PARK RAPIDS – Todd Fritze is looking for his third consecutive win with the Park Rapids girls swim and dive team this season.

Last season, the Panthers again won the Section 8A True Team, Mid-State Conference and Section 8A titles, broke three school records and placed in the state’s Class A competition in two. Fritze expects to repeat that feat this fall.

Park Rapids has some key spots to fill as Maya Deshayes, Lizzie Seifert, Amelia Bagstad, Madelyn Langbehn, Gabi Shepersky and Claire Voigt have graduated. Deshayes and Seifert swam at the state meet.

However, a talented group of swimmers and divers returns to lead the Panthers. That group is led by six swimmers who have competed at the state level: seniors Nora Cederstrom, Addison Lauwagie, Mylee Edevold and Allie Rowland, and sophomores Avery Schueller and Whitney Seifert.

At last year’s Class A state meet, Schueller, Edevold, Lizzie Seifert and Lauwagie finished 13th in the 200-yard freestyle relay, scoring 8 points, while Schueller finished 16th in the 100-yard freestyle, scoring 1 point. The Panthers scored 9 points, placing 33rd in the team standings. Park Rapids missed out on making the finals of the other four events. The 200-yard medley relay team of Deshayes (backstroke), Cederstrom (breaststroke), Lauwagie (butterfly) and Whitney Seifert (freestyle) was disqualified. Schueller finished 24th in the 500-yard freestyle. Lizzie Seifert finished 19th in the 500-yard freestyle. The 400-meter freestyle relay with Schueller, Edevold, Lizzie Seifert and Lauwagie finished 20th.

Rowland, who qualified for the 2022 state diving championship, broke the school record for six dives with a score of 235.90. Schueller broke the school record in the 100-meter freestyle with a time of 54.16 and joined Lizzie Seifert, Edevold and Lauwagie in the 200-meter freestyle relay that broke school, section and Detroit Lakes pool records with a time of 1:40.98.

Also returning for the Panthers: seniors Mckenzie Himango, Laura Kaufenberg and Laney Vrieze (who overcame an injury earlier in the season and is awaiting medical clearance); juniors Macie Maninga, Grace Officer and Maggie Randall; sophomores Molly Cederstrom, Julia Grande, Cassidy Grewe, Macie Lichter and Marnie Shepersky; freshman Karlee Rowland; and eighth-graders Ryann Hagen, Abby Randall, Aimee Safratowich and Tenley Schueller. Rounding out this year’s roster are seventh-graders Jozie Bishop, Ellie Deshene, Lauren Hirt and Kathryn Fempfer.

“We have a great group of kids again,” said Fritze. “I’m impressed with this team. The first two weeks of training went extremely well. The girls were mentally ready and are working really hard. We still have a lot to do and a long way to go, but I’m happy with what we’ve achieved now.”

The returning group helped the Panthers win the Section 8A True Team title with 1,641 points and placed 11th at the state Class A True Team meet. Park Rapids also won the Mid-State Conference title for the third consecutive year with 529.50 points, while Detroit Lakes finished second with 404 points. Conference winners were Nora Cederstrom, Edevold and Avery Schueller in the 200 medley relay, Avery Schueller in the 50 freestyle and 100 freestyle, Avery Schueller, Edevold and Lauwagie in the 200 freestyle relay and Lauwagie and Edevold in the 400 freestyle relay.

Also earning All-Conference honors were Allie Rowland in diving (third); Molly Cederstrom (second) and Grande (third) in the 200 freestyle; Lauwagie in the 50 freestyle (third); Lauwagie (second) and Edevold (third) in the 100 butterfly; Whitney Seifert in the 100 freestyle (second); Whitney Seifert, Molly Cederstrom and Grande in the 200 freestyle relay (second); and Nora Cederstrom (second) and Himango (third) in the 100 breaststroke. With the dissolution of the Mid-State Conference, Park Rapids and Perham will be the only teams competing in the Heart O’Lakes Conference this season.

The Panthers also dominated the Section 8A meet with 482 points, with Alexandria a distant second with 338.50 points. Allie Rowland (fifth), Karlee Rowland (tenth), Officer (twelfth) and Hagen (thirteenth) earned points in diving. Nora Cederstrom, Lauwagie and Avery Schueller took second place in the 200 individual medley. Molly Cederstrom (sixth) and Grande (seventh) took eighth place in the 200 freestyle. Himango took eighth place in the 200 individual medley. Avery Schueller won the 50 freestyle, followed by Edevold (seventh) and Whitney Seifert (eighth). In the 100m butterfly, Lauwagie (third), Edevold (fifth) and Nora Cederstrom (tenth) took third place. Avery Schueller took first place in the 100m freestyle, followed by Whitney Seifert (6th) and Grewe (12th). Molly Cederstrom (6th) and Gande (9th) took first place in the 500m freestyle. Avery Schueller, Edevold and Lauwagie swam further and won the 200m freestyle relay. In the 100m breaststroke, Nora Cederstrom (4th) and Himango (6th) scored points. Park Rapids finished the meet by winning the 400m freestyle relay behind Lauwagie, Edevold and Whitney Seifert.

Also competing for the Panthers, but narrowly missing out on a place in the final and consolation finals: Maggie Randall (19th in the 200 m individual medley and 19th in the 100 m backstroke) and Grewe (17th in the 50 m freestyle).

Returning players who led the Panthers in points last season are Avery Schueller (476.50), Lauwagie (446), Nora Cederstrom (309), Whitney Seifert (292.50), Himango (287.50), Edevold (264.50), Molly Cederstrom (222), Grande (187.25), Allie Rowland (161), Grewe (115.50), Hagen (104) and Officer (104). Also scoring points last season were Karlee Rowland (90), Maggie Randall (83), Tenley Schueller (61), Lichter (48), Safratowich (30.50), Marnie Shepersky (30.50), Maninga (22) and Vrieze (6).

Entering the season, the school’s top 10 list includes Avery Schueller in the 50 freestyle (third) and 100 freestyle (first), Allie Rowland in diving (first with six jumps and second with 11 jumps), Lauwagie (fourth) and Edevold (eighth) in the 100 butterfly, and Lauwagie in the 100 freestyle (seventh).

With a talented group of swimmers and divers, Fritze is raising high expectations for his Panthers again this fall.

“I’m looking forward to the season. We have a lot of spots to fill, but the girls are ready to take on the challenge,” said Fritze. “We don’t want to be good, we want to be great. We have good leadership and all the girls came to the team mentally focused and with a positive attitude. If we keep that attitude until the end of the season, everything will be fine.”