Warren stay on task in jubilant Jamboree victory

The Hersey Jamboree is meet suited to steely nerves, patience, and keen focus - and that's just for the coaches, parents and fans.

On top of the amped-up on-deck music that's central to the event, the annual girls swimming invitational held at Olympic Pool in Arlington Heights also has a more abstract distraction most coaches would rather do without: Homecoming.

Warren, Elk Grove and the host Huskies were among the many teams hoping for a speedy finish in order to attend non-aquatic social festivities in the evening.

And Warren ended up making the most of its trip, as the Blue Devils took top honors with 302 points. Hersey (230) was second, followed by Jacobs/Hampshire and Palatine (tied at 159), Maine South (131) and Mundelein (127).

"We're still a very young team," said Warren coach Chris Bertana, "so I was very pleased with how our kids prepared and stayed on top of things here."

One key to that has been junior Courtney Barker. She and teammate Danielle Glisovich went 1-2 in the 50-yard freestyle (24.71 and 26.05, respectively), and Barker also won the 100 back (59.75).

The larger challenge for Warren has been adapting to a truly team-centered approach. Barker will be the centerpiece of that effort, having already finaled in the 50 free at the state meet.

But Warren's full complement of ability was on display Saturday, and it's an impressive group. Winning the medley relay in 1:53.15 were Courtney Barker and her sister Carissa Barker, Emily Wong and Glisovich. The Blue Devils also won the 200 free relay with Courtney Barker, Alyssa Church, Katie Bell and Glisovich.

Glisovich won the 100 free (56.51), and Emily Wong won the 100 fly (1:02.70).

Bertana said the emergence of Emily Wong and her sister, Megan, is giving the team the kind of young depth that makes the current season a kind of dress rehearsal for what promises to be a very promising '16 season.

"For Courtney, it's an adjustment because this year she's in a new role," Bertana said. "She's the one that needs to be the one saying, 'OK, girls, let's get up for this race,' really mentoring some of our younger swimmers."

By the time the meet ended, with the male half of Hersey's homecoming court participating in a freestyle relay, Hersey coach Dick Mortensen was looking forward to a return to relative normalcy.

"For me, it's mass chaos," said Hersey coach Dick Mortensen. "I feel like a parent who had to leave his kids home alone for the day - it's hard to talk to anyone while the meet is going on."

Yet from that chaos were some reliably strong results turned in by a Huskies team that has a great opportunity to win back the Mid-Suburban East title this season.

Sophomore Olivia Kusio won the 100 breaststroke in 1:10.81 and was runner-up in the 200 IM (2:18.00). She also had legs on the runner-up 200 medley and 400 free relays.

Alexandra Heidrich and Margaret Barton placed 3-4 in diving, and Madeline Bovino won the frosh-soph level with a score (215.55) that would have placed her second in the varsity.

The real story with Hersey is the team's superb depth. Managing the lineup is a special challenge, so Mortensen was especially grateful for the leadership of seniors Emma Wilcher, Kat Gorey and Sarah Petro on this day. Freshmen such as Grace Reynolds and Claire Lutz are regularly providing the kind of motivation that sparks more established swimmers into better performances.

"I was telling our girls, that's what good teams do," Mortensen said. "You'll be pushed by other teams, but if that's ever missing, you know there will also be somebody from our own team trying to challenge you."

Palatine counted individual wins from diver Elizabeth Johns (242.75), and in the 200 IM from sophomore Ellis Nelson (2:15.18). The Pirates were without senior sprinter Kristin Anderson, who was on a recruiting visit to Illinois - thus preventing a great individual matchup with Courtney Barker in the 50 free.

Katelyn Kurrie came up with a fourth-place finish in the 500 free (5:42.22), and despite Anderson's absence the Pirates still had a strong showing in the 200 free relay, which made it to the state meet last year and finished third on Saturday with Nelson, Mathilde Mogensen, Kelsey Hank and Tess O'Brien in 1:46.54.

"It stinks not having Kristin today," said O'Brien, "but not just because of her ability. She's an important part of our team in every way. We're all having fun being on such an energetic team this year."

The top finishes for Jacobs/Hampshire came from Izzy Bavaro, in the 100 back (2nd, 1:01.85) and 100 free (3rd, 57.62). Bavaro also joined Sydney Erickson, Megan Herrera and Makaylin Monasterio on the winning 400 free relay (3:50.12).

Mundelein counted a pair of runner-up individual efforts, from Maggie Franz in diving (209.90) and Sasha Levin in the 500 free (5:39.48).

Cary-Grove coach Scott Lattyak was most pleased with his team's effort in the 200 freestyle, where Ashlynn Baker won in 2:04.43 and Karsen Seeger turned in a season-best 2:05.89. Baker also was second in the 100 free (57.24), and Sarah Pilut took third in the 50 free (26.21).

The Trojans placed seventh with 120 points. And for those complaining about the notoriously slow racing conditions and sundry distractions at hand, Lattyak had a strong counterpoint.

"The pool's fine," he said. "And the meet's great - we always look forward to it. Everyone has fun, and that's why we'll keep coming back."

Prospect (101 points) finished eighth and got a fourth-place finish in the 50 free from Gracie Dix (26.26) and a fifth-place effort from diver Meghan Schmit (189.5). Coach Alfonso Lopez continues to sort through his lineup options, which is not an easy task as the Knights have lots similarly skilled swimmers.

Perhaps that was best exemplified by their entry in the 500 free, where twins Emma and Kate Colehour competed in adjacent lanes of the 500-yard freestyle. Not much was decided, as their final placement was also adjacent, in 13th and 14th.

Bailey Rowley had the top finish for Rolling Meadows with a sixth-place effort in the 100 fly (1:04.98), Casey Rawlings was Hoffman Estates' top finisher at eighth in the 100 breast (1:15.40) and Sara Lasovska was Elk Grove's best at 13th in the 100 back (1:09.29).

Buffalo Grove got a seventh-place finish from Dasha Yermol in the 200 free (2:09.04) and an eighth-place finish in the 400 free relay from Samantha Swanson, Alexa Jedryka, Diana Morosan and Emily Schulstad (4:03.42).