The MSHSL Girls Class A State Swim and Dive Championships stretched across three days, and the Hastings Raiders were part of the story from the first whistle to the final relay. The team came to have a good time and they walked away with a lot to be proud of, including a state champion.

“I am so proud of our girls,” beamed Head Coach Katie McAlpin. “We went into the meet not 100% sure what to expect being in a new class. Switching classes and sections were unique for us. Our section meet was harder and more difficult to get the higher places for the section meet, but the state qualifying times were a little easier than AA. With the times being a bit easier in A we were able to place higher in the state meet. I told the girls; we got moved to the hardest section in the lower class. They did great!”

The week opened on November 13 with a demanding day of diving, where all 32 competitors completed five dives before the first cut. Junior Chloe Aarness and senior Greta Larson advanced with steady, confident work. Freshman Kira Fuechtmann who has been incredible to watch all season, saw her first state appearance end at that point, but her qualification helped give Hastings three state divers in the same season, a strong sign for the program’s future.

After the cut to 20 divers, the field completed three more dives before the list was trimmed to the top 16. Both Aarness and Larson secured spots in Saturday’s finals. For Larson, the achievement meant even more. She became the first Hastings athlete ever to qualify for the state meet in both swimming and diving in the same year, a rare accomplishment that highlighted her versatility and drive.

Diving is a little goofy when it comes to scoring, it is a lesson in patience and working the long game. Dives are ranked with a degree of difficulty, so a score of 20 for two different dives can be 25 or 40 depending on the difficulty. That degree of difficulty is a point multiplier and because of that, the first round of scores had Aarness in second place. With different multipliers by the dives chosen, she did not take the lead until the end of round two, but it was clear from the start, Aarness was the one to beat this season.

The Raiders’ diving coach is Brianna Aarness, a former Raider diving record holder herself. Former, because Chloe, her daughter, finally broke her mom’s school record to replace her name on the record board at the school pool.

“I am just very pleased with the depth and talent we have here in Hastings,” said coach Aarness. “These divers work so hard every day and it was nice that we got to showcase that throughout the entire season but specifically at the section and state level. It is such a great feeling for a coach when you’re able to qualify one diver for the state meet, but to get three there is very rare. That’s a testament of the talent these girls have. The three divers did amazing at this meet. The pressure, the anxiety, the excitement is so hard to manage-and these girls did it with ease and confidence! To be able to get a student to win a state championship is so incredible; to have it be your own daughter is a very special memory that I’ll never forget. I can’t wait for next year, we are going to make some more great history!”

After the state win, the proverbial icing on the cake came with additional accolades for the mother/daughter duo. Brianna was voted as the Diving Coach of the Year in Section 4A and Chloe was voted as the Diver of the Year in Section 4A. Chloe is also nominated for Athlete of the Year in Class A, which will be decided in March.

Swim prelims on November 14 brought a mix of excitement and adversity for Hastings. Sophomore Sofia Kovalenko fought her way into the A finals of both the 200 IM and the 100 Butterfly, setting up two solid scoring chances for the team. Sophomore Emma Dehmlow opened her day in the 200 IM but was disqualified for a failed simultaneous touch, a rule that requires both hands to touch the wall at the exact same time. The news hit hard, and head coach Katie McAlpin immediately appealed to the head referee, but the call stood after review.

Dehmlow showed poise beyond her years, gathered herself, regrouped, and showed resilience in her next event, qualifying 10th in the 100 Backstroke with a controlled 1:00.01.

The 400 Freestyle Relay of Dehmlow, Larson, Lila Salzman and Kovalenko closed prelims with a strong swim to secure a lane in Saturday’s finals.

“We tried something a little different for taper this year,” explained McAlpin. “Taper practices are the last couple of weeks of the season to prepare for the final meets. It went really well. We had 98% lifetime best times at the end of the season. It's a keeper!”

When the final day arrived, Hastings delivered. Aarness controlled the diving finals from her opening dive and finished with a score of 465.40 to claim the 2025 State Championship. She won by nearly 20 points, sealing one of the most dominant performances of the meet. Larson finished 12th with a score of 330.30, capping a week in which she made program history.

In the pool, Kovalenko converted her prelim success into points, placing 4th in the 200 IM with a 2:10.20 and 8th in the 100 Butterfly at 59.09. Dehmlow closed her week with a 16th place finish in the 100 Backstroke, a strong answer to the adversity she faced the day before.

“Emma had an unfortunate DQ in the 200 IM. It was heartbreaking. She pushed through, stayed strong, and had a fantastic swim in her 100 Back and the relay. In her 100 back, she had a beautiful start and lifetime best swim,” McAlpin said.

The 400 Freestyle Relay gave Hastings one final highlight. Dehmlow, Larson, Salzman and Kovalenko touched at 3:45.48 for 12th place, securing the last points of the meet for the Raiders.

The final set of accomplishments this season were a culmination of the year’s hard work, All-State and All-State Honorable Mention. All-State earners: Arness (Diving) and Kovalenko (100 Fly/200 IM). All-State Hon Mention: Dehmlow (100 Back/400 Free Relay), Larson (Diving/400 Free Relay), Salzman (400 Free Relay), Kovalenko (400 Free Relay)

After taking some time to reflect on the week of the State meet, Coach McAlpin touched on all of her state participant’s performances, here is what she had to say for those not intertwined above.

“It is so fun to watch Sofia race! She has powerful presents in the water. Her phenomenal finish in the 200 IM earned her a lifetime best time and a 4th place finish. Sofia finished eighth in the 100 Fly. I know she was hoping for higher, but her 100 fly at sections was a highlight! Breaking a 1:00 and dropping 1.5 seconds from prelims to finals. It is very difficult to do that back-to-back weeks.”

“Lila was a key part of our 400 free relay. She is a very strong and positive part of our team. Lila was the third leg of the relay. That is the position that you need to be one of the strongest swimmers. The relay was able to move from 14th in prelims to 12th in finals.”

“Swimmer Greta as I call her. Coach Briana says I cannot steal her to be a swimmer, so she calls her diver Greta. The battle will continue. Greta was part of our 400 free relay as well. She is the first in Hastings to go to state finals in both swimming and diving! I love seeing Greta's face after she sees her times and how fast she went.”  

Hastings finished with 62 points and a 14th place team result. The week brought a state champion, a first time two discipline qualifier, breakout swims, All-State and All-State Honorable Mention accolades and a diving group that set the tone on day one. It was a complete showing and a clear sign of what the program is building toward.

McAlpin closed with this final thought, “I am very excited and looking forward to next year. None of these girls are graduating this year. We get them all back! With a year of experience in Class A under our belt, Things are looking great for next year.”

Congratulations to the Raiders Girls Swim and Dive program on an outstanding year!