The Forest Lake synchronized swimming team has won four of its five meets prior to facing off with the Stillwater Ponies on Tuesday, May 7, where the Rangers fell 33-14 at home.
The girls performed at the Forest Lake Area Education Center with one thing set in the back of their minds: hitting their routines in their final regular season meet before the upcoming Section 1A tournament, which will be held on Friday, May 17, at the Edina Community Center for a figures battle, and on Saturday, May 18, at Richfield High School for routines.
The girls sought revenge against the Ponies on May 7, as the Rangers had dropped its first and only meet of the year at the time to the powerhouse program in Stillwater back in early April, where Forest Lake fell 20-9.
“We know it’s going to be a tougher one for us – Stillwater is just very talented. But we’re excited and it should be a fun one,” head coach Laura Davison said, prior to the meet’s start.
The tempo would change this time around in favor of the Rangers, but Stillwater would also improve from the previous matchup, setting both the tone and pace of the meet, resulting in the 19-point Forest Lake loss and its second on the year.
In the solos category, two Rangers placed second and third overall: Captain Grace Chatwin earned a score of 77.98, while another captain in Alex Ready took home a 71.60. Chatwin, who recently committed and signed with the University of Minnesota’s synchronized swim team for the fall of 2024, was just under 3 points away from the first-place spot (80.920), which was evidently occupied by Stillwater.
Teaming up for some duet-action, Chatwin and Hailey Johnson would take second-place with a 77.78 and gathered 4 points for the Rangers, before Hannah Dunaway and Destiny Schauer, who’s a third captain for Forest Lake, placed fourth on a final score of 67.92.
In trios, Stillwater would yet again accompany the top spot in the routines, allowing for Brynn Brady, Hailey Johnson and Alex Ready to place second (70.460). In the final frame of the meet, both squads put together a team and performed group routines. Seven Ranger athletes in Brady, Chatwin, Dunaway, Johnson, Nova Kroshel, Ready and Schauer, earned a team score of 77.510 – just over 6 points behind the heptad of Ponies (83.860).
Following the completion of the final home and regular season meet of the campaign, the Rangers now prepare to gear up for some Section 1A competition this weekend. The girls ultimately placed second a season ago in the 2023 East Section Meet, paving the way for the team to place third overall in the Class A state meet, where Forest Lake saw a wide variety of athletes earn state placements.
The Rangers aim to repeat the same levels of success they’ve had in previous years – and the current roster looks to get the job done.
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