The Becker swim/dive team has two girls going to state after an impressive Section 5A Tournament in Sauk Rapids last weekend. Divers Emi Quill and Sarah Woelfel did well enough to advance to this week’s state competition at the Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center on the campus of the U of M.

 

Every one of Tina Tamm’s girls who swam Nov. 9-11 at the section meet dropped time on their events and ended the season with personal best times.

 

Last Thursday was preliminary day of sections and the biggest drop of the day was Sophia Diaz in the 500M freestyle, dropping 14.7 seconds.  

 

“All the girls swam well and should be proud of all they accomplished this season,” said Tamm.  “It's sometimes hard to see the big picture with swimming but the section and state meet is what the big picture is.”  

 

Tamm says the girls strive to be the best at those two meets and the whole season is the lead up to that.

 

“Sometimes the girls get frustrated during the season,” she said. “But then they see these results at the section meet and realize the hard work they put in all season has paid off.”

 

Becker’s 200M medley relay team of Makenna Thelen, Avery Tamm, Melody Swanson and Kyla Henkemeyer — and the 400M freestyle relay team of  Emily Lipinski, Hailey Eriksson, Melody Swanson and Jalissa Johnson — both placed eighth in the finals.

 

Becker had three individuals move on to the finals Saturday.  Avery Tamm placed 14th in the 100M breaststroke.  Emi Quill remains the Section 5A diving champion, winning her second consecutive title and also breaking her school record with a score of 422.10.  She dove well and maintained the lead throughout the meet.  

 

“We had thought this would be the case as we have seen her scores and the others divers in the sections scores this season and we knew that she could do it,” said Coach Tamm.

 

Sarah Woelfel placed fourth with a score 351.15 - her best of the season.  

 

“Woelfel also dove very well but she kept us on our toes throughout the meet,” said Tamm.  

 

Woelfel went in to the final rounds of diving in third place and had to perform her best dives to stay in the top four spots.  

 

“She did what she needed to do on her last dive of the day to just get that fourth spot — only 2.2 points above the fifth place finisher,” said Tamm.  

 

Headed to the state meet to compete Thursday and Saturday are Quill and Woelfel.  Becker’s diving coach, Kayla McCall also received Section 5A diving Coach of the Year.