By Bruce Karnick

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Section meets are often the last meets for the majority of swimmers and divers each year. Section meets can see as many as 32 of the top swimmers in the section compete for the top two spots to make the trip to state for each event and the top four divers. Each race has a state qualifying time, so in some cases, not only do the top two swimmers for each race make it, but additional swimmers can make the cut if they beat a predetermined time.

For Hastings, Senior Philip Jensen won the section 3AA title in the 100 Backstroke with a time of 51.91 and also qualified in the 100 butterfly with a time of 51.81.

Freshman Charlie Jensen placed fourth in diving with a score of 259.65. Charlie finished behind Rosemount’s Lucas Gerten with 466.75, Owen Kipp from Eagan at 386.70 and Will Carrigan from Rosemount with a 275.45.

Both boys will travel to the U of M pool in Minneapolis for the state competition. Diving prelims for Charlie are on Thursday evening and swimming prelims are Friday evening for Philip. The finals, should they make it, are Saturday evening. All three days the meets are scheduled to start at 6 p.m. at the Jean K Freeman Aquatic Center at the University of Minnesota.

Editorial note: The closest parking ramp is at 501 SE Washington Ave, Minneapolis. The better entrance for the ramp is via the west side. To get there you need to take Beacon Street to Union Street. The confusing part for me last year was walking out of the ramp and not keeping my bearings straight. You want to make your way to the northeast corner of SE Harvard and Beacon Street SE. At that intersection, you will find the south entrance to the pool just off Harvard. We’ll have some screen shots from Google maps on the Journal’s Facebook page to help guide you there more quickly. It is best if you arrive no later than 5:30 p.m. to your parking spot.