Girls swimming: Jacobs-Hampshire claims FVC crown

When the Jacobs-Hampshire co-op girls swim team met for the first time in August, the main goal was to claim the Fox Valley Conference championship in early November.

Mission accomplished.

The Golden Eagles scored 229 points to claim the top prize in the FVC Saturday at Woodstock North.

"We have only four kids from Hampshire, but it is still hard to mesh kids from two different schools," said Jacobs-Hampshire coach Emily Susmarski. "At our first meeting, we talked about winning the conference. Everyday the girls have worked hard toward that goal. Every single girl on the team dropped their personal bests from 2 to 8 seconds."

Sophomore Alexa Agoranos was the top performer for the FVC champs. Agoranos finished first in the 200-yard freestyle with a clocking of 1:57.88 while she was the runner-up in the 500 free with a time of 5:15.28. McHenry's Hannah Lange edged Agoranos with a time of 5:14.89.

The Jacobs-Hampshire sophomore was also on the winning 200 medley relay team along with Izzy Bavaro, Jackie O'Connor and Rochelle Sia with a time of 1:52.66. Agoranos, Bavaro, Sydney Erickson and Faith Terlecki were second In the 400 free relay with a time of 3:44.85.

"It was a good day for me and the team," said Agoranos. "I swam my best times of the year and I was glad to help the team."

Bavaro, a freshman, was second in the 100 freestyle and 100 backstroke.

The Crystal Lake co-op team (Crystal Lake Central, Crystal Lake South, Prairie Ridge), behind meet Most Valuable Swimmer, freshman Valarie Tarazi, was second with 221 points.

Tarazi won the 100 butterfly with a time of 57.39 and the breaststroke in a time of 1:06.10. The freshman

phenom was also on the first place 200 freestyle relay team with Elizabeth Pieroni, Nora Molitor and Tessa Shorten in a time of 1:41.58. The same foursome won the 400 freestyle relay in a time of 3:43.60.

Huntley was third with a score of 208.

Hailey Hill was the top swimmer for the Red Raiders. Hill won the 100 backstroke in a time of 1:00.04 and was on the runner-up 200 medley relay team (Lindsay Ferguson, Emily Ferguson, Jaclyn Smitendorf) and the second place 200 freestyle relay team with Smitendorf, Alli Cravens,

and Jackie Padal.

Lindsay Ferguson was second in the 200 intermediate race.

"We swam very well," said Huntley coach George Keenan. "We didn't have enough firepower to finish in the top two."

Cary-Grove was sixth with a score of 143. The Trojans' only first-place effort came from freshman Sarah Pilut, who won the 50 freestyle with a time of 25.69.

'I was boosted and motivated by the tough competition," said Pilut. "I knew I had to swim my best. I feel good going into the sectionals."

Dundee-Crown placed seventh with a score of 99. The Chargers' top finisher was Rachel Skoog, who was second in the 100 butterfly with a time of 1:01.58.