Thirteen members of the Litchfield High School swimming and diving team have qualified for the Section 3A meet today (Nov. 6) in Hutchinson.
The preliminary meet begins Thursday, with the top 16 swimmers and divers in each event advancing to Saturday's section finals.
In each event Saturday, the top-two finishers and those who beat the established state cut times will qualify for the Class A state tournament from Nov. 12 to 14 at the University of Minnesota Aquatics Center.
Senior co-captain Anika Ellingson enters the section meet as the Dragons' best chance for a state berth: Ellingson has the fourth-fastest time in the section in the 100-yard breaststroke, 1.28 seconds below the 2014 state cut time for the event.
Ellingson also has the eighth-fastest section time in the 200-yard individual medley entering the meet, approximately five seconds behind the state cut time.
Junior co-captain Sydney Weires has the 10th-fastest time out of 38 swimmers in the 100-yard backstroke and 13th-fastest time out of 45 section swimmers in the 50-yard freestyle.
The other 11 section-qualified swimmers are: sophomore Svea Ellingson in the 200-yard freestyle 500-yard freestyle; sophomore Emily Kiefer in the 200-yard freestyle and 100-yard freestyle; eighth-grader Mary Ridgeway in the 200-yard individual medley and the 100-yard butterfly; junior Sarah Schmidt in the 50-yard freestyle and the 100-yard freestyle; sophomore Hannah Schacherer in the 50-yard freestyle and the 100-yard breaststroke; sophomore Rachel Turck in the 100-yard butterfly and the 500-yard freestyle; junior Brandi Granlund in the 100-yard butterfly; freshman Rebecca Schmidt in the 100-yard freestyle; sophomore Kali Lawver in the 500-yard freestyle and 100-yard backstroke; eighth-grader Grace Larson in the 500-yard freestyle; and Emma Smith in the 100-yard breaststroke.