No one will know the outcome until the final results are calculated Thursday night, but Doug Davis has a feeling his Northfield girls' swimming and diving team will be in the mix for a top-three finish at the Class 1A True Team state swimming and diving meet.
"Our team has been swimming very well all year," Davis said of the Raiders, who are ranked No. 5 in Class 1A. "I'm pleased with where we're at, and I'm encouraged to see how we'll do up there. It's like we haven't skipped a beat from last year. I'm looking forward to it."
The meet, which begins at 7 p.m. at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center, features the eight section champions plus four wild cards. The loaded field includes the top eight teams from this week's state poll.
Northfield's forte is its depth, which at a meet like this is the key.
The True Team meet, sponsored by the coaches association, was established in 2004. In it, every participant scores for her respective team. Individual point totals decrease by one every slot down.
It means a fraction of a second can mean the difference between fourth and eighth place, so any upset is big.
"I enjoy the idea that a meet of this nature gives it a championship feel," Davis said. "You can really evaluate or show off that way. If you have a team with a lot of special athletes who can really swim and dive well, you get the chance to shine. It gets the kids fired up, and that's a bonus."
Northfield should pick up big points diving. Bailey Dupay has the top score this season in Class 1A in both the six- and 11-dive competition.
