Wawer excels in the water for Stevenson
The motherly side of Stevenson swimmer Julia Wawer surfaced before a home football game on Friday.
Wawer, just a sophomore, was concerned about the health of her teammates on the eve of Saturday’s Lake County Swimming and Diving Invite at Lake Forest.
The weather forecast for Friday night’s Libertyville-Stevenson homecoming game called for chilly temps, not wintry conditions in the interior of Antarctica.
But that didn’t stop Wawer – one of eight sophs on the Patriots’ varsity – from strictly, and warmly, telling her watery colleagues what to don.
“I wanted to make sure each wore a hat, so I reminded those, who were planning to go, to put one on,” she said. “I don’t want any of my teammates getting sick during our season.”
Wawer opted not to attend the game.
Pats sophomore Cheryl Xiang, a freestyler, attended the game.
“I didn’t wear a hat at the game; I don’t have one,” she said.
“I don’t think any of us wore a hat,” Xiang added. “But Julia … she meant well. She really did.”
Julia Wawer swam well at Saturday’s meet.
Really well.
The No. 2 seed in the 100-yard freestyle clocked a first-place 53.98, beating top-seeded Mika Hlavin of Lake Forest (2nd place, 54.32), and later led off the victorious 400 free relay (3:37.36, with Xiang, sophomore Riley Kirby and junior Madison Blaydes).
“We knew Julia would have a shot – a good shot – at doing something special like that,” Pats coach Karl Milkereit said after the 100 free. “She’s got the ideal build for a sprinter, tall (5-foot-11) and long. She also has a do-anything attitude, and she’s so energetic.
“The sophomore class on varsity,” he added, “is the heart of our team, and Julia, clearly, is one of its leaders.”
Stevenson (254 points) finished runner-up to reigning Lake County Invite champion Lake Forest (310.5) and ahead of last year’s runner-up, Barrington (3rd place, 211).
Lake Forest and Barrington sped to four event titles apiece.
Barrington’s Fillies, after donning bathing caps, started the meet in resounding fashion, topping the 200 medley-relay field in 1:50.46 – nearly 3 seconds faster than Stevenson’s runner-up crew (1:53.29).
“That was a good one. That was a good one,” said Barrington coach Jim Bart, seconds after Fillies senior Erika Elliott – a three-time winner on Saturday – anchored the quartet in a stirring 23.7.
“I was pumped; we were all pumped, early,” said Elliott, who also touched first in the 50 free (24.34) and 100 backstroke (59.27). “Adrenaline … it’s a good thing to have in swimming.”
Barrington’s first three legs in the 200 medley relays were Kelsey Holmes, Mekenna Scheitlin and Olivia Hoffman. Scheitlin, seeded No. 1 in the 100 breaststroke, collected that race’s first-place medal after bettering her seed time (1:08.41) with a 1:07.88.
Warren placed fourth (150) on Saturday, a spot higher than the Blue Devils’ effort at last year’s County Invite. Warren sophomore Jessie Grasty came through with a first-place and personal-best 1:00.13 in the 100 butterfly.
She was seeded third in the event, behind Barrington’s Hoffman and LF’s Olivia Campbell.
“My turns, definitely my turns,” Grasty said, looking back at what propelled her to the win. “You can’t get too far from the wall on a turn, or too close. I visualize my races before meets, but I didn’t visualize winning this. I was hoping for a best time.
“County,” she added, “is a big deal, so I’m excited.”
LF senior Rachel Stoehr — her surname is pronounced, aptly, “star” — won the 200 free (1:52.47) and 500 free (5:01.02); Libertyville junior Morgan Dickson silvered in each (1:54.18, 5:05.98).
Mundelein’s Mustangs, behind freshman Jennifer Kordik (2nd, 200 IM, 2:14.62), took fifth (137.5 points), ahead of Libertyville’s Wildcats (6th, 114).
Senior Zoe Eldridge (3rd, 100 free, 54.38) paced Vernon Hills (7th, 109).
And Zion-Benton sophomore Allegra Codamon amassed 337.3 points to successfully defend her diving title on Saturday. Z-B finished eighth (49).
Splashes: Stevenson left Saturday’s Lake County Invite with a meet-best five silver medals. … Barrington’s Elliott has verbally committed to swim and study chemistry/pre-med at Northwestern. “I’m 99 percent sure I’m going there,” she said. … A pair of Patriots medaled Saturday from a penultimate heat: Senior Michelle Hannon took fifth in the 200 IM (2:17.32), and Wawer matched that place in the 50 free (25.14). … Saturday’s other champs: LF’s Campbell (200 IM, 2:11.82) and LF’s 200 free relay (1:41.14; Hlavin, Eleanor Meeks, Lilly Wang, Stoehr). … Many divers, who performed Saturday morning, did not stick around for the afternoon’s swim segment. Z-B’s Codamon did. She climbed blocks to compete in the 50 free (17th overall, 27.30, as the winner of the event’s first heat) and 200 free relay.