Etterman, Erickson ease Brainerd into victory over Apollo
SWIMMING AND DIVING
Katy Etterman is on the cusp of big things.
The senior diver for the Brainerd Warriors is on the verge of breaking the Brainerd High School, six-dive record set by Tara Schmidt in 2000.
She is also close to making a major decision regarding her collegiate future.
But those things will have to wait until another date as Etterman called her performance Tuesday during the Warriors' 118-68 Central Lakes Conference victory over the St. Cloud Apollo Eagles "mediocre."
Warriors 118, Apollo 68
Key: Brainerd earned more points in all but two events
Conf: Brd 5-1, SCA 2-4
Overall: Brd 6-1, SCA 3-4
Next: Brainerd hosts Willmar 6 p.m. Thursday
Coming from the owner of the best state diving finish in program history, mediocre is pretty good. Etterman won Tuesday with a 239.65 - .35 shy of her season and career best.
"I was a little bit off tonight so in that regard I was disappointed," said Etterman, who has offers to dive at the University of Southern California and the University of Minnesota next season.
"I still almost got my personal record so I have to be happy with that. I've been watching a lot of diving video and watching how it is supposed to be done and that's been helping me."
Etterman said her first dive was her best, but she couldn't nail the rest.
Brainerd's Beth Etterman twisted in the air during a dive Tuesday in the Warriors' meet against St. Cloud Apollo.
Brainerd Dispatch/Kelly Humphrey
She isn't blaming the mounting decision facing her, however. She said her future hasn't been a distraction - at least not in the dual meet season. Come sections and state she said it might be.
"It's a real hard decision," said Etterman. "There were so many things that I loved about USC, but so many other things I loved about the U of M. They're totally different schools. It's really hard to decide, but I have to in the next couple of weeks. Early signing is in the beginning of November."
On the swimming side of Tuesday's meet, Brainerd won eight events, including all three relays. Alex Erickson was on the winning 200-yard medley relay with Siri Smith, Mariah Moen and Aylah Pagel and the winning 400 freestyle with Smith, Grace Bymark and Reilly Peterson.
Erickson also captured the 50 free and finished second in the 100 fly.
The junior entered the water for the 400 free with the lead and built on it to anchor the win.
"I swam against the girl who I went up against in the 100 fly and she beat me there and I didn't want her to beat me again," said Erickson. "I was out to get her. We finished strong. Got ahead in the middle so we did pretty good.
"The 50 was a good race. I brought it out a little faster, but it still needs a lot of work. The fly was a good time, but I'm still disappointed I didn't win."
Stephanie Hansen won the 200 and 500 freestyles and was on the winning 200 free relay with Moen, Etterman and Erica Rehnblom.
Smith won the backstroke and Rehnblom and Moen finished 1-2 in the breaststroke.
"We've been practicing a lot harder and much more serious," said Erickson. "We're learning how to swim better. It's a grind right now. It's been really tough."
Brainerd 118, Apollo 68
200 medley relay: 1-Brainerd (Siri Smith, Mariah Moen, Alex Erickson, Aylah Pagel) 2:00.81, 3-Brainerd (Betsy Schuldheisz, Arianna Pelkey, Erica Rehnblom, Grace Larson) 2:05.88
200 freestyle: 1-Stephanie Hansen (Brd) 2:10.39, 3-Laura Boran (Brd) 2:13.94, Grace Bymark (Brd) 2:14.45
200 individual medley: 1-Sally Ratliff (SCA) 2:26.12, 2-Smith (Brd) 2:28.89, 3-Arianna Pelkey (Brd) 2:33.17, 4-Reilly Peterson (Brd) 2:35.80
50 freestyle: 1-Alex Erickson (Brd) 26.70, 2-Aylah Pagel (Brd) 26.92, 4-Grace Larson (Brd) 28.09
Diving: 1-Katy Etterman (Brd) 239.65, 3-Beth Etterman (Brd) 167.60, 4-Lonie Anderson (Brd) 150.10
100 butterfly: 1-Rebecca Miller (SCA) 1:03.91, 2-Erickson (Brd) 1:04.54, 3-Bymark (Brd) 1:09.58, 4-Peterson (Brd) 1:11.97
100 freestyle: 1-Ratliff (SCA) 58.77, 2-Pagel (Brd) 59.65, 3-Boran (Brd) 1:00.04, 6-Larson (Brd) 1:03.91
500 freestyle: 1-Hansen (Brd) 5:51.28, 4-Schuldheisz (Brd) 6:19.14, 6-A.J. Panzer (Brd) 6:34.28
200 freestyle relay 1-Brainerd (Hansen, Rehnblom, Katy Etterman, Mariah Moen) 1:49.21, 3-Brainerd (Peterson, Pagel, Bymark, Boran) ,
100 backstroke: 1-Smith (Brd) 1:05.64, 4-Schuldheisz (Brd) 1:12.22, 5-Enid Swaggert (Brd) 1:15.36
100 breaststroke: 1-Rehnblom (Brd) 1:19.32, 2-Moen (Brd) 1:19.36, 4-Pelkey (Brd) 1:21.59
400 freestyle relay: 1-Brainerd (Peterson, Smith, Erickson, Bymark) 3:58.22, 3-Brainerd (Larson, Schuldheisz, Johanna Smith, Boran) 3:58.22
JEREMY MILLSOP may be reached at jeremy.millsop@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5856.