Faribault's depth and specialty strokes scored the host Falcons a 96-88 Big Nine Conference girls' swimming victory over Austin Thursday night.

The loss dipped the Packers to 1-2 overall and 1-1 in the Big Nine with nothing on the schedule until next Thursday. Austin travels to Mankato East for their second of three consecutive road meets.

Faribault, the defending Big Nine champion and the fifth-placed Class AA state team, continued its recent dominance of the conference by cinching the win with one event to spare.

"We all came into this knowing we would have to swim hard to come out on top," said Austin sophomore Stacy Bjorlie. "They gave some great competition and we put our best foot forward. We have a great team this year and I see a lot of people stepping up."

Sophomore Briana Walsh has continued to fill in for an injured senior in Meghan Walsh. Briana Walsh has picked up some scoring slack lost in a shoulder injury, scoring fourth place or better in all four events she swam in Thursday night.

Bjorlie accounted for two of Austin's three individual swimming victories, winning the 200 and 400 freestyle races. She also anchored for the 400 freestyle relay team that took the meet's final event.

Danielle Chapek, a junior, won the diving competition with one of her lower combined scores this season. Senior Jori Baldus picked up two points for fourth.

Junior sprinter Lauren Goettsch was second place in both the 50 and 100 freestyle, and freshman Lindsay Lukes trailed only Bjorlie in the 200 freestyle.

The Packers complete their road-trip Sept. 9 at Charles City, Iowa, in a double-dual including Decorah.

Results:

(Winners and Austin placewinners)

200 medley relay -- 1. Faribault 1:58.92, 3. Austin (Briana Walsh, Nicole Novak, Cassie Srock, Amanda Martin) 2:06.36; 200 freestyle -- 1. Stacy Bjorlie (A) 2:05.07, 2. Lindsay Lukes (A) 2:05.64, 4. Chrissy Srock (A) 2:10.66; 200 individual medley -- 1. Katie Buhr (F) 2:30.44; 50 freestyle -- 1. Brenda Peters (F) 25.83, 2. Lauren Goettsch (A) 25.93, 4. Martin (A) 27.36.

Diving -- 1. Danielle Chapek (A) 188.55, 4. Jori Baldus (A) 141.25; 100 butterfly -- 1. Novak (A) 1:06.58, 5. Ca.Srock (A) 1:12.56; 100 freestyle -- 1. Brenda Peters (F) 56.28, 2. Goettsch (A) 56.74, 4. Martin (A) 59.57; 500 freestyle -- 1. Bjorlie (A) 5:40.56, 2. Lukes (A) 5:44.20, 4. Ch.Srock (A) 5:58.17.

200 freestyle relay -- 1. Austin (Goettsch, Martin, Lukes, Bjorlie) 1:45.11, 3. Austin (Jennifer Snyder, Amy VanProosdy, Srock, Srock) 1:56.40; 100 backstroke -- Laura Henry (F) 1:08.65, 3. Walsh (A) 1:11.00, 4. Davis (A) 1:12.42, 5. Kali Temperly (A) 1:15.39; 100 breaststroke -- 1. Dani Matzke (F) 1:13.59, 3. Ca.Srock (A) 1:19.24, 5. VanProosdy (A) 1:26.92; 400 freestyle relay -- 1. Austin (Goettsch, Ch.Srock, Lukes, Bjorlie) 3:51.21.