Postseason competition is better than two weeks away, but Northeast Range/Ely got an early look of what it’s up against in Section 7A.
The Nighthawks went up against many larger schools at the 7A True Team Meet, held Oct. 11 at Duluth.
They were 11th among 12 teams in a meet scored a bit differently than the 7A competition that begins Nov. 6.
“Those are the same 12 teams we will see in sections,” said NRE Head Coach Cheri DeBeltz. “The difference with that meet specifically is that every swimmer scores whether you place first or 45th, so you’re basically scoring for depth. The bigger your team, the better your opportunities.”
Not surprisingly, Grand Rapids and Hibbing piled up the points and had a one-two finish at the True Team competition.
“When you get to sections you are limited, you’re only allowed one relay and four individuals per event,” said DeBeltz. “At this one you could load up and people like Rapids and Hibbing could enter more than one relay and use their depth.”
DeBeltz said NRE has “a few things to work on” after the True Team.
“We’re holding our times right now,” she said. “We’re at the point of the season where we haven’t yet started to taper and rest for the section meet. The girls are swimming tired.”
Senior Via DeBeltz had the strongest performances for NRE at the True Team, placing sixth in the 500 freestyle (6:08.33) and ninth in the 200 freestyle (2:16.61).
She was also part of the highest- placing relay, joining Tuuli Koivisto, Ivy Ohlhauser and Lucy Luthens on a 400 freestyle relay quartet that placed eighth in 4:22.29.
Koivisto also came home with a top-10 individual finish, taking 10th in the 100 backstroke in 1:12.77.
NRE also placed as follows:
• 200 medley relay - 15. Koivisto, DeBeltz, Ohlhauser, Luthens, 2:19.19;
• 200 individual medley - 13. Koivisto, 2:42.93;
• 50 freestyle - 21. Lindsay Israel, 30.68; 28. Ohlhauser, 31.30; 40. Nicole Freking, 34.49;
•100 freestyle - 15. Luthens, 1:05.14; 27. Raegan Borchert, 1:08.34; 29. Ohlhauser, 1:08.77;
• 500 freestyle - 21. Israel, 6:45.88;
• 200 freestyle relay - 12. Evelyn Moran, Jorden Borchert, Raegan Borchert, Luthens, 2:00.31;
• 100 breaststroke - 21. Jorden Borchert, 1:28.09; 32. Maddie Johnson, 1:33.83; 39. Avery Bee, 1:42.83; 42. Bela Moskowitz, 1:48.37.
