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You can bet Erica Greene will be back, better than ever.

The junior’s season came to a halt last Monday at the state diving meet as Greene failed to qualify for the finals. Simply put, the 2004 section diver of the year had an off day. Unfortunately it cost her a shot at Wednesday’s finals.

“It wasn’t her best day. She’ll still have another day, she’ll just have to wait another year. That’s going to be tough,” said Lisa Willhite, Chisago Lakes head diving coach. “We all had a good cry after the meet. It was just tough to watch because she has worked so hard this season but sometimes things just happen. I told her after the meet it was okay to be disappointed, but that she had nothing to hang her head about. She had a fantastic season.”

Fantastic indeed, arguably one of the best seasons in Chisago Lakes diving history. Greene was undefeated going into state, fresh off her performance where she set a new section record in points.

However, difficult judging and an off performance combined to be too much at state. Overall, Greene finished in 22 place in the diving prelims. The top 20 advanced to the semifinals.

“Her first dive went well. Her second dive was a hit or miss dive anyway, so when she missed it we all felt okay, it was not big deal. Her third, fourth, and fifth dives just didn’t go that well,” remarked Willhite. “I just told her that you have to learn how to win with style and grace and you have to learn how to lose with style and grace. It’s a good life lesson. Someday, she’s going to tell her children this story, about how she went to state, didn’t perform the way she thought she should’ve, and she handled it with grace and class. Having a bad day is just life, we all have them.”

Meanwhile, Lauren Trudeau did not suffer the same fate. Instead, the junior made the cut, advancing to Wednesday’s finals with a score of 212.85 through two rounds. Currently she stands 13 overall. The top eight medal. Trudeau, who out of the field of 32 dove last, finished second at this year’s section meet.

“She loved it,” said Willhite, referring to Trudeau diving last. “That can work for you or against you and I think it helped her because she got to see everyone else dive first. Lauren’s goal was just to get to the finals and she did that. She had a great day. Hopefully she can have another one on Wednesday.

Wednesday’s finals begin at noon.

McGurk is only swimmer to make it to finals

Meanwhile, in the swimming pool, the class “A” state swimming preliminaries took place last Tuesday. Chisago Lakes had athletes competing in four different events.

Three of the races the Wildcats were involved in were relays.

Up first was the 200 yard medley relay where Molly McGurk, Angie Dery, Steph Peterson, and Emily Stein took to the pool. Looking to place in the top 16 which would advance them to Wednesday’s finals, the Wildcats fell more than a second short, finishing 21 overall. They did not make the cut.

The Chisago 200 freestyle relay team suffered the same fate. Consisting of Emily Merritt, Laura Chelberg, Jessica Tollberg, and Stein, the group finished 23 overall, more than two seconds off the pace. Sauk Rapids-Rice posted the best time with a 1:40.79. Chisago Lakes swam a 1:45.14.

With two relays down, the ‘Cats 400 yard freestyle relay team came the closest to making it to Wednesday, however, they too fell short. The team of Merritt, Tollberg, Chelberg, and Lauren Koch came in 19 overall, less than a second behind St. Cloud Cathedral who made the cut as an alternate.

But the Wildcats weren’t shutout completely. Swimming in the 100 yard breaststoke, senior Molly McGurk finished 13 overall, putting her in the consolation final heat on Wednesday. McGurk did it by swimming a 1:11.09, just a shade slower than her section time. Even though McGurk won’t get a chance to medal (only top eight medal), she joins Trudeau as the only Wildcats who will compete on the final day. Wednesday’s finals begin at noon at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center.

For complete state results, check out next week’s Chisago County Press.

Class “A” Diving Standings

Through semifinals

1. Brummond (Blake) 294.15

2. Edelbrock (SC Cath) 272.50

3. Schwieters (Melrose) 256.80

4. Maiers (Sauk Rapids) 251.15

5. Halstead (Milaca) 246.80

6. Doyle (Austin) 234.70

7. Deters (Suak Rapids) 230.90

8. Rosier (Mesabi East) 228.15

9. Weber (Saukk Rapids) 222.30

10. Damio (Park Rapids) 220.50

11. Enerson (F-B-HC) 218.70

12. Krueger (Willmar) 213.30

13. Trudeau (CL) 212.85

14. Stanchfield (Orono) 212.25

15. Richardson (Farm.) 210.50

Jipson (Morris) 210.50

17. Varichak (Fridley) 208.65

18. Lungstrom (Simley) 207.40

19. Koenig (Crookston) 205.80

20. Kick (Mont-Lons.) 201.40

Failed to make cut

Scores after prelims-

21. Mrozek (Simley) 131.15

22. Greene (CL) 130.10

23. DeRocher (Foley) 126.85

24. Bihari (Richfield) 126.05

25. Elg (Eveleth-G) 124.90

26. Peterson (Eveleth- G) 124.50

27. Christianson (Willmar)124.45

28. Roy (Benilde-SM) 121.95

29. Fleming (Austin) 109.20

30. Smrekar (Ely) 108.80

31. Ripplinger (Warroad) 106.40

32. LaBarbera (Shakopee) 102.55

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