When Detroit Lakes' freshman diver Kyley Foster took to the BTD Aquatics Center diving board Tuesday, she was in for her biggest test of the season -- and she wouldn't have had it any other way.
Foster pulled off her biggest win of the season, as she continues her quest of qualifying for the Class 1A state diving meet for the second straight year.
The freshman Laker diver topped Bemidji senior Jana Hedstrom by 11.05 points Tuesday, which was Foster's top challenger of the season, thus far. Her 214.20 was a season-best score, as she continues to improve from meet to meet.
"This meet was huge for me," Foster said. "(Bemidji) is one of the best, so winning was big. In each meet, I've gotten better and better, but I still need to fix some dives and add a 2.5 to my list."
Foster has started racking up wins in each meet, which has instilled confidence in her, after she made an unexpected trip to the Class 1A state diving finals in 2010 and finished 13th overall.
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"I want to go to state and medal and have a score over 220," Foster added.
Foster also has seen many of her section competition on the board and she has topped them all, thus far.
So her quest for another state bid is very much still intact.
"So far, so good," the Laker freshman added.
The Lakers, as a team, also had a solid showing against the talented Lumberjacks, losing by a score of 170-136.
The much-deeper Bemidji squad gained valuable points by taking many of the middle spots, but the Lakers were able to win six events to pace their team score.
"Some swimmers are still dropping time and others are maintaining, but they are focusing on their races and being aggressive," said DL head swimming coach Carol McCarthy.
The Lakers do have every event filled for the Section 8-1A meet, but they are still looking to qualify more.
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But a trio of Lakers already have all four of their section qualifying events filled (allowed four) in junior Miranda Olson, senior Siri Vulpius and freshman Grace Livermore.
"We'll have a good representation at sections," McCarthy added.
Tuesday, the Lakers started off well by winning the 200-yard medley relay with a time of 2:03.28. The foursome included Livermore, Vulpius, Olson and sophomore Maddy Schiller.
Vulpius won the next event, the 200 freestyle, with a time of 2:12.99, while Olson had a solid showing in the 200 individual medley at 2:25.52.
"Miranda has been phenomenal in the 200 IM," McCarthy stated. "Siri (a foreign exchange student) has that big-meet mentality, too."
Schiller had a good 100 butterfly by taking second with a time of 1:16.36, while she won the 100 backstroke with a mark of 1:10.19.
Livermore was second in the backstroke at 1:10.97.
DL closed out the meet with a victory in the 400 freestyle relay, as the team of Olson, Schiller, Livermore and Vulpius combined for a mark of 4:08.83.
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The Lakers will host the Section 8 True Team meet inside the BTD Aquatics Center Saturday, starting at 9 a.m.
It will be a good rehearsal for the Section 8-1A meet, in which the Lakers will host, Nov. 11-12.
"The True Team meet will be a good chance to see what the competition is like for the Section meet," McCarthy said. "We need to start building a winning mindset for our girls and they are starting to realize their potential."
The Lakers will host Perham Thursday for a 6 p.m. start, to prime for the True Team meet Saturday.
Laker results
Bemidji at Detroit Lakes, Tuesday, Oct. 11.
Lumberjacks 170, Lakers 136
DL event results -- 200-yard medley relay: 1. DL A (Grace Livermore, Siri Vulpius, Miranda Olson, Maddy Schiller) 2:03.28; 5. DL B (Ayla Erickson, Jennifer Bellware, Morgan Nodsle, Hannah Brady) 2:22.29; 6. DL C (Katie Larson, Sam Hanson, Katie Arens, Jocelyn Skoda) 2:27.76; 8. DL D (Frankie Hutchinson, Clara Livermore, McKenna Krengel, Bethany Friendshuh) 2:50.74...200 freestyle: 1. Vulpius 2:12.99; 5. Bellware 2:29.57; 7. Krengel 2:56.47; 8. Baehlee Ruchti 2:56.51...200 individual medley: 2. Olson 2:25.52; 3. G. Livermore 2:40.47; 5. Larson 2:44.98; 7. Nodsle 2:51.29...50 freestyle: 5. Brady 29.64; 6. Skoda 30.04; 7. Erickson 32.17; 8. Lauren Sinclair 33.63...Diving: 1. Kyley Foster 214.20; 4. Brady 163.50; 6. Hutchinson 142.15; 8. VonNiederhausern 99.00...100 butterfly: 2. Schiller 1:16.36; 5. Skoda 1:27.14; 6. Clara Livermore 1:37.88; 7. Sydney Prussia 1:44.24...100 freestyle: 3. Larson 1:04.42; 5. Katie Arens 1:12.82; 7. Sinclair 1:15.64; 8. Ruchti 1:23.48...500 freestyle: 2. Olson 5:45.15; 5. Bellware 6:41.40; 7. Sam Hanson 7:16.37; 8. Krengel 7:56.87...200 freestyle relay: 3. DL A (Brady, Foster, Sinclair, Arens) 2:07.85; 5. DL B (Hutchinson, Prussia, Ruchti, Vonniederhausern) 2:27.60...100 backstroke: 1. Schiller 1:10.19; 2. G. Livermore 1:1097; 4. Erickson 1:17.77; 8. VonNiederhausern 1:36.13...100 breaststroke: 1. Vulpius 1:16.29; 5. Nodsle 1:26.15; 7. Arens 1:30.43; 8. Hanson 1:31.36; 9. C. Livermore 1:32.64; 10. Hutchinson 1:42.21...400 freestyle relay: 4. DL A (Olson, Schiller, G. Livermore, Vulpius) 4:08.83; 4. DL B (Larson, Hanson, Skoda, Nodsle) 4:36.84; 5. DL C (Bellware, Erickson, Krengel, Sinclair) 5:06.93; 6. DL D (C. Livermore, Prussia, Friendshuh, Ruchti) 6:05.26.
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