As a young teenager in 2020, Ella Schmiesing got her first taste of varsity swimming.
Now a Tri-City United (TCU) senior, she will be making her last appearance in a pool as a Titan at the Class A State Swimming and Diving Meet Friday, Nov. 14 at 10:30 a.m. and Saturday, Nov. 15 at Noon at the Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center at the University of Minnesota.
Preliminaries will be held Friday and finals on Saturday.
This will be Schmiesings’ fifth State Tournament appearance after winning two Section 1A Championships last weekend.
She won the 50-yard freestyle in 23.85 and the 100-yard freestyle in 52.51. In her 50-yard race she finished well ahead of runner-up Camryn Schuh of Mankato East who was timed in 25.34. In her 100-yard win, she defeated Mankato West sophomore Jordan Woodford who finished in 54.03.
Schmiesing has now won eight Section 1A Championships in the past five years, four in the 100-yard freestyle, three in the 50-yard freestyle, and one in the 100-yard breaststroke.
Now Schmiesing will set her sights on another State Meet, a place she has earned six top eight finishes. The only year she did not advance was in 2020 as a seventh grader when COVID shut down the state event.
Schmiesing has the top qualifying time in the 50-yard freestyle (23.85), an event she placed 3rd in 2024, 7th in 2023, and 8th in 2021 at State.
Seven swimmers who finished in the top 14 in this event in 2024 are making a return trip. Delano senior Kaia Georges has the second best qualifying time (24.02). She placed 9th a year ago. Top returner is St. Paul Como Park senior Aleia Lueck who returns after placing 4th in 2024. Her qualifying time is 5th best (24.17).
Less than 1.5 seconds separates the 18 girls who advanced in the 50-yard freestyle.
Schmiesing has the second best qualifying time in the 100-yard freestyle (52.51), trailing only St. Cloud Apollo senior Izzy Westling (51.81). Schmiesing placed 2nd in 2024, seventh in 2023, 15th in 2022, and 10th in 2021 in this event. Westling was 3rd a year ago and she returns along with 12 others who finished in the top 22 in 2024.
There are 22 swimmers entered in this event and their qualifying times range from 51.81 to 55.39.