Exciting thriller won by Fusion swimming and diving team

At the Dassel-Cokato pool against Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato tonight, the Melrose-Sauk Centre Fusion boys' swimming and diving team picked up their third win of the season against no losses by a 96-90 score.

Co-head coach James Schreiner reported that the Fusion didn't lead the entire night until after the final event, the 400 freestyle relay. Facing a sizeable deficit in the team points, the Fusion got a huge 1st/2nd finish in the 100 backstroke with John Schwieters and Isaac Schreiner gaining the top two spots.

In the 100 breaststroke, the Fusion got a crucial 2nd/3rd/4th finish to gain momentum before clinching the win with great performances in the last event.

M-SC now has a ragged practice schedule around the Christmas holiday before traveling to a very tough Brainerd tournament on Friday, Dec. 27.

Read more coach's comments from the past week of action in this week's Sauk Centre Herald.

A few other sports updates from tonight:
The Mainstreeters boys' basketball team stayed undefeated in the West Central Conference with an 85-70 win over visiting Minnewaska Area. They led 45-34 at the break.

The Prairie Centre Area boys' hockey team won their sixth game in a row with a 6-2 final score at the Benson Civic Arena over the winless Morris/Benson Area Storm. The North Stars are 6-3 overall and put their win streak on the line against undefeated (7-0) and fourth-ranked St. Cloud Cathedral tomorrow night (Dec. 20) at the MAC in St. Cloud.

This was noteworthy: the Melrose Area Dutchmen boys' basketball team defeated a very good Montevideo squad tonight in a WCC game by a final score of 64-63 in overtime. They've got a big day coming up for their basketball program on Saturday...be sure to read a copy of the Melrose Beacon to learn more about that.

Tomorrow night, the Mainstreeters boys' and girls' basketball teams travel to Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City high school for a WCC double-header. The varsity girls play at 6 p.m. in the main gymnasium, while the B-squad boys play at that time in the auxiliary gym. They switch for the nightcap around 7:45 p.m., when the varsity boys and B-squad girls tip off.