Submitted Photo The Minot High girls swimming and diving team closed out the season with a sixth-place finish at the state meet on Saturday, Nov. 15, at the Hulbert Aquatic Center in West Fargo. The Majettes sent just 12 athletes and qualified 11 individual swims following the preliminary round. Samantha VonBokern finished with a pair of runner-up finishes in the 200 freestyle and the 100 butterfly, while Gracyn Bergan placed second in the 1-meter diving event. Both were named first-team all-state. Photo provided by MHS swimming and diving.

Minot High swimming and diving coach Emily Jensen knew it was going to be a tall order to compete with the top teams in the state that were coming into the state meet at the Hulbert Aquatic Center in West Fargo with a noticeable depth advantage.

Despite sending just 12 athletes to the state meet – the smallest number since Jensen took over the program – the Minot High head coach was still hoping to finish in the top five and perhaps even crack the top three and have a couple individual state title winners in the process. Instead, the Majettes settled for a sixth-place finish and a trio of runner-up finishes in individual events. Regardless, Jensen was still proud of the effort from her team.

“We fought hard,” Jensen said. “Our kids swam well and that’s what the state meet is all about. That’s what sports are. Sometimes you have hiccups that you battle through, but for the most part we swam really well as a team and I don’t think we have anything to hang our heads about.”

Minot High compiled 167 points as a team, missing out on a top-five spot by just three points. West Fargo Horace took that fifth spot with 170 points. It’s the first time the Majettes haven’t placed inside the top five as a team after doing so every season dating back to 1974.

Bismarck Century dominated the meet, capturing its 14th state title in program history and the 10th in the last 11 years. The Patriots won the WDA Championship the weekend prior. Century didn’t claim any individual titles, but its 400-yard freestyle relay closed out the meet with a victory. Its 200 medley relay took second and its 200 freestyle relay placed third. The Patriots finished with 322 points as a team, more than 100 points clear of second-place Bismarck Legacy, which finished with 208 points.

Fargo Shanley and West Fargo Sheyenne placed third and fourth with 201 and 180 points, respectively.

“We did really well and everyone else did really well, too,” Jensen said. “Sometimes it’s hard. The kids would be excited and then they would see where their place was and then there was a little bit of disappointment because they didn’t place as high as they thought they did, but overall we have lots to be proud of this season.”

Minot High senior Samantha VonBokern finished with a pair of runner-up finishes in the 200 freestyle and the 100 butterfly. Arianna Hoff of Fargo Shanley successfully defended her 200 freestyle title with a time of 1 minutes, 53.15 seconds. VonBokern came in right behind her in 1:54.40. She was third in the event last year.

The 100 butterfly title went to Legacy’s Brinley Steele in a time of 56.64. VonBokern touched the wall at 57.46. Steele also won the individual state title in the 100 backstroke.

Junior diver Gracyn Bergan had the only other runner-up finish for the Majettes. Her and Bismarck High’s Ellie DeForest have gone back and forth all season, with Bergan winning the last battle at the WDA Championships by less than a point. But the state meet belonged to DeForest, finishing with a score of 439.80. Bergan settled for second for a second straight year with a score of 436.15.

Minot High’s only other top-eight individual finish of the meet belonged to senior Maggie Fricke in the 500 freestyle. Fricke placed sixth in 5:26.84. Sheyenne’s Isla Rogne won the event in 5:15.38.

The Majettes’ best relay finish was fourth place by their 400 freestyle team of Emily Dunstan, Kirby Quam, Sophia VonBokern and Samantha VonBokern. Their 200 freestyle relay placed fifth and their 200 medley relay placed 13th.

“Our relays probably weren’t where we hoped they would be or where they have been in the past, but other teams are competitive and we have to put together four fast swims,” Jensen said.

Steele was a two-time individual winner for the Sabers and Madeline VerDouw was a two-time individual winner for Bismarck High. VerDouw claimed titles in both the 100 breaststroke and the 200 individual medley.

Samantha VonBokern and Bergan were both named first-team all-state.

Hoff was named Senior Athlete of the Year and West Fargo’s Matt Stinar was named Coach of the Year.