Proctor-Hermantown showed off its depth in a 54-31 high school girls swimming victory over Northeast Range/Ely.
The Aug. 28 matchup at Proctor was the second of the year for the young Nighthawks, who had one first-place finish by senior Via De-Beltz in the 500 freestyle.
Proctor-Hermantown won the rest of the events and had six different swimmers who gained individual first-place finishes.
DeBeltz, in the 200 freestyle, and Alyssa Ice, in the 50 freestyle, were NRE’s only second-place individual finishes.
The meet was a step back in time as sorts, with Proctor one of the few remaining schools with a 20-yard pool instead of the customary 25.
“This makes the girls think a little more,” said NRE Head Coach Cheri DeBeltz. “One example would be if you swim 100 yards in Babbitt it is four lengths of the pool but in Proctor you have to swim five. We really did have some great swims. With this meet we wanted to focus on working turns since they would have extra and the girls did just great.”
Via DeBeltz picked up the Nighthawks’ lone win with a time of 6:16.73, and she was the runner-up in the 200 in 2:16.27, missing out on first by less than a second.
The Rails’ Raya Teigas edged out Ice in the 50, with Ice notching a time of 34.73 for the race.
DeBeltz, Ice, Jorden Borchert and Tuuli Koivisto formed a second-place 160 medley relay (1:44.63), and the same foursome took second in the 160 freestyle relay in 1:32.77.
Koivisto had two third-place finishes in the event, in both the 160 individual medley (2:13.32) and 100 backstroke (1:18.28) Borchert added a third in the 200 freestyle (2:23.78), Lucy Luthens placed third in the 100 freestyle (1:06.50), and Lindsay Israel added a third in the 100 butterfly (1:31.49). The Nighthawks were set to host Mesabi East Thursday, after deadline, and they’re back in the home pool Tuesday when Rock Ridge visits Babbitt for a 5 p.m. event.
• Proctor-Hermantown won the JV meet 48-26, although the Nighthawks’ Nicole Freking won the 300 freestyle.
EvelynMoranwastherunner-up in both the 80 individual medley and 100 backstroke, while Raegan Borchert added a second in the 60 butterfly.
