Lakers Swim And Dive Set To Compete At State Meet on Friday

(KDLM) – The Detroit Lakes Lakers Swim and Dive Team is on their way to Minneapolis to compete for a state Swim and Dive title for the second time in three years.

The Lakers finished as Section 8A runners up to Park Rapids at the section meet at the DLCCC pool last weekend, and are hoping to send long-time head coach Carol Fischer out on top after she announced that she will step down as head coach after the season. The Lakers last appeared at the state meet as a team after winning Section 8A in 2018.

Seniors Lexi and Madi Gerdes both qualified for the state meet at the Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center at the U of M in two events. Both will swim in the 100-yard breaststroke prelims at 12:00 on Friday. Madi took first place with a time of 1:08.43, edging out Lexi by two seconds (1:10.35) for the individual section title.

Madi also took second in the 200-yard IM with a time of 2:22.12. Lexi will compete individually in the 100-yard butterfly after winning the section race with a time of 1:03.44.

Faith Hamm will also compete in two state races after winning the 200-yard free with a time of 2:02.63 and the 500-yard freestyle competition with a time of 5:42.73.

Two Laker relay teams also qualified for state: the Gerdes sisters, along with Marin Westrum and Cora Martin won the 200-yard medley, and the team of Westrum, Hamm, Rylie Wendt, and Quinn Rogstad won the 400-yard medley as well.

Two Laker divers are also headed to the state meet this week. Hope Hamm and Kylie Tulius finished third (362.95) and fourth (355.05) at the section meet.

The Class A preliminaries for Swim and Dive will start at noon on Friday, November 19th. The Class A Finals will start at noon on Saturday the 20th.