State girls swimming: EP takes two firsts at prelims

Eden Prairie had a fast start to the Class 2A state girls swim preliminaries on Friday at the University of Minnesota.

EP scored a victory in the first event, swimming the 200 medley relay in 1:48.56 - an automatic All-American time.

Eagle sophomore Meghan Cummings also turned in an All-American time in the 100 butterfly with 55.32 to finish quickest among prelims swimmers.

Cummings swam to fourth place in the 50 freestyle sprint in All-American consideration time of 23.88. Stillwater junior Hannhah Bowen won the prelims with 22.74 - just a hundredth of a second off her state-record time from last season.


Photo: EP junior Katie Bootsma in the 200 IM.

Junior swimmer Katie Bootsma finished fourth in the 100 backstroke with 57.04 - a third All-American time by the Eagles. Bootsma, a junior, will swim in the finals heat on Saturday.

Bootsma also took seventh place in the 200 individual medley with 2:09.38.

Senior Jess Padniewski swam to sixth in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:07.11 to reserve a finals spot.

Padniewski also finished 22nd in the 200 individual medley in 2:14.27.


Photo: Kira Zubar swims the 200 freestyle prelim.

Eagle eighth-grader Kira Zubar made the consolation finals in the 500 freestyle with an 11th-place finish of 5:10.32.

EP freshman Ellie Suek took 16th in the 500 free in 5:13.75 to join her teammate in the consolation finals.

Zubar also finished 22nd in the 200 freestyle with 1:57.96.

The Eagles were just left out of a Saturday swim in the 200 freestyle relay, finishing 19th in 1:42.01.

EP capped the meet with an 11th-place finish in the 400 freestyle relay, swimming 3:38.30.

The Class 2A finals begin at 6 p.m. on Saturday, back at the U of M.