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Best-ever Fremd team looks forward to finals

In a big-picture sense, Fremd can certainly count itself as fortunate.

After Friday's girls swimming and diving state meet preliminaries at Evanston Township High School, the Vikings can look forward to all three relays scoring points in Saturday's finals session.

Grace Kneller and Erica King have earned individual point-scoring opportunities, as have senior divers Sydney Plichta and Sarah McTague.

Some of the specifics, however, were not especially friendly to Fremd.

"In swimming, 7 is not a particularly lucky number," explained Fremd coach Andrew Kittrell.

And that digit figured prominently in Fremd's journey on Friday.

Senior Erica King delivered a personal-best in the 500 free by some 5 seconds - and finished seventh.

Senior Grace Kneller chopped another half-second off her previous best in the 100 free - and finished seventh.

To complete the numeric trend, the 400 free relay of Kneller, King, Julia Portmann and Loretta Stelnicki bettered their sectional time from last week - and finished seventh.

Each of those seventh-place finishers can finish no higher than seventh in Saturday's finals session, which begins at noon. One finish place better would have given each a spot in the championship finals, and an opportunity to move up further.

"We had so many kids swim great today," said Kittrell. "I wouldn't we're disappointed, but we've got a couple people leaving a little bit annoyed."

The meet-opening medley relay was a clear high point for Fremd, as Grace Grzybek, Stelnicki, Saki Takumiya and Kneller finished fourth.

King got under five minutes for the first time in the 500 free (4:56.04) and also earned a consolation swim in the 200 free (8th, 1:52.44). And Kneller's seventh-place finish in the 100 free (51.41) missed a coveted sixth-place spot by just one-tenth of a second.

"I think the medley really helped us get in the right frame of mind," said Kneller. "After that I think everybody could relax and just focus on what they needed to do."

The seventh-place curse also visited Wheeling senior Theresa Godlewski.

She produced a lifetime best in the 100 backstroke, 56.39. She'll have the top time heading into Saturday's consolation heat, which was little consolation.

"She'll use that to her advantage," said Wheeling coach Lisa Poynor. "She's happy with her time, and for a lot of swimmers, it's all about the time. But for Theresa, the time's only part of it. She wants to win."

Godlewski will also race again in the 50 free, where she qualified ninth in 23.92.

"I'm going to come back and try to win them both," Godlewski said. "That's all I can do."

Barrington junior Kirsten Jacobsen, meanwhile, is back at her usual superlative level.

She's the top qualifier for the championship heat of the 500 free (4:51.09), and the second-fastest in the 200 free (1:49.32). Jacobsen will be chasing a third straight title in the 500, and a second straight in the 200, an event in which she is the state record holder.

In addition, Jacobsen supplied a 50.69 split on Barrington's 400 free relay, which qualified 11th.

Coach Jim Bart characterized Jacobsen's swims as "under control," and said he hopes the 400 relay can come up with a better time and finish Saturday.

The Fillies will also have freshman Maggie Emary competing in the consolation heat of both 500 free (ninth, 4:57.24) and the 200 free (12th, 1:53.71).

Prospect senior diver Dana Liva had a great performance in Friday morning's diving preliminaries. Through 8 of 11 rounds, the four-time Mid-Suburban League champ has the lead with a score of 335.05.

Next-best is defending state champ Sydney Dusel, a junior from Naperville Central, at 311.60, followed by five divers with scores in the 290s. All 12 divers who made the most recent cut will perform three more dives in Saturday's session.

Palatine junior Kristin Anderson and Fremd junior Grace Grzybek found there's a number much more cruel than 7, and that number is 13.

Anderson placed 13th in the 50 free in 24.01, and 18th in the 100 free in 52.25. Grzybek produced a lifetime best in the 100 back (57.21) and tied for 13th.

For Fremd, the silver lining is that Grzybek will have a couple more relay legs to swim Saturday.

"We can look at ourselves after today," explained Kittrell, "and know that this is the best girls swimming and diving team in Fremd's history. And that feels pretty great."

Loyola, Rosary and Lake Forest have the top team scores based on qualifying performances. In a change from the traditional 1 p.m. start, this year's finals session will begin at noon.

Images: Girls State Swimming Prelims

  Barrington's Andrea Vega surges through the breaststroke leg of the medley relay at the state prelims in Evanston. Mark Welsh/mwelsh@dailyherald.com
  Barrington's Kirsten Jacobsen churns toward the top qualifying effort in the 500-yard freestyle. Mark Welsh/mwelsh@dailyherald.com
  Saki Takumiya of Fremd powers ahead for third-place finish in her heat of the 100-yard backstroke at the state prelims in Evanston. Mark Welsh/mwelsh@dailyherald.com
  Conant's Allison Cicero, Samantha Wooley and Paulina Wolska come together after the 200-yd. freestyle relay at the state prelims in Evanston. Mark Welsh/mwelsh@dailyherald.com
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