Century multi-sport athlete will swim in 4 events at the state meet

Feb. 29—ROCHESTER — Century junior Owen Kelly has a goal of playing college baseball one day. But he's a pretty good swimmer, too.

Kelly made a big impact on the Century baseball team in the spring of 2023 as a sophomore. And during the last two years with the Century swimming and diving team, he has made a big splash in the pool.

The 17-year-old Kelly is part of a large contingent from Century who will be competing in the Class 2A state swimming and diving meet this Thursday-Saturday at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center.

Century has state qualifiers in nine of the 12 events. The Class 2A sessions begin at 6 p.m. each day with the diving preliminary round and semifinals on Thursday, the swimming prelims on Friday and the championship swimming and diving finals on Friday. The Class 1A sessions begin at noon each day.

"They're not done yet, they're not fully tapered," Century coach Linda Freeman said of her squad.

Kelly is one of two Century swimmers who will be competing in four events at state. Like sophomore Grady Bargfrede, he will be swimming in two individual events and two relay events.

Kelly was born in Rochester but moved to a couple of locations before the family settled back in Minnesota. When he moved to Florida, he started to enjoy playing baseball. Then when the family moved to Kansas, he took up swimming because his sister was competing in the sport.

"When we moved back to Rochester, I did both, club swimming and baseball," Kelly said. "Then I was going to focus on baseball primarily, but I knew a bunch of kids on the (swimming and diving) team from club previously, so I decided to give it a shot and it's been fun."

Kelly was part of a Century All-State relay a year ago. This year he has earned individual state berths in the 50 and 100 freestyle sprint events as well as qualifying as part of the 200 and 400 freestyle relays.

"He's an awesome baseball player," Freeman said. "He's a bit of a unicorn, he doesn't swim all year around."

"It's fun doing a different sport and with a different group of kids," Kelly said. "Just changing it around."

Kelly said his baseball training has helped him become a better swimmer as it has increased his strength. It did take him some time to build up his speed at the start of the season, however.

"It starts off a little shaky, endurance wise, but as the season goes on, I feel less strain," he said.

Kelly said the 200 freestyle relay is his favorite event. He will team with Andrew Linden, Eli Holmes and Nate Kram in that event at state. Holmes, Bargfrede, Linden and Kelly make up the 400 freestyle relay.

Century's state-qualifying 200 medley relay features Bargfrede, Kram, Joe Vesterby and William Truskowski.

Linden is also a state qualifier in the 100 backstroke.

"I think we're all going to do better at state," Linden said.

Bargfrede has qualified individually in the 100 breaststroke and the 200 individual medley.

"My goal is to place in the top eight of my individual events," Bargfrede said.

Century freshman diver Silas Wagstaff will be making his second straight appearance at the state meet. He has high hopes of improving on his 16th-place finish from a year ago.

Kelly is confident that the Century swimmers will be able to record better times than they did at the section meet.

"I think we have a little bit left in the tank to go (faster)," he said. "She (Linda Freeman) always saves a little bit for state."

ROCHESTER STATE QUALIFIERS

(Includes section finish and time)

200 medley relay — 2. Century (Joe Vesterby, Grady Bargfrede, William Truskowski, Nate Kram) 1:38.23.

200 IM — 4. Grady Bargfrede (Century) 1:56.44.

50 freestyle — 2. Owen Kelly (Century) 22.13.

Diving — 3. Silas Wagstaff (Century) 355.15.

100 freestyle — 2. Owen Kelly (Century) 48.39.

200 freestyle relay — 1. Century (Eli Holmes, Owen Kelly, Nate Kram, Andrew Linden) 1:26.96.

100 backstroke — 2. Andrew Linden (Century) 55.15.

100 breaststroke — 3. Grady Bargfrede (Century) 58.02.

400 freestyle relay — 1. Century (Eli Holmes, Grady Bargfrede, Andrew Linden, Owen Kelly) 3:14.00.

AUSTIN, RED WING, WINONA STATE QUALIFIERS

(Includes section finish and time)

200 medley relay — 3. Austin (Brent Dahl, Hunter Peters, Lucas Myers, Zach Evenson) 1:41.63.

200 freestyle — 3. Cordel Ruppert (Winona) 1:53.08.

200 IM — 1. Brent Dahl (Austin) 1:56.52.

50 freestyle — 2. Zach Evenson (Austin) 22.52.

Diving — 1. Zachary Mikkelson (RW) 472.20, 2. Laden Nelson (RW) 373.70.

100 butterfly — 3. Ethan Ihrke (RW) 54.27.

100 freestyle — 2. Zach Evenson (Austin) 49.38.

500 freestyle — 1. Brent Dahl (Austin) 4:47.48, 2. Cordel Ruppert (Winona) 5:07.29.

200 freestyle relay — 3. Red Wing (Ezra Dennis, Gavin Magill, Elijah Flattum, Ethan Ihrke) 1:33.21.

100 breaststroke — 3. Matthew Baumgartner (Winona) 1:03.37.

400 freestyle relay — 3. Austin (Zach Evenson, Lucas Myers, Hunter Peters, Brent Dahl) 3:23.66.