Minot Edges West Fargo For North Dakota Girls’ State Swimming and Diving Title

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BISMARCK – Minot High School topped the field at the North Dakota Girls’ State Swimming and Diving Championships at the BSC Aquatic and Wellness Center in Bismarck yesterday, edging West Fargo by 26 points for the team title. GF Central’s Lexi Ljunggren, Fargo North’s Breah Anderson and Century’s Dani Bergeson each won two individual state championships during Saturday’s final session.

Century started off the meet with a win in the 200 medley relay, as Dani Bergeson, Vanessa Herrmann, Tess Sether and Abby Bourgois combined efforts to post a 1:47.54. West Fargo’s Mykin Gunning, Andie Peterson, Emily Bourassa and Hallie Peterson got to the wall second in 1:48.94, followed by Fargo North’s Olivia Roche, Ellie Roche, Anna Astrup and Erin Slack in 1:50.09.

GF Central freshman Lexi Ljunggren won the first state title of her high school career in the 200 free, holding onto her top seed position with a 1:51.44. Bismarck’s Emma Hepper kept it close the whole way, finishing second in 1:52.17. West Fargo’s Hallie Peterson finished third in 1:53.98 after racing in the medley relay minutes before.

Fargo North senior Ellie Roche dominated the 200 IM, leading from start to finish and posting a final time of 2:06.50. Century claimed the next two spots on the podium, with freshman Vanessa Herrmann (2:09.25) and sophomore Abby Bourgois (2:10.69) finishing second and third.

In the 50 free, Fargo North’s Breah Anderson edged Minot’s Emily Hamel for the state title, 23.71 to 23.93. GF Red River’s Alexis Doherty rounded out the top three in the only 24-second swim of the entire final at 24.78.

Shanley’s Brittany Dixon posted 412.60 points to run away with the 1-meter diving title. Erin Hillerud of Jamestown (398.45 points) and Quincee Simonson of Fargo South (375.50) took second and third in the final.

After leading off Century’s winning 200 medley relay, senior Dani Bergeson demonstrated her versatility with an individual win in the 100 fly. Bergeson led from wire to wire, posting a two second win in 56.13. West Fargo’s Hallie Peterson earned another top three finish with her 58.17, while Anna Astrup of Fargo North claimed third in 58.88.

Fargo North’s Breah Anderson swept the sprint freestyle events with a dominant showing in the 100 free. Anderson extended her lead over the final 50 en route to a 51.72, comfortably ahead of Minot’s Emily Hamel (52.96), who also finished second to Anderson in the 50 free. Olivia Roche of Fargo North swam a 53.89 to take third.

GF Central’s Lexi Ljunggren couldn’t quite match her prelim time of 4:58.96 in the 500 free, but she still had plenty in the tank to win a second state title in 5:00.61. Minot’s McKenna Brown finished a distant second in 5:11.69, two seconds in front of her teammate, Alexis Clark (5:13.70).

Minot got its first win of the meet in the next event, as Cassie Askvig, McKenna Brown, Josie Gillund and Emily Hamel raced to a 1:38.65 in the 200 free relay. Hamel split a 23.59 on the anchor leg to make up more than a second on runner-up Fargo North and Breah Anderson, Leanna Mengelkoch, Anna Astrup and Erin Slack (1:39.13). Emily Bourassa, Mariah Heise, Cora Riehl and Brianna Faul gave West Fargo a third place finish with their 1:43.09.

Century’s Dani Bergeson closed out her final high school meet by going two-for-two in her individual events after posting a 56.30 in the 100 back. Bergeson also won the 100 fly earlier. Bismarck’s Emma Hepper swam a 57.40 to take second, one second in front of Jamestown’s Annie Hart (58.40).

After turning even with Fargo North’s Ellie Roche at the 50, Century’s Vanessa Herrmann pulled away from Roche and held off West Fargo’s Andie Peterson down the stretch to win the 100 breast in 1:04.45. Peterson touched second in 1:04.95, while Roche wound up third in 1:05.40.

Breah Anderson, Olivia Roche, Leann Mengelkoch and Ellie Roche gave Fargo North a win in the final event of the day, topping the 400 free relay in 3:31.81. The West Fargo quartet of Hallie Peterson, Andie Peterson, Brianna Faul and Mykin Gunning swam a 3:34.92 to take second ahead of Century’s Abby Bourgois, Vanessa Herrmann, Amy Warren and Dani Bergeson (3:35.75).

Minot racked up 339 points to edge West Fargo (313 points) for the team title. Fargo North was also in the mix, scoring 300 points to finish third. Century (287 points) and Fargo Davies (187 points) rounded out the top five.

Results: North Dakota Girls’ State Swimming and Diving Championships

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