Paced by record-setting junior Abbie Dolan, Visitation put itself in a strong position Thursday for a second consecutive Class 1A girls swimming and diving state championships at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center.
The Blazers advanced 12 swimmers and all three relay teams to Friday's finals.
Dolan, the defending champion in the 100-yard freestyle, set an all-time state meet record in the event. She also swam the anchor leg on Visitation's 200 freestyle relay, which set a Class 1A meet record.
Dolan's 100 freestyle time of 49.66 seconds broke her own Class 1A record set last year and the state all-time record of 49.78, set in 2008 by Stillwater's Hannah Bowen. In the 200 freestyle relay, Dolan, Emily Conners, Lorelei Gaertner and Katrina Schneeman finished in 1:36.00.
Dolan also advanced to the 200 IM finals — with the second-fastest time — and swam a leg on the Blazers' 400 freestyle relay, which had the top time in the preliminaries.
"We had a lot of good swims today," Visitation coach Nate Linscheid said. "All of the kids work hard and feed off our top girls."
Horejsi sets another record
Albert Lea junior Lindsey Horejsi set one record and just missed a second in the Class 1A preliminaries.
Horejsi, the defending champion in the 200 IM and the 100 breaststroke, broke her own record in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 59.61.