Boys swim team looking to build on last season's success

Todd Fritze said the Park Rapids boys swimming and diving team surpassed his expectations last season.

The Park Rapids head coach is counting on the Panthers to surpass his higher expectations this season.

"Our goals are going to be higher than last year," said Fritze, who will be assisted by Kristi Goochey and Amie Westberg. "The nice thing about these guys is they are more mature and more focused on being successful."

Fritze has plenty of reasons to expect another successful season as the Panthers return 13 swimmers and divers from last year's varsity team that went 4-2 in dual meets, qualified for the state Class A True Team meet, repeated as Mid-State Conference champs and had four swimmers score points at the state Class A meet.

Leading the Panthers this season will be the four returning state qualifiers: seniors Elliot Lawrence, Jake Sheeran and Colton Storseth and junior Bryce Klasen. That group scored 11 points at last year's state meet as Park Rapids finished 30th as a team.

At the state meet, Lawrence finished 13th in the 200 individual medley, Storseth finished 14th in the 100 butterfly, and Sheeran (14th) and Klasen (16th) placed in the 100 breaststroke. That group also finished 18th in the 200 medley relay and Storseth took 20th in the 100 backstroke.

Also returning from last year's Section 4A team, which placed third, are senior Matt Lalli; juniors Kyle McBrady and Devon Ondra-cek; sophomore Jared Storseth; freshmen Nick Belfiori, Jon Koch, Zach Lohmeier and Kevin Merfeld; and eighth grader Sam Goebel.

The Panthers return five all-conference performers. Lawrence, Kla-sen, Colton Storseth and Sheeran won the 200 medley relay while Col-ton Storseth, Klasen and Lawrence swam on the conference champion 400 freestyle relay team. Lalli returns as the conference champion in diving, Colton Storseth is the defending conference champion in the 100 backstroke and Sheeran won the conference title in the 100 breaststroke.

Returning with all-conference honorable mention honors are Law-rence (200 medley relay), Sheeran (50 freestyle), Colton Storseth (100 butterfly) and Klasen (100 breaststroke).

At last year's section meet, Lawrence won the 200 individual medley, Colton Storseth finished fourth in the 100 butterfly and fifth in the 100 backstroke, Sheeran and Klasen finished 2-4 in the 100 breaststroke, and the 200 medley relay team placed fourth to qualify for state and earn all-section honors.

The 13 returning veterans will once again lead the Panthers this season.

Lawrence led the team in scoring with 409.50 points last season and just missed advancing to state in the 500 freestyle with a fifth-place showing at the section meet. Lawrence is rated No. 2 in the 200 individual medley with a 2:09.19 and No. 3 in the 500 freestyle with a 5:17.00 in school history.

Colton Storseth followed with 402 points last season and also moved up on the school's all-time list with a 59.57 in the 100 backstroke (No. 2 in school history) and a 57.35 in the 100 butterfly (No. 4 in school history).

Klasen was fourth on the team in points with 341.50. Klasen moved up to the No. 5 spot in school history in the 100 breaststroke with a 1:04.78 and to the No. 6 spot in the 200 individual medley with a 2:15.56. Klasen also placed at the section meet in the 200 individual medley by taking seventh.

Sheeran broke the school record in the 100 breaststroke with a 1:04.21 and finished the season with 339 points. Sheeran also finished 11th in the 50 freestyle at the section meet.

Lalli challenged for a state berth in diving by placing eighth at the section meet. Lalli ranks No. 2 in school history with 323.00 points for 11 dives and No. 4 with 204.20 points for six dives.

Jared Storseth competed at the section meet in the 100 freestyle and 200 freestyle and finished the season with 153.50 points.

McBrady returns after competing at the section meet in the 50 freestyle and 100 breaststroke and compiling 111.50 points.

Lohmeier scored 85 points last season and was a section competitor in diving. Lohmeier ranks No. 9 in school history with 192.90 points for 11 dives.

Goebel competed at the section meet in the 500 freestyle and 200 freestyle and scored 79.50 points last season.

Ondracek returns after competing at the section meet in the 50 freestyle and 100 freestyle and scoring 79 points.

Merfeld scored 69 points last season and competed in the 500 freestyle at the section meet.

Belfiori scored 40 points last season and Koch scored 10.50 points last year.

Looking to replace last year's senior duo of Ben Brandon and Ben Sperle are seniors John Kading and Nate Schmidgall; juniors Levi Dickinson and Tony Scheele; eighth graders Jessie Koch and Ryan McBrady; and seventh grader Zach Eystad.

The Panthers capped off last season by scoring 131 points to win the conference title and 228 points to trail only Grand Rapids (404) and Hibbing (375) at the section meet.

Park Rapids will face a new challenge this year by moving to Section 3A. That section features Detroit Lakes, Fergus Falls, Hutchinson, Litchfield, Melrose/Sauk Centre, Montevideo, Morris/Minnewaska, Perham, Rocori, Thief River Falls and Willmar.

At last year's state meet, Hibbing (third), Eveleth-Gilbert (sixth) and Grand Rapids (ninth) placed in the top-10 from Section 4A while Fergus Falls (fourth), Willmar (10th), Hutchinson (15th) and Montevideo (18th) were in the top-20 from Section 3A. Both sections will return quality swimmers and divers again this season.

"The times from 3A and 4A are comparable," said Fritze. "We'll be all right in 3A. It doesn't matter what section you're in. You have to swim for time and not place."

Even though seven of the Panthers' 20 varsity members will be competing in swimming for the first time, Fritze is expecting another successful season from the Panthers this winter.

"We have the potential to be a pretty good team," said Fritze, whose team opens the season today (Saturday) at the Fergus Falls Invitational. "Our goals are to win the Mid-State again and get some kids to the state meet and score points down there. I'm excited about the season."