Neuqua Valley ends Rosary’s streak
Teams that are deep with quality swimmers have always done well at Rosary’s girls swimming invitational meet.
In the five previous years the meet was held, the Beads were the deepest, fastest team and they won the meet. This year, that honor fell to Neuqua Valley and the Wildcats became the first team other than Rosary to win the Beads’ invitational, scoring a 377.5-293 victory over Rosary in the five-team meet.
“We have an unusual rule,” Rosary coach Bill Schalz said. “We have eight individual events and you have 24 splashes and you can enter girls in as many events as you want. We’re not a deep team, so that type of scoring really didn’t help us this year.”
The quality of teams at Rosary’s invitational has always been strong. In addition to Neuqua Valley, Naperville North, Naperville Central and Boylan competed.
“They all have strong teams,” Rosary senior Sarah Sykstus said. “They have great competitors. We’re always trying to do the best we can. I think we did really well and stepped it up.”
One member of Rosary’s senior core — Molly Coonce — was missing on Saturday while she went on a college visit to Wyoming. Schalz said many of his seniors planned college visits earlier in the season, by this was the only weekend Coonce could visit Wyoming.
Good teams have a tight-knit core which eventually develops into the team that will compete in the sectional and state meets in November. And the Beads have that closeness throughout their lineup.
“When I get on the blocks, I am thinking that I have to do well for my team,” Rosary senior Rachel Burke said. “I like high school swimming so much more than club swimming because it’s not just for yourself. It’s more for your team and that makes a big difference.”
Even missing one piece of that puzzle affects the overall unit.
“This is the first weekend that I’ve been at an invite,” Burke said. “I know (Sykstus) and Emily Launer haven’t been to any invites yet. And Katherine (Hare) hasn’t gone on her trips yet. It definitely makes a difference. We’re a strong team, but we’re a lot smaller than we used to be. That makes a difference at meets like this.”
Schalz said that while he had hoped to win the invitational that his team hosts, there were plenty of other goals that were met by Beads’ swimmers.
“We look at individual performances,” Schalz said. “Obviously we want to do well as a team. Our state level kids swam pretty well and did some things that we really like. Some of our young kids really stepped up, like Kate Canfield getting second in the backstroke. Those are the things we’re looking for.”
Rosary won four events. Burke won the 200-yard freestyle and the 100 freestyle.
“I would have liked to have been a little faster in a couple of events,” Burke said. “In the 100 free, I’d like to be a little faster. We had a really hard week of practice. Friday morning practices are really hard on Saturday meets.”
Sykstus was victorious in the 200 individual medley.
“I’m where I want to be with my times,” Sykstus said. “I’m pretty happy with my swims today. I’m sure all these teams can attest that you have a whole week were you have school and practice and everything. But on Saturday, you go out and get it done.”
Rosary’s meet-ending 400 freestyle relay won as well.
Rosary’s invitational is noted for its compact nature. The meet begins at 9 a.m. and is always finished by 11. Placing a high-intensity meet at the end of a long training week provides a number of challenges, but Schalz said the key is still for the girls to step to the blocks ready to race.
“Absolutely,” Schalz said. “I felt we raced well in some areas and didn’t race well in others. But I was happy with today. I knew Neuqua was going to be very tough.”
Three meet records fell, and two went to Rosary entries. Burke swam 1:54.43 to lower her own record by four-tenths in the 200 freestyle. Neuqua Valley’s 200 freestyle relay swam 1:40.01 to better Rosary’s record of 1:40.15 set in 2006. Rosary closed the meet in the 400 freestyle relay in emphatic fashion by battling back to defeat Neuqua Valley. Burke, Erin Hart, Emily Launer and Sykstus swam 3:35.91, two-tenths faster than Rosary’s 2009 relay.
“That’s a tough event,” Schalz said. “You’re at the end of the meet and you’re tired because everyone swam a lot of races today. I think it’s one of the tougher races in the meet. Erin Hart is a freshman on that relay, so it’s nice to give her some experience.”