The girls claimed a 95-85 win, while the boys fell 91-80.

“With as many meets as we’ve had, the team has posted some really good performances,” Flivvers head coach Jim Lindstrom said, noting that there were 20 personal bests recorded Thursday. “This was a meet we really didn’t set out to win. It was more important to get qualifying times for finals with the season winding down. Houghton helped us a lot. Eric Johnson’s young team is really getting better and gave us some really stiff competition, it was a fun meet.”

Junior Jocelyn Lindbeck, Iron Mountain senior Elana Nelson and junior Olivia Sage needed a good meet to qualify for finals and they came through. Nelson was a double qualifier in the 200 IM and 500 free. She finished fifth in the IM with a personal best time of 2:54.25 and third in the 500, clocking 6:52.37 – a season best. Sage went fifth with a personal best in the 100 free (1:07.27) for her U.P. nod, and later added another personal best with a win in the 100 back (1:16.75). Lindbeck qualified with a fourth in the 500 at 6:59.37, in what was her first ever attempt at that distance.

“I just wanted her to get a feel for the race but she stunned us all by qualifying,” Lindstrom said.

Kingsford senior David Arcand swims the 100 butterfly against Marquette on Tuesday at the Northern Lights YMCA Dickinson Center. Arcand won the 200 IM at Houghton Thursday, dropping 22 seconds off his previous best and qualifying for the U.P. finals.

Sophomore Allison Deuter added the 200 free to her list of U.P. qualifying swims this season, winning that race by seven seconds in 2:13.15. She followed that up with the U.P.’s fastest high school girls 100 free of the season, cracking the one-minute mark at 58.58.

Sophomore Aubree Peterson posted a pair of individual wins and personal bests for the Flivvers, winning the 50 free in 28.18 and the 500 in 6:07.19. Junior Kailey Matuszewski gave the Kingsford girls a first in the 200 IM with a time of 2:36.50. She also took second in the 100 breaststroke (1:19.60), both her swims marking personal bests.

Junior Ella McLean maintained control of the 100 breaststroke, winning in 1:18.07, a season best for her. She also notched a season best leading off the Flivvers’ come from behind win in the 200 free relay team with a 29.32 split there, joining sophomore Gianna Novara, Matuszewski and Deuter, whose 25.94 anchor leg pushed the Flivvers past Houghton 1:53.92 to 1:54.07.

Kingsford’s girls also won the 200 medley relay in 2:05.62, swam by Matuszewski, McLean, Deuter and Peterson.

For the boys, Iron Mountain sophomore Bryce Johnson clocked two more sub one-minute performances, giving him three for the week. Johnson won the 100 butterfly in 59.91, his fastest ever in the event and the only sub one-minute high school time in the U.P. this season. Looking to repeat as champion in the event in a few weeks, Johnson won last year’s title with a time of 1:03.50.

Johnson also remained unbeaten in the 100 back Thursday, posting another sub one minute time with a 59.91 – which was about 17 seconds faster than the field. Not done yet, he also clocked a personal best on his lead off swim on the boys 200 free relay with a split of 25.79, joining seniors Quinten Smith, Sam Lamirand and junior Thomas Gibbons for the win there in 1:42.70.

Gibbons added the 200 free to his list of U.P. qualifying swims, taking first with a personal best time of 2:13.89. He also cruised to another first in the 100 breast, clocking 1:09.70.

Senior David Arcand won the 200 IM, dropping 22 seconds with a 2:33.95, which is a U.P. qualifying swim. Smith won the 50 free in 24.93, and Lamirand posted a 56 flat to notch another win the 100 free.

The Flivvers have just one more meet before locking down for U.P. Finals prep. Kingsford hosts Gladstone Tuesday at the Northern Lights YMCA Dickinson Center. The team will honor its seniors at the meet. U.P. Finals are set for Saturday, Feb. 21,