Austin boys’ swimming and diving falls to Winona 92-85 at Bud Higgins Pool Thursday evening

The Austin Packers boys’ swimming and diving team opened 2022 with a Big 9 dual meet with Winona at Bud Higgins Pool at Ellis Middle School Thursday evening, and it was the visiting Winhawks coming away with a 92-85 win.

High finishers for Austin Thursday evening included their 200 medley relay team of Winston Walkup, Jackson Barry, Joey Hilikin and Matthew Grush, who took second with a time of 1:48.58, Walkup was first in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:58.60 and Lucas Meyers was second for the Packers in the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:24.75.  Matthew Grush took first for Austin in the 50 freestyle with a time of 24.54, and Riley Ferguson and Isaiah Cabeen went 1-2 for the Packers in 1 meter diving with scores of 166.45 and 134.35, respectivley.

Joey Hilikin took second in the 100 butterfly with a time of 1:02.34, and Winston Walkup was second for Austin in the 100 backstroke with a final time of 58.04.  Jackson Barry registered a first-place finish in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:11.57, and the Packers’ 400 freestyle relay teams went 1-2 as the team of Lucas Meyers, Zach Evenson, Kyle Mayer and Winston Walkup were first with a time of 3:50.76, and the team of Jackson Hilikin, Thomas Asmus, Zach Voogd and Noah Holt were second with a time of 4:35.75.

Austin will be back in action on Saturday, as they host a seven-team invitational that will also involve Mankato East, Mason City, Northfield, Owatonna, Rochester Century, Rochester John Marshalla and Rochester Mayo, with diving set to start at 9:30 a.m. and the rest of the invitational will start at Bud Higgins Pool at 1:00 p.m.