WILLISTON – “We had one heck of a meet!” said Minot High head coach Emily Jensen. “We simply could not have done it without every single point scored. A three point swim meet is tight! It came down to the last relay, where we had to win. Our girls stepped up like no other.”

That last relay team of Emily Dunstan, Sophia VonBokern, Bostyn Edwards and Sam VanBokern posted a 3:43.82 in the 400-yard freestyle to take first place over Bismarck Legacy at 3:44.24 in the race and the 386 team win for the Western Dakota Association (WDA) team title over Bismarck Century at 383 in second place.

Majettes junior Sam VonBokern posted winning points in the 200 freestyle with a 1:56.34 and 58.33 in the 100 butterfly for first place in each event was critical for the team.

Senior Haley Conklin added her dominant first place finish in the 1-meter diving event with a 500.50 final score. Second place in the event also went to Majettes sophomore Gracyn Bergan at 392.70 for additional Minot High team points.

“Samantha was a double winner and that is always a huge feat at a championship meet,” said Jensen. “Haley breaking the record and being named WDA athlete is amazing. It has been a significant number of years since a diver has been awarded that.”

Sophomore Dunstan posted a second place in the 50 freestyle at 25.09 behind the top time of 24.51 as well as a second place in the 100 freestyle with a 55.34 compared to the 55.04 first place finish.

Senior Haili Metzger posted a 1:12.75 time for third place in the 100 breaststroke to add to the team total. The Minot High team of Edwards, Dunstan, Hailee Valdez and Sam V. claimed third place in the 200 freestyle relay with a 1:44.46 mark and additional team points.

“It really showed them how tough they could be,” said Jensen. “There were so many great moments it is hard to pinpoint specific athletes, because they truly all made an impact today.”

The final relay race had to be won for the WDA title due to the competitive nature of the WDA teams.

“Chloe Kraft, Greer Schaeffer, Ellia Gemar, and Ella Johnson all added to our state qualifiers,” said Jensen. “It’s a total puzzle the next couple days deciding where some athletes should swim. We really don’t want to put athletes in the events that will clearly score points for them, but moving one athlete sometimes upsets the whole Apple cart. It’s a gamble with what other teams are going to do too. You just hope that your kids trust the plan, and that they believe in the process and the previous 12-weeks of work that they put in.”

The 2024 North Dakota High School Activities Association (NDHSAA) Girls Swimming and Diving State Meet will be held November 15-16 at the Hulbert Aquatic Center located in West Fargo.

WDA Girls Swim & Dive Team Scores

1. Minot High, 386

2. Century, 383

3. Legacy, 297

4. Williston, 285

5. Dickinson, 254

6. Mandan, 222

7. Bismarck High, 154

8. Jamestown, 122;