Adam Papin/MDN
Minot’s Haili Metzger competes in the 200-yard individual medley on Saturday, Aug. 26.
Fans packed the Minot High School natatorium this weekend to watch the Minot High girls’ swimming and diving team take first place in their opening events of the season. On Friday night, the Majettes defeated Dickinson in a dual meet, 124-82.
“It was a great home opener for us,” said Minot High head coach Emily Jensen. “We had some nice times and some good things. We also saw some things that we can work on the next ten weeks to hopefully put us in a position where we can be our very best.”
Sam Vonbokern and Ava Williamson each won a pair of individual events on Friday night, as well as contributing to wins in relay events for the Majettes. Vonbokern won the 50-yard freestyle (24.48) and the 100-yard butterfly (59.30), while Williamson finished first in the 100-yard freestyle (57.40) and 100-yard breaststroke (1:13.52). Vonbokern and Williamson both joined Havanna Metzger and Reese Goodman in posting the fastest time (1:56.22) in the 200-yard medley relay. The 400-yard freestyle relay team of Vonbokern, Bostyn Edwards, Goodman and Williamson won with a time of 3:58.15.
“Sam [Vonbokern] worked very hard this summer, and clearly it showed with her events in the water this week,” said Jensen. “She is just a tough, athletic kid. We need to focus on keeping her healthy and uninjured, and she will definitely be a contender when it get to state meet time.”
Minot had several other individual winners in the meet including Bostyn Edwards, 200-yard freestyle (2:06.15) and Emily Dunstan, 500-yard freestyle (6:01.90). The Majettes’ 200-yard freestyle relay team of Edwards, Gabby Osborn, Sophia VonBokern, and Kirby Ouam also swam to victory with a time of 1:46.47.
Ella Kesler captured the one-meter diving competition with a score of 263.75. Teammate Haley Conklin finished second with 248.80.
Mara Ellerkamp picked up Dickinson’s lone wins on the evening, taking first in both the 200-yard individual medley (2:22.34) and the 100-yard backstroke (1:07.22).
“There is a great group of freshmen out and a few middle school divers and a swimmer that we hope will be fun to see some cool things from,” said Jensen.
On Saturday, Minot High welcomed WDA opponents to their natatorium for the Minot Invite where the Majettes finished first out of seven teams with a team total of 569.5. Bismarck Century finished second with 480. Bismarck Legacy (374.5) finished third. Dickinson (283) and Williston (221) rounded out the top five. Mandan (193) and Bismarck High (185) finished six and seventh respectively.
Much like Friday night, Ava Williamson paced Minot with a pair of individual wins and contributed to a relay title. Williamson won the 50-yard freestyle in a time of 26.38 and the 100-yard butterfly (1:04.55). She was also part of the winning 200-yard medley team of Havanna Metzger, Sam Vonbokern and Gabby Osborn. They finished with the lone team to break two minutes (1:57.70) in the event. Vonbokern also won the 200-yard freestyle (2:00.25) and finished runner-up in the 100-yard backstroke (1:01.44), just five hundredths of a second behind winner Tova Blikre of Legacy (1:01.39).
Minot’s Haley Conklin won the diving competition with a score of 452.20 to finish ahead of teammate Ella Kesler, who was second with 427.75.
“We had a hard fought battle this second day,” said Jensen. “We added a few new state qualifiers which is always something fun. We have a fun new group of younger athletes that have a lot of potential. Many of these kids have not been swimmers since childhood.”
Jensen also reflected on what it means to coach the final group of girls before the district’s team is split between Minot High and the soon-to-open Minot North.
“There is something special about coaching and working with the last group of Minot High Majette swimmers and divers as we know the current team,” said Jensen. “Next year the teams will split with the opening of the new school. The kids can feel that excitement and hopefully it is a drive to push them through the next couple months.”
