One is the loneliest number, but the Austin girls' swimming and diving team wouldn't mind giving Red Wing some company.

The Wingers are two-time defending Class A state champions and were ranked No. 1 in the final coaches' poll. Austin, who has finished second to Red Wing in the Section 1A meet each of the last two seasons, is No. 3.

The Packers hope to narrow that gap even more.

Austin hosts the 10-team Section 1 meet starting with the preliminaries tonight at 6 p.m. at the Ellis Middle School pool. The finals are Friday at 6 p.m., with the top 16 qualifiers from each event scoring points for their team.

Only the top eight individuals have the chance to advance to state. The top two placers in each event earn an automatic berth, while others can still advance by finishing inside a time standard. The state meet is Nov. 14-16 at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center in Minneapolis.

The Packers bring back eight state qualifiers from last year's fifth-place team. Austin advanced 10 swimmers and divers to state in 11 of 12 events, with Lisa Champlin and Tristen Kusterer graduating from the 200 freestyle relay team that placed ninth.

Senior leaders

Meghan Walsh and Amanda Martin are the only two seniors returning as state qualifiers. Walsh was seventh in the 100 butterfly, eighth in the 200 medley relay, and ninth in the 200 individual medley at state last year. Martin was on the all-state 400 freestyle relay team that placed third, she was 14th in the 100 freestyle and a member of the 200 free relay that took ninth.

Martin was on the 200 free relay team that set the school record at the Big Nine Conference meet Oct. 26 at the Rochester Recreation Center, and she feels that platform will be something to build off for the section meet.

"All of us swam the best we've swam all season," Martin said of the Big Nine meet as a whole. "That gives us a good attitude going towards sections. Red Wing will give us somebody to compete against."

In the Big Nine meet, Austin was shooting for rival Faribault and fell just short. Tonight and Friday, the Packers take aim at Red Wing.

"If we could beat them, that would be awesome," Martin said. "We just need to go in with a positive outlook rather than being scared.

"We don't really talk about beating anyone, we talk about doing our best. Red Wing's strong and they have a lot of talent, and they really didn't lose any people."

The Wingers won the state meet by 20 points over Hutchinson, with Northfield -- a Section 1A team -- filing into third. Northfield was third to Austin in last year's sections.

Walsh, who like Martin qualified in three events last year, hopes to propel the Packers into the pool with a strong start in the 200 medley relay. Walsh swims the butterfly leg, with Beth Goskesen opening in the backstroke, Cassie Srock swimming the breaststroke, and Lauren Goettsch anchoring with the freestyle.

"If we see the first event swim really well, that kind of sets the tone for everyone else," Walsh said. "That's why I feel pressure, to set a good tone for the rest of the team.

"At Big Nine we had a good medley, and that kind of gives us confidence going into the sections. It's good to get the meet going."

Faster finish

Austin led the Section meet until the ninth event last season, when Red Wing's record-setting performance in the 200 freestyle relay surged the Wingers into first. The Packers still had a chance to win the team title until Red Wing broke Austin's two-day-old record in the 400 free relay to end the meet.

"Red Wing is always strong and I think we have a better chance this year," Walsh said. "With this year we kind of realized all the potential. Last year not everybody really believed how capable and powerful we are."

After placing ninth as a team in 2000, Austin went back to state and improved to fifth. The Packers hope to continue that curve towards the top spot in Class A.

"I'm really excited and pumped to see what we can really do," sophomore Stacy Bjorlie said. Bjorlie opened the record-setting 200 freestyle relay with a school-record split in the 50 freestyle. She hopes the team can maintain the same level for Red Wing after giving Faribault a race at the Big Nine meet.

"To know we can be that close to a Class AA team that's top ranked builds confidence going into the section meet," Bjorlie said. "Red Wing is really competitive, but we want to beat them so bad."

Leg up

Junior Danielle Chapek gives Austin a leg up in the diving competition because the Wingers are young and struggling to gain ground. Chapek placed sixth at state last year after finishing second to Mankato East's Holly Schlingman at Sections.

"It's just who has the better day," Chapek said of her head-to-head rivalry with Schlingman. "We'll just do our best dives, try not to add anything new, we want to be consistent."

Chapek had a rough day at practice Monday scraping the board three times, but she said her anger management comes with performing better her next time out.

Goettsch, a junior is a four-event qualifier back from last year, and Bjorlie made her way to state in four races also. Freshman Lindsay Lukes qualified for three events, Goskesen was in two, and Chrissy Srock advanced in one.

Call Ross Thede at 434-2234 or e-mail him at :mailto:sports@austindailyherald.com.