beaudette returned to win the 100 breaststroke in 58.75, ensuring the meet remained tense to the very end.
The night closed with Prior Lake winning the 400 freestyle relay, as the Lakers’ A relay of Beaudette, Solt, Zobrack, and Helmers touched first in 3:25.64. But Lakeville North’s depth across the individual events and earlier relays had already done the damage. By the time the final relay hit the wall, the Panthers had built enough of a cushion to lock up both the dual and the South Suburban Conference championship.
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