Girls swimming: Fremd seniors focus on final achievement

It seems fitting that Fremd's five standout senior swimmers will be remembered for the collective accomplishments.

Grace Kneller, Erica King, Julia Portmann, Saki Takumiya and Loretta Stelnicki have individually reached the highest levels of the sport, but it's their willingness to band together that truly sets them apart.

They'll coalesce as part of three Fremd relays in action at Saturday's Stevenson sectional, with every reason to believe they'll advance to the state meet at Evanston the following weekend with an opportunity to score big points in the team race.

"They came to me and said, 'We want the relays,' " said Fremd coach Andrew Kitrell, who had many options for how to approach his postseason lineup thanks to the diverse strengths of the aforementioned seniors. "I think that really sums up this group of kids. They're remarkable."

Instead of swimming two individual events and two relays, Kneller and Stelnicki will take legs on all three relays. That makes clear practical sense for Fremd, as relays are worth double the points of individual events at the state meet.

But it still requires a certain sacrifice, as both Kneller and Stelnicki are also capable of scoring points in two individual events each. Kneller will race the 100 free, and Stelnicki opted for the 100 breaststroke as their lone individual events.

There is precedent for this approach, as it's similar to the one Kittrell and the Vikings took last year. It was a mixed bag then for Fremd, as a couple of near misses in individual events and a mishap on the medley relay made for a trying weekend at New Trier.

But it certainly wasn't all bad, as the Vikings finished ninth in the 400 free relay and showed through their performances that they belonged among the state's elite teams.

"This is the first year that you can look at it and say we really have good chances at getting some individuals into finals," said Kittrell. "That makes our seniors' decision even more impressive to me."

• King has been a key all four years with the Vikings, but one goal has so far eluded her. Having recently committed to Idaho to swim, she's optimistic about directly contributing to Fremd's scoring at state in her best race, the 500-yard freestyle. It was a close call for her last year, as King finished 15th in that race - in her best high school time, but just a few places away from advancing to the consolation finals.

"I'm feeling great," she said. "I feel like I'm better shape this year than ever before."

• Stelnicki will compete next year at Western Kentucky, and the Hilltoppers will be getting a terrific sprint freestyler - and much more. Her skill in backstroke and breaststroke have given Kittrell unusual lineup flexibility over the past four seasons, especially in dual meets.

Stelnicki says she'll miss the shared commitment to excellence she and her teammates have developed.

"There are always some morning practices where you kind of question what you're doing, like, 'Why am I here?' " Stelnicki said. "But then you look around, and it really makes it easier when your friends are doing it too."

• Portmann carries a 4.9 GPA and is sorting through her collegiate options. Among her classmates, she's perhaps taken the most dramatic step forward as the urgency of last-chance seniorism has had a profound effect.

"For me, it's getting to state as an individual," she said. "The last three years have been a disappointment for me from that standpoint, but I'm hoping I can change it."

• Kneller walked into Fremd with a best time of 58 seconds in the 100 freestyle but is now among the state's best in that event. Kittrell marvels over her toughness and notes that she's the only swimmer in his time with the Vikings that's gotten under a minute in the 100 free in Fremd's short-course, 25-meter pool. She'll anchor the medley and 400 freestyle relays in Fremd's championship meets.

Recently committed to swim at Rhode Island, Kneller says Kittrell was a big help to her in one specific area.

"I haven't always been the most confident swimmer," she said. "He's really helped me with that part of it."

• Takumiya also will continue swimming in college. A more pressing concern is her health, as a nagging injury has posed a unique challenge to preparing for championship season. Another remarkably diverse competitor, Takumiya can swim about any high school event and excel. She's qualified for state in individual races the past two years - twice in the 100 backstroke, along with the 100 fly last year and the 200 IM the year before.

She also has been on state relays the last two seasons and looks forward to another set of big meets with her familiar senior cohorts.

"I know my teammates will support me," she said. "They're the best."

• Fremd's senior aquatic excellence is not limited to the swimming events. Senior divers Sydney Plichta and Sarah McTague recently finished second and third, respectively, in the Mid-Suburban League diving meet. If they advance to state, which is likely, it would be a third straight state trip for Plichta and a second straight for McTague.

Kittrell looks back to two years ago as the key year in the development of the Fremd senior swimmers. In that season, with senior Breanna Anderson leading the team, the Vikings were able to break up Barrington's monopoly on Mid-Suburban League championship, at the same time starting Fremd's own three-year run on conference titles. And they qualified a full complement of relays to the state meet, setting a template for team achievement.

"I don't think they knew it at the time, but that sophomore year for this senior group was really key," Kittrell said. "A lot of our goals and expectations came out of what happened then."

The highest Fremd placement in a girls swimming and diving state meet is 14th. With three relays capable of scoring points, and with several more possibilities in individual events, it seems likely the Vikings will surpass that - perhaps by a lot.

The only non-senior playing a key role for Fremd in the remaining championship meets is junior standout Grace Grzybek. A state qualifier last year, she'll lead off the medley relay and is a threat to score individual points in the 100-yard backstroke, along with having a freestyle relay leg or two.

Early this season, on the pool deck at Barrington during Fremd's dual meet with the Fillies, Grzybek was reluctant to even consider what next year might be like for the Vikings.

"Our seniors are so awesome," she said. "I just wish they could stick around another year."