Larson, DeBeltz first for NRE

Larson, DeBeltz first for NRE Young swim team competitive in season-opening meet at Babbitt pool

Despite being short on depth and experience, Northeast Range/Ely was competitive in Tuesday’s high school girls swimming opener and had several highlights Tuesday afternoon at Babbitt.

Anna Larson nabbed a pair of individual first-place finishes and Via DeBeltz had another, although visiting International Falls piled up points and scored a 59-35 dual meet victory.

The debut impressed NRE Head Coach Cheri De-Beltz, who is working with a young roster.

“The fact is that we have this really young team and they did fantastic,” said De-Beltz. “ We had some great showings with the young girls and we have a lot of potential coming down the line.”

Larson, the team’s only senior and an All-Section 7A honoree, pulled out a close win in the 50 freestyle (28.02) and cruised in the 100 butterfly, finishing in 1:10.53 and topping her next-nearest foe by nearly five seconds.

Via DeBeltz opened her junior season in a new event - the 500 freestyle - and dominated en route to a first-place finish in 6:26.77.

“We had some notables with Anna winning two events and Via swimming and winning in the 500, which is a brand-new event for her,” said Cheri DeBeltz.

The Nighthawks had no other first-place finishes but several seconds, with Via DeBeltz finishing as the runner- up in the 200 freestyle (2:25.14).

She also teamed with Larson, Madison Jonas and Alyssa Ice to take second in the 200 medley relay (2:19.78), while Ice was second in the 100 freestyle (1:07.82).

Jonas bagged a second- place finish in the 100 backstroke (1:30.59), and the 200 freestyle foursome of Tuuli Koivisto, Ivy Ohlhauser, Grace Flynn and Sabrah Hart was second in 2:15.23.

Larson, Koivisto, Ice and Via DeBeltz combined to take second in the 400 freestyle relay (4:31.93).

Varsity third-place finishes went to Koivisto (200 individual medley), Ice (50 freestyle), Jorden Borchert (100 freestyle and 100 breastroke), and Hart (100 backstroke).

“There was a lot of learning and a lot of room to grow,” said Cheri DeBeltz.

The Nighthawks were right back in the pool Thursday against Proctor, and a Sept. 5 road meet at Mesabi East follows.

• In the junior varsity meet, NRE prevailed 68-20.

Brynn Larson was a double- winner, taking first in both the 50 butterfly and 100 individual medley, and Ohlhauser won the 200 freestyle and 300 freestyle.

Lindsay Israel captured first place in the 100 backstroke at the JV level, while Borchert, Flynn, Lucy Luthens, Isla Carlson and Moon Vetos-Keen had second-place individual showings.