Owatonna Girls Swim and Dive drew their dual meet portion of the season to an end after their nail-biting meet against the Faribault Falcons, winning 96 – 90. Head coach Isaiah Fuller said, “They have always been a great rival for us, and not just because we live right down the road.” Coach Fuller mentioned how he and Faribault head coach, Charlie Fuller, reviewed each team’s standings from previous competitions when composing their lineup. 

The two teams have been in the same conference for years, and competition between head coaches brings all the more excitement to the highly anticipated meet. Fuller said, “It’s only the third time in 30 years we have beaten them.” Every event made a difference, and every girl held her end. The 200IM was just one of the events Owatonna delivered in, with seventh-grader Kalleigh Malecha and eighth-grader Vanessa Gonzales scoring big points for the Huskies. The Falcons took first in 10 out of the 12 events, but that did not stop the Huskies from securing second, third and fourth places in many of the events. Fuller said, “Our relays really stepped it up. Faribo didn’t expect us to go that fast!” 

The team will continue toward section prelims taking place Wednesday, Nov. 6 at 6 p.m., located at the Rochester Recreation Center. Senior captain Emily Larson said, “Sections competition is very intense, but it’s a lot of fun because everyone is ready to swim their best.” The Huskies are hopeful to have two relays in the top eight and have a couple of divers on the podiums as well.