Swimming: Swarm of Stingrays head to state meet – West Central Tribune

WILLMAR — Thirteen swimmers have certified for his or her respective state championships for the Willmar Aquatic Racing Stingrays.

Those athletes will signify the Stingrays at three state meets.

First up is the age 10 and below brief course state championship, which takes place Saturday and Sunday on the Rochester Recreation Center.

The senior brief course state meet follows on March 12-15 on the University of Minnesota’s Jean Okay. Freeman Aquatic Center in Minneapolis.

Lastly, the 11-14 brief course state championship is about for March 19-22 again on the Jean Okay. Freeman Aquatic Center.

Submitted photograph / Willmar Aquatic Racing Stingrays

“We’re all so proud of these kids,” Stingrays head coach Heather Thompson stated. “They’ve worked really hard this season.

“The giant contingency of athletes who’re headed to the state meets says rather a lot about our swimmers’ dedication and the coaches who prepare them.”

Hudson Marker, 10, has certified for the 100-yard breaststroke on Saturday and the 50 breaststroke on Sunday on the 10&U state championships.

Marker can even swim in a pair of relay occasions for the Stingrays.

Submitted photograph / Willmar Aquatic Racing Stingrays

Hailey Fernelius (backstroke), Logan Devine (breaststroke), Marker (butterfly) and Hannah Martinka (freestyle) will swim within the blended 200 medley relay on Saturday.

Then it’s Martinka, Fernelius, Marker and Liam Steffensen who will compete within the blended 200 freestyle relay on Sunday.

Sam Sheets, 17, and Levi Nelson, 16, have certified for the senior state meet.

Sheets, a senior who earned All-State honors thrice on the Class A state championships on Feb. 28, will make appearances within the 50 breaststroke, 100 breaststroke, 50 freestyle, 50 backstroke and 50 butterfly.

Nelson will swim within the 100 breaststroke.

Submitted photograph / Willmar Aquatic Racing Stingrays

Sheets and Nelson can even swim within the 200 freestyle relay with Manny Heinen and Abram Schueler. Heinen is a seventh-grader and Schueler is an junior for Willmar.

Isaac Sheets, 12, will compete within the 50 butterfly on the 11-14 state championships. He will swim the butterfly leg within the 400 medley relay and might be joined by Ryder Fernelius (backstroke), Dominick Devine (backstroke) and Alex Lorenz (freestyle).

After the state meets, the Stingrays will make the most of April to gear up for lengthy course season, which begins in May. The membership hopes to journey to at least one or two meets in the summertime.

Submitted photograph / Willmar Aquatic Racing Stingrays

“We’ve always offered summer programming, but this year we’re going to compete in long course season,” Thompson stated. “We hope to have fun with long course and experience something new.

“We intention to supply a extra relaxed coaching schedule for the summer time months, so households can take pleasure in all of the issues Minnesota summers have to supply.”