A season after Minnewaska/MACA Gators were represented in five events at the Class A State Meet, the Gators are looking to build off that success in the upcoming 2025 season.
The Gators are coming off a season in 2024 where they finished with a 6-2 record in dual meets. At the end of the season, they finished third in the West Central Conference and fifth in the Section 8A.
Minnewaska/MACA also competed in the True Team event and finished in fifth as a team.
Individually, the Gators advanced to the state championships in five events: Ella Roering and Clare Barnstuble in diving competition; the 200 medley team of Becca Femrite, Lyla Stadtherr, Mesa Kittelson and Melena Longtin; Stadtherr in the 100 breaststroke and 50 freestyle; Longtin competed in the 100 freestyle.
Throughout the season, the Gators broke multiple school records. Roering set a new Minnewaska record for both the six dive and 11 dive competition. Barnstuble set the same diving records for MACA. Stadtherr broke her own Minnewaska record in the 100 Breaststroke. The state 200 medley relay team broke the Gator team record at the state meet.
This year’s roster will have to replace six seniors from the 2024 team with Melena Longtime and Becca Femrite from Minnesota Area and Sarah Dougherty, Vylet Frank, Isabel Guerra and Amy Varga graduating from Morris Area.
Many athletes return to the team this year with varsity experience. Barnatuble, Roering, Stadtherr and Kittelson all return after competing at state last season. Other key returning athletes include: freshman Sydney Gibson; and eighth-grader Ivy Christians a year after making sections as a seventh-grader. There are also seven new seventh-graders and a new sophomore on the roster. “There are many other Gators who have been working very hard this off-season who will do great things this year,” head coach Sam Oelien said.
Oelien enters her fifth season with the Gators and her fourth season at the helm as head coach. She is joined by diving coach Kathy Walker and assistant coaches Summer Rydell, Shannon Dougherty and Jakob Linscheid to round out the coaching staff.
The Gators will remain in the West Central Conference and Section 8A for the 2025 season and battle the top teams like Melrose, Sauk Centre, Park Rapids and Detroit Lakes. Alexandra was moved to Class AA, leaving an opening for the Gators. “The Gators are in for a good season, we expect to see the younger swimmers and divers step up and take a bigger role this season,” coach Oelien said.
The Gators started their season with an invitational in Willmar Aug. 22. They open their home season against Montevideo on Thursday, Aug. 28.
2025 Gators Swimming and Diving Roster
Athlete Grade
Clare Barnstuble 12
Jullian Schott 12
Lyla Stadtherr 12
Sophie Recker 12
Ella Roering 12
Phemie Oeltjen 12
Mesa Kittelson 12
Berdine Kleindl 11
Maria Heidelberger 11
Abbigail Peterson 11
Mari DeVries 10
Alejandra Garcia Bernabe 10
Aranza Guerrero Lara 10
Yavonne VanHorn 10
Shelby Hoberg 10
Addisen Johnson 10
Sadie Daniels 10
Hayden Fadness 10
Raelyn Williams 10
Emma Jimenez Gonzalez 10
Cierra Stefanek 9
Sydney Gibson 9
Lizeth Vazquez Carmona 9
Adelyn Ferrian 9
Lilie Tonak 9
Emily Nelson 9
Tenley Steinhofer 9
Claire Zenk 9
Salome Correa Santa 9
Dorothy Redden 8
Ivy Christians 8
Grace Lhotka 8
Zareni Cano Nieto 8
Olivia Erickson 8
Lillie Rogers 8
Zoe Krosch 7
Haley Aaberg 7
Lucy Recker 7
Natalie Heidelberger 7
Avery Greene 7
Luvia Taffe 7
Bianca Steinhofer 7
