Laura Goll has one thing on her mind and it's 5:32.24.
That's the Brainerd Warriors' school record for the 500-yard freestyle and it's a race Goll has dominated for much of this season.
Brainerd's Alyssa Hartshorn celebrated after seeing her time of 6:04.96 Thursday in the 500-yard freestyle. The time got her fourth place in the event. Brainerd Dispatch/Kelly Humphrey » Purchase reprints of this photo.
Thursday was no different as the senior won the event in a casual 5:41.83. She beat her closest competition, teammate Stephanie Hansen, by seven seconds. She also won the 200 free, helping the Warriors to a 107-74 Central Lakes Conference victory over the Little Falls Flyers.
"I was just trying to improve my time," said Goll. "That's always my goal. Otherwise, I just swim."
Brainerd's Katy Etterman won the diving competition Thursday at Brainerd High School. Brainerd Dispatch/Kelly Humphrey » Purchase reprints of this photo.
Last season, Goll just missed the record with a 5:33. When asked about how much she thinks about the record the answer came quickly.
"All the time."
Goll was hoping to be swimming in the 5:30s at the end of the season. She's already swimming those times.
"She is a lot closer to that record now than I thought she would be," said Warriors coach Dan Anderson. "I would like her to break the record before sections. That would be really a neat deal. She's having a great season."
Warriors 107, Flyers 74
Key: Brainerd won seven events, including a sweep of the top three spots in two events
Conf: Brd 4-1, LF 2-3
Overall: Brd 5-1, LF 3-5
Next: Brainerd at St. Cloud Apollo 6 p.m. Tuesday; Little Falls hosts Rocori 6 p.m. Tuesday
Goll won the 200 free with a 2:09.31.
Little Falls speedster Whitney Weisz didn't swim the 200 free, a normal event for the sophomore, to battle Sarah Dens in the 50 free. Goll didn't mind too much.
"It would be nice to have some competition, but ... I like to win," she said.
Laura Goll
Brainerd's Siri Smith captured the 200 individual medley and backstroke. Alex Erickson dominated the 100 butterfly and the Warriors swept the top three spots in diving with Katy Etterman's 1:92.15 leading the way.
Smith, Erickson, Grace Larson and Dens opened the meet by winning the 200 medley relay. Smith Erickson, Dens and Grace Bymark closed out the meet with a come-from-behind win in the 400 free.
"I told the first three girls to not mess around and make this close and leave it all on Sarah to have to run this girl down," said Anderson. "I joked and told them that if that happens the slowest girl was going to anchor the event in our next meet.
"But right before the event Little Falls switched their order so Weisz swam first."
As for the Weisz-Dens matchup, the lanky Weisz showed why she's considered one of top freestylers in Class 1A. She won the 50 in 25.32 and the 100 in 54.99. Dens placed second in both events.
The Flyers' 200 free relay of Megan Voss, Macy Olson, Brittany Then and Weisz won in 1:47.31.
Olson secured the only other Little Falls win with a first-place time of 1:17.23 in the 100 breaststroke.
Brainerd 107, Little Falls 74
200 medley relay: 1-Brainerd (Siri Smith, Grace Erickson, Alex Erickson, Sarah Dens) 2:03.35, 2-Brainerd (Betsy Schuldheisz, Mariah Moen, Ariana Pelkey , Aylah Pagel) 2:08.27, 3-Little Falls (Nicole Roy, Macy Olson, Kaitlin Boemer, Mackenzie Hanson) 2:11.07, 4-Little Falls (Kayla Bjorge, Emily Stark, Kiana Kempenich, Abigail Snow) 2:11:07
200 freestyle: 1-Laura Goll (Brd) 2:09.31, 2-Stephanie Hansen (Brd) 2:09.79, 3-Stephanie Stumpf (LF) 2:12.44, 4-Laura Boran (Brd) 2:18.05, 5-Jessica Martinson (LF) 2:20.99, 6-Marissa Demi (LF) 2:22.72
200 individual medley: 1-Smith (Brd) 2:30.31, 2-Kaitlin Boerner (LF) 2:34.35, 3-Grace Bymark (Brd) 2:28.88, 4-Schuldheisz (Brd) 2:39.09, 5-Paige Waltman (LF) 2:51.72
50 freestyle: 1-Whitney Weisz (LF) 25.32, 2-Dens (Brd) 26.07, 3-Voss (LF) 27.29, 4-Erickson (Brd) 27.35, 5-Brittany Then (LF) 27.37, 6-Pagel (Brd) 27.92
Diving: 1-Katy Etterman (Brd) 192.15, 2-Becky Walker (Brd) 153.35, 3-Allison Reuer (Brd) 142.10
100 butterfly: 1-Erickson (Brd) 1:07.01, 2-Bymark (Brd) 1:08.02, Pelkey (Brd) 1:14.90, 4-Diana Kempenich (LF) 1:27.30, 5-Kayla Bjorge (LF) 1:27.83
100 freestyle: 1-Weisz (LF) 54.97, 2-Dens (Brd) 57.35, 3-Boran (Brd) 1:02.11, 4-Then (LF) 1:02.75, 5-Demi (LF) 1;02.98, 6-Pagel (Brd) 1:03.32
500 freestyle: 1-Goll (Brd) 5:41.83, 2-Hansen (Brd) 5:48.96, 3-Stumpf (LF) 5:49.46, 4-Hartshorn (Brd) 6:04.96, 5-Jessica Martinson (LF) 6:22.43
200 freestyle relay 1-Little Falls (Voss, Olson, Then, Weisz) 1:47.31, 2-Brainerd (Goll, Bymark, Boran, Pagel) 1:50.99, 3-Brainerd (Larson, Moen, Hartshorn, Hansen) 1:54.12, 4-Little Falls (Hanson, Boerner, Demi, Stumpf) 1:54.96
100 backstroke: 1-Smith (Brd) 1:06.56, 2-Voss (LF) 1:10.23, 3-Schuldheisz (Brd) 1:11.44, 4-Roy (LF) 1:12.00, 5-Josie Lange (LF) 1:14.15, 6-Paige DeFrang (Brd) 1:19.52
100 breaststroke: 1-Olson (LF) 1:17.23, 2-Boerner (LF) 1:17.90, 3-Pelkey (Brd) 1:20.12, 4-Moen (Brd) 1:20.27, 5-Jacobson (Brd) 1:22.66, 6-Emily Stark (LF) 1:23.67
400 freestyle relay: 1-Brainerd (Erickson, Bymark, Smith, Dens) 3:55.25, 2-Little Falls (Weisz, Then, Olson, Voss) 4:00.55, 3-Brainerd (Goll, Boran, Schuldheisz, Hansen) 4:10.27, 4-Little Falls (Demi, Hanson, Stumpf, Roy) 4:14.28
JEREMY MILLSOP may be reached at jeremy.millsop@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5856.
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