Despite trailing only once, the Park Rapids boys swimming and diving team had to win the final event to defeat Melrose/Sauk Centre 94-92 in a dual meet at Melrose Tuesday night.
The Panthers held an 82-74 lead with two events to go before MSC went 1-2 in the 100-yard breaststroke to rally for an 86-86 tie. Matthew Benson, Zach Behrens, Thomas Williams and Marcus Benson won the 400 freestyle relay in 3:37.31 to give the Panthers the win.
"Melrose is a really good team and I was a little worried we couldn't race after being off for three weeks," said Park Rapids head coach Todd Fritze. "Our guys swam extremely well and did some great racing. It can't get much closer."
This dual was close throughout as the Panthers won the first two event to take the early lead. Marcus Benson, Spencer Fritze, Behrens and Zach Fritze led off by winning the 200 medley relay in 1:48.66 and Matthew Benson followed with a winning time of 1:57.07 in the 200 freestyle to give Park Rapids a 17-13 edge.
Behrens (in 2:14.83) and Marcus Benson (in 2:18.28) went 2-3 in the 200 individual medley as the Panthers maintained a 24-22 lead, but MSC took a 33-29 advantage by going 1-3-4 in the 50 freestyle. Spencer Fritze clocked a runner-up 24.94 in that race.
Spencer Fritze took first in diving with 242.35 points and Seth Breitweser was second with 177.25 points as the Panthers tied the meet at 39-39 before taking a 50-44 lead behind a 1-2 showing by Behrens (58.93) and Marcus Benson (1:02.55) in the 100 butterfly.
Spencer Fritze took first in 53.60 and Williams was third in 54.79 in the 100 freestyle as Park Rapids' lead increased to 59-51. The Panthers maintained a 64-62 advantage behind Matthew Benson's runner-up time of 5:24.74 in the 500 freestyle.
A winning time of 1:38.29 by Spencer Fritze, Breitweser, Zach Fritze and Matthew Benson in the 200 freestyle relay and a 1-2 effort by Williams (1:02.44) and Casimir Simonson (1:04.22) in the 100 backstroke pushed Park Rapids' lead to 82-74.
After MSC rallied for the tie, the Panthers won the final event to prevail.
"It was a great battle. There were a lot of really close races," said Fritze, whose team improved to 3-0 in dual meets. "We had some good time drops and had a lot of season-best times. Our guys did a great job. It was a great meet."
Park Rapids 94, Melrose/Sauk Centre 92
200 medley relay: 1, Park Rapids (Mar. Benson, S. Fritze, Behrens, Z. Fritze), 1:48.66. 2, MSC, 1:50.46. 3, Park Rapids (Simonson, Breitweser, Huot, Williams), 1:56.32.
200 freestyle: 1, Mat. Benson, PR, 1:57.07. 2, Van Beck, MSC, 1:57.19. 3, Gerads, MSC, 2:01.82. 4, Heinen, MSC, 2:02.19. 5, Nichols, PR, 2:32.09. 6, I. Zinniel, PR, 2:38.36.
200 individual medley: 1, Fleischhacker, MSC, 2:11.05. 2, Behrens, PR, 2:14.83. 3, Mar. Benson, PR, 2:18.28. 4, Borgerding, MSC, 2:26.29. 5, P. Pundsack, MSC, 2:26.69. 6, J. Zinniel, PR, 3:05.45.
50 freestyle: 1, Welberg, MSC, 24.74. 2, Z. Fritze, PR, 24.94. 3, Douvier, MSC, 25.08. 4, Pitschka, MSC, 25.12. 5, Simonson, PR, 25.63. 6, Cempa, PR, 33.12.
Diving: 1, S. Fritze, PR, 242.35 points. 2, Breitweser, PR, 177.25. 3, Heller, MSC, 166.30. 4, Braun, MSC, 150.75. 5, Budde, MSC, 136.30. 6, Cempa, PR, 114.40.
100 butterfly: 1, Behrens, PR, 58.93. 2, Mar. Benson, PR, 1:02.55. 3, Borgerding, MSC, 1:02.94. 4, J. Pundsack, MSC, 1:08.77. 5, Huot, PR, 1:09.63.
100 freestyle: 1, S. Fritze, PR, 53.60. 2, Douvier, MSC, 54.77. 3, Williams, PR, 54.79. 4, Gerads, MSC, 55.14. 5, Hooper, MSC, 57.24. 6, Z. Fritze, PR, 57.32.
500 freestyle: 1, Van Beck, MSC, 5:16.69. 2, Mat. Benson, PR, 5:24.74. 3, Heinen, MSC, 5:32.60. 4, Gruber, MSC, 5:47.80. 5, Nichols, PR, 6:57.94. 6, Runyan, PR, 7:03.83.
200 freestyle relay: 1, Park Rapids (S. Fritze, Breitweser, Z. Fritze, Mat. Benson), 1:38.29. 2, MSC, 1:38.33. 3, MSC, 1:41.78. 5, Park Rapids (Huot, J. Zinniel, Cempa, Nichols), 2:04.19.
100 backstroke: 1, Williams, PR, 1:02.44. 2, Simonson, PR, 1:04.22. 3, P. Pundsack, MSC, 1:05.01. 4, J. Pundsack, MSC, 1:07.31. 5, Finken, MSC, 1:10.62. 6, I. Zinniel, PR, 1:20.76.
100 breaststroke: 1, Fleischhacker, MSC, 1;04.71. 2, Welberg, MSC, 1:11.48. 3, Breitweser, PR, 1:13.39. 4, Olmschenk, MSC, 1:14.32. 5, Runyan, PR, 1:36.70. 6, J. Zinniel, PR, 1:38.67.
400 freestyle relay: 1, Park Rapids (Mat. Benson, Behrens, Williams, Mar. Benson), 3:37.31. 2, MSC, 3:38.49. 3, MSC, 3:52.67. 4, Park Rapids (Huot, Nichols, I. Zinniel, Simonson), 4:23.42.