The Minot High girls swimming and diving team has experimented with different combinations for several events throughout their first three meets, each with varying success.

“We will still be moving kids around in relays and individual events until we find our best lineup,” said MHS coach Emily Jensen after their first meet of the season. The Majettes started their season on Aug. 26th in Williston against six area teams.

“We had some girls (at this meet) qualify for state right out of the gate,” Jensen said. “It’s such a good feeling to have the pressure of qualifying out of the way.”

MHS finished second as a team at the meet.

As for the events of this first meet, Jensen said the freestyle relays really impressed her. In the 200-yard freestyle relay, where each athlete swims 50 yards, the Minot High “A” team scored first with a time of 1 minute, 45.10 seconds. Athletes in this relay include Hannah Zaderaka (26.13), Bella Brooks (26.75), Emily Brugman (26.27) and anchored by Rylie Webb (25.95).

In the 400-yard freestyle relay, where each athlete swims 100 yards, the “A” team placed second with a time of 3:47.38. Athletes in this relay include Zaderaka (57.80), Payton Luzardo (57.84), Brugman (56.63) and anchored by Webb (55.11).

Other events where the Majettes excelled include the 200-yard freestyle: Zaderaka placed second; 200-yard individual medley: Webb placed second, Brugman placed third and Jordn Wolsky placed fourth; 1 meter diving: Adisynn Widdel placed first; 100 yard butterfly: Wolsky placed third; 100 yard freestyle: Zaderaka placed second and Brugman placed third; and the 500-yard freestyle: Webb placed first.

Jensen thought this first meet really proved to some of their younger kids that they have more potential than they realized.

Their second meet of the season took place at home against Bismarck Legacy High School on Aug. 31. The Majettes defeated LHS 121 points to 62 points.

“Our new divers are getting more dives and we are chugging right along,” said Jensen about this first home meet.

The team then traveled to Mandan for another head-to-head meet against Mandan High School on Sept. 8. Minot High School dominated this meet, taking first in every event except diving.

Divers Olivia Schoffstall and Adisynn Widdel were close behind first place at second and third.

The team’s most recent meet on Saturday in Bismarck revealed almost all 17 teams in the state.

“It was good for our kids to see some of those east teams, “ said Jensen. She also said that they had a few more individual swim events qualified for state.

Between the first meet of the year and this last meet, the 200-yard medley relay was able to drop their time by about 7 seconds to 1:58.89, placing them in the middle of the pack for the meet.Jensen said the coaching staff is still playing around with events, so these times will continue to fluctuate.

The diving squad got a chance to compete at what would be the state level.

“This (meet) was the first opportunity for our divers to do 11 dives,” Jensen said. Widdel placed fourth with a score of 345.05 and Schoffstall placed eleventh with a score of 275.50. Both of their scores qualified the athletes for state according to Jensen.

“We tried some new things (at this meet) and had a top-three finish in each event except two,” said Jensen. In those other two events, the team had top eight finishes. In the past, the team has had gaps in their events, which Jensen says the coaching staff it trying to fill some of them.

“It’s a good confidence booster for the kids to see that they could race some of the other, faster kids and be right in the mix of it” Jensen said about last weekend.

Jensen says this group of athletes are incredible with each other. “They cheer for one another, they care about each other and they are honestly invested in each other’s success,” she said. “It is the smallest team we’ve ever had, but they are a mighty group.”

Jensen says they are going to be switching up more of the relays this weekend to see where they match up against the eastern region.

The Majettes swimming and diving team is back in action at 4 p.m. Friday in Grand Forks. “We are excited for (this) weekend, where we will see more east teams,” Jensen said.