Warriors go elk hunting

In four of the last five Section 8, Class 2A swimming and diving championship meets the Elk River Elks have prevailed.

The Brainerd Warriors, in 2000, have been the only team to derail the Elks as champion during that span.

In the last three years, the Warriors and Elks have been neck-and-neck.

In 2000, Brainerd shaded Elk River by 8.5 points. Last year it was the Elks' turn to reign, edging Brainerd by 13.5 points.

This year's meet, Friday and Saturday at Bemidji High School, will likely be another horse race between the Elks and Warriors. Elk River has a few standouts while Brainerd has quality and depth.

"Looking at the seed times they're definitely in the driver's seat," Warriors coach Dan Anderson said of Elk River. "They've got seven No. 1 seeds. In the events they're not No. 1, all except for the 200 free relay, they're No. 2. They're really solid. We're going to have to swim and dive really well if we're going to beat them.

"Depth is what will have to do it for us. We have to get all four swimmers in the top 16 in every race. For example, Elk River in the individual medley, is No. 1 and No. 2 and they have nobody else in the top 16. Our four girls need to score as much as their two girls."

Each school is permitted to enter one relay and four individuals in each event. The top 16 individual finishers Friday advance to Saturday's 1 p.m. finals. All seven relays advance to the finals unless disqualified.

Even though the Elks dominate the seeds, Brainerd is conceding nothing.

"Seed times mean nothing," Anderson said. "We plan our whole season to go fastest this weekend. It's always nice to have most of the girls in the top 16, seed-wise because those places score points. I assume we're going to go faster."

The Warriors have two No. 1 seeds: Erica Campbell in the 200-yard freestyle and the 200 free relay of Christina Roberts, Jenny Wentworth, Amanda Bateman and Katie Diiro.

"Erica has had a really good season," Anderson said. "She's been consistently going 2:04. She will be the first to tell you that her two biggest competitors are Christina and Jenny.

"The 200 free relay has been solid all year. St. Cloud Tech is the No. 2 seed. We did lose to Tech once, then we beat them in the conference meet. I look for Tech to be right with us."

Brainerd is seeded second in the 200 medley relay (Krystal Halverson, Sarah Gervais, Krista Rauen, Diiro); in the 100 backstroke (Rauen); and in the 400 free relay (Roberts, Halverson, Erica Campbell, Amanda Bateman).

Section 8, Class 5A teams -- Alexandria, Bemidji, Brainerd, Elk River, Moorhead, St. Cloud Apollo, St. Cloud Tech

Seed places and times

200 medley relay -- 1-Elk River 1:54.65; 2-Brainerd (Halverson, Gervais, Rauen, Diiro)

200 freestyle -- 1-Erica Campbell (B) 2:04.54, 4-Roberts (B) 2:06.37, 5-Wentworth (B) 2:07.04, 12-Kelsey Boran (B) 2:12.61

200 individual medley -- 1-Emmie Lee (ER) 2:20.52; 6-Brianna Elg (B) 2:32.13; 8-Gervais 2:32.57, 12-Dunphy (B) 2:36.29; 19-Emily Schirmer (B) 2:41.51

50 freestyle -- 1-Saski Rehder (Apollo) 24.78; 3-Diiro 26.02, 4-Amanda Bateman (B) 26.26; 7-Jocelyn Jones (B) 26.93; 12-Kara Rutman (B) 27.43

Diving (not seeded) -- Amanda Johnson, Annie Bahr, Lauren Trapp, Macala Campbell

100 butterfly -- 1-Amy Killpatrick (ER) 1:00.21; 3-Rauen 1:04.91; 6-Elg 1:07.73; 11-Roberts 1:10.01; 18-Schirmer 1:13.67

100 freestyle -- 1-Rehder (Apollo) 54.12; 3-Amanda Bateman 57.57; 5-Diiro 58.18, 6-Halverson 59.10, 14-Jones 1:00.91

500 freestyle -- 1-Killpatrick (ER) 5:19.06; 4-Erica Campbell 5:39.12; 8-Boran 5:51.90, 9-Wentworth 5:51.96; 15-Jessica Bateman (B) 6:10.71

200 freestyle relay -- 1-Brainerd (Roberts, Wentworth, Amanda Bateman, Diiro) 1:44.56

100 backstroke -- 1-Emmie Lee (ER) 1:02.74; 2-Rauen 1:06.35; 6-Halverson 1:08.59; 13-Cara Wiltse (B) 1:11.69; 18-Jill London (B) 1:14.90

100 breaststroke -- 1-Megan Kampa (ER) 1:10.21; 4-Gervais 1:14.66; 6-Dunphy 1:16.16; 15-Dana Hanson (B) 1:19.99; 17-Erin Donnelly (B) 1:20.39

400 freestyle relay -- 1-Elk River 3:47.08; 2-Brainerd (Roberts, Halverson, Erica Campbell, Amanda Bateman) 3:50.24