Oriole swimmers fall to Spring Lake Park
St. Louis Park’s swimming team is priming for a strong regular-season finish. And Oriole swimmers continue to make solid progress according to coach Joe Yaeger.
St. Louis Park put together several impressive individual performances as it lost 92-83 to Spring Lake Park in a North Suburban Conference dual meet Jan. 10 on the road.
The Orioles received a first-place effort by Nate Stone in the 100-yard butterfly event. He finished with a winning time of 59.40 seconds.
Branch Johnson contributed a first-place time of 58.49 in the 100 backstroke event.
St. Louis Park’s second-place 200 medley relay team of Johnson, Grant Lacey, Stone and Greg Jacobs placed second (1:49.52).
Nils Rykken finished second in the 200 freestyle (2:03.23). Johnson added a runner-up time of 2:10.48 in the 200 individual medley. Alec Pittman was second in the 500 freestyle (5:22.87).
The Orioles achieved a second-place time of 3:36.98 in the 400 freestyle relay. Members of that relay team were Stone, Jacobs, Phil Kersten and Johnson.
St. Louis Park was also second in the 200 freestyle relay with a cast of Jacobs, Brian Shrestha, Nate Beneke and Kertsten. The Orioles’ time was 1:39.83.
“The boys swam very well against Spring Lake Park,” said coach Yaeger. “Zach Tronson and Stone had good meets.”
St. Louis Park’s junior varsity swim squad defeated Spring Lake Park 105.5 to 62.5.
St. Louis Park competed in the Spring Lake Park Invite Jan. 5. The Orioles placed seventh out of eight teams with 225 points. Monticello was meet champion (405) and Spring Lake Park finished second (397). Buffalo placed third (343).
St. Louis Park was seventh in the 200 medley relay (1:51.16). Members of that relay were Johnson, Lacey, Jacobs and Stone.
Johnson was fifth in the 200 individual medley (2:10.48). Teammate Stone finished sixth in that event (2:13.60).
Stone placed seventh in the 100 freestyle (54.76). Sam Larson was eighth in the 500 freestyle (5:40.70).
Johnson achieved a second-place time of 56.55 seconds in the 100 backstroke. Beneke was eighth in the 100 backstroke (1:02.93). Lacey finished ninth in the 100 breaststroke (1:11.63).
St. Louis Park was sixth in the 400 freestyle relay (3:41.45). Relay members were Jacobs, Stone, Shrestha and Johnson.
“Johnson had a great swim in the 100 backstroke at the Spring Lake Park Invite,” said Yaeger. “He finished second against a very strong group of swimmers.”
St. Louis Park will swim against Cooper at 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 17, in a home meet.
Contact Greg Kleven at greg.kleven@ecm-inc.com
