A dedicated performance

Krista Rauen has been cruising through the water like a slippery eel for the Brainerd Warriors swimming and diving team this season.

• Photos

Back | Next

Back | Next

In the Warriors' first two dual meets, the junior had won two individual events and was a member of four first-place relays.

Rauen added two more individual wins and was on two winning relays Thursday in Brainerd's 113-73 Central Lakes Conference win over the Willmar Cardinals.

In her fourth varsity season, Rauen had additional incentive to add to her win total. Her 83-year-old grandfather, Elmer Bentfield, died earlier Thursday.

Sarah Gervais of the Brainerd Warriors swam the breaststroke leg of the winning 200 medley relay in Thursday's meet. (Dispatch Photos by Clint Wood)

"I dedicated this meet to him," Rauen said. "He came and watched all the races he could."

In addition, Rauen and the Warriors were inspired by Thursday's pre-meet ceremonies in support of those who died in Tuesday's terrorist attacks on the East Coast.

"We were all thinking about it," Rauen said of the terrorism. "The moment of silence before the national anthem really meant a lot to everyone. Singing the national anthem was very important. Our whole team sang it. It was memorable."

Rauen paced the 200-yard individual medley and 100 butterfly. She joined Cori Severson, Katie Diiro and Amanda Bateman to win the 200 free relay and Severson, Bateman and Christina Roberts to win the 400 free relay.

Other Warrior winners were Bateman in the 200 free, Severson in the 50 free, Amanda Johnson in diving and Erika Campbell in the 500 free.

"We are so deep," Warriors coach Dan Anderson said. "We have so many talented swimmers. There was only one individual event all night that we didn't score all three of our swimmers. We've been kind of able to wear teams down."

Brainerd 113, Willmar 73

200 medley relay -- 1-Willmar 1:59.52, 2-Brainerd (Jael Collins, Sarah Gervais, Katie Boran, Katie Diiro) 1:59.75; 3-Brainerd (Krystal Halverson, Emily Dunphy, Jill London, Jocelyn Jones); 5-Brainerd (Tiffany Klang, Dana Hanson, Jessica Baker, Kati Hilborn)

200 freestyle -- 1-Amanda Bateman (B) 2:10.70, 3-Christina Roberts (B), 5-Michele Spindler 2:17.00

200 individual medley -- 1-Krista Rauen (B) 2:27.4, 2-Erica Campbell (B), 5-Gervais (B)

50 freestyle -- 1-Cori Severson (B) 26.43, 2-Jael Collins (B), 4-Katie Diiro (B)

Diving -- 1-Amanda Johnson (B) 182.55 points, 3-Annie Bahr (B) 162.9, 5-Steph Peterson (B) 142.20

100 butterfly -- 1-Krista Rauen (B) 1:06.05, 2-Katie Boran (B), 6-London (B)

100 freestyle -- 1-Amber Guetter (W) 58.02, 2- Severson (B) 58.51, 3-Bateman (B), 5-Spindler (B)

500 freestyle -- 1-Campbell (B) 5:52.12, 4-Christina Roberts (B), 5-Kelsey Boran (B)

200 freestyle relay -- 1-Brainerd (Severson, Krista Rauen, Diiro, Bateman) 1:46.65, 3-Brainerd (Katie Boran, Campbell, Roberts, Jones); 6-Brainerd (Elsie Rehberger, Brittany Erickson, Chelsea Straw, Kim Friebohle)

100 backstroke -- 1-Amber Guetter (W) 1:04.37, 2-Collins (B) 1:07.85, 3-Halverson (B), 4-Tiffany Klang (B)

100 breaststroke -- 1-Whitney Swalin (W) 1:15.70, 2-Gervais (B) 1:17.25, 3-Dunphy (B), 5-Hanson (B)

400 freestyle relay -- 1-Brainerd (Severson, Krista Rauen, Bateman, Roberts) 3:59.26, 3-Brainerd (Collins, Spindler, Campbell, Jones); 6-Brainerd (Jasmine Mastel-Lipson, Julianna Carlson, Morgan Klang, Alicia Rauen)

Conference -- B 2-0. Overall -- B 3-0. Next meet -- Brainerd at Park Rapids Invitational 10 a.m..