When it comes to the Montevideo boys swimming and diving team, you can pretty much discount what happens during the regular season and count on an exemplary performance in the section meet.
That was the case again Friday and Saturday in the Section 3A meet at Detroit Lakes as five Thunder Hawks qualified for the state meet in five events.
The highest finish for the Thunder Hawks were third-place showings by Chase Testa in diving and Tommy Payne in the 100 butterfly.
Also qualifying for the state meet by beating the qualifying standard times for their events were Payne in the 50 freestyle, Aaron Erickson in the breaststroke, and the 200 freestyle relay team of Calvin Pender, Erickson, Charlie Landmark and Payne.
Montevideo was eighth out of 13 teams in the section team standings.
“In Montevideo fashion our athletes left their best for their last,” said Montevideo coach Matt Olson. “All our athletes were rewarded for all their hardwork and determination throughout the year in huge time drops along with increasing points on the board. In all, this was a team that met many challenges and came out on top. What a great way to cap off a season.
“State will be tough as usual as it is all about who shows up to compete on both days,” said Olson “It is a new meet and a new day and we can only hope that our athletes will have fun and place another great performance behind them.”
Event winners and Montevideo point scorers
200 medley relay: (1) Fergus Falls — 1:39.80.
200 freestyle: (1) Matt Wilcox, Bemidji, 1:45.21.
200 individual medley: (1) Mike Hurley, FF, 1:58.64; (6) Erickson, 2:12.58; (10) Brandon Jordahl, 2:15.72.
50 freestyle: (1) Tim Walker, DCL, 21.73; (4) Payne, 22.75; (11) Landmark, 23.92.
Diving: (1) Jon Melgaard, DL, 351.85; (3) Chase Testa, 283.05; (6) Dakota Frazier, 255.50.
100 butterfly: (1) Eben Danielson, FF, 53.89; (3) Payne, 56.93; (5) Dessureault, 1:07.28.
100 freestyle: (1) Wilcox, Bemidji, 47.58.
500 freestyle: (1) Paul Voss, Bemidji, 5:00.73.
200 freestyle relay: (1) Bemidji — 1;29.32; (6) Monte — Pender, Erickson, Landmark, Payne — 1:33.38.
100 backstroke: (1) Hurley, FF, 52.08; (7) Pender, 1:00.44; (10 Jack Spaeth, 1:02.99.
100 breaststroke: (1) Quillan Oak, DL, 1:01.45; (5) Erickson, 1:05.39; (7) Jordahl, 1:06.23.
400 freestyle relay: (1) Bemidji — 3:16.85; (10) Monte — Trever Buseman, Jeremiah Lipinski, Spaeth, Yourri Dessureault — 3:44.53.
