Girls swimming: Neuqua Valley 3rd, Naperville North 4th at Rosary
Midseason swimming invitationals can sometimes be a mixed bag. Athletes are worn down from heavy training. At this point in the season, illness sometimes begins to work its way through teams. Yet the chance to compete and show competitiveness is always demanded as well.
Saturday, defending champion Rosary hosted and won its 11th annual invitational. Area schools performed well in the meet, led by Neuqua Valley's third-place finish in the eight-team field.
"I just love how we battled," Neuqua Valley coach Jason Niferatos said. "We've got two girls out and one girl where we really had to limit her in events. I just love how our 'next person up' mentality took over and they stepped up and raced."
In a meet mostly dominated by the host Beads, Neuqua Valley did not win any races. Ryan Dulaney was second in the 500-yard freestyle and Maxine Parkinson was second in the 100 backstroke. The Wildcats 200 freestyle relay - Jill Erlechman, Divya Kale, Kristen Stege and Athena Salafatinos - placed second as well.
"We're really dialing into what skills and attributes we want to have in November," Niforatos said. "Whether it's at the conference meet or at sectionals or state, it doesn't matter. It seemed the times were there today, but the way we went about it needs some refinement. I don't care so much about the time. But I do care about the skill, because the skill's going to lead to what's going to happen at the end of the year."
The key meets in the girls swimming season begin with the Oct. 29 conference meets and carry through to the Nov. 18-19 state meet in Evanston.
"I'll be interested to see what the girls come to practice on Monday with what they feel we need to work on," Niforatos said. "I'll have my views as well. A lot of good came out of today. But there are other components we have to address."
Naperville North rode a roller coaster throughout the day and finished fourth. The Huskies underwent lineup changes throughout the morning.
"We had a couple of girls sick to start the day and another got sick during the meet, and that meant we had to make some adjustments," Naperville North coach Andy McWhirter said. "It's stressful for the coaches, but more for the swimmers, because they're swimming something that they weren't mentally getting prepared for. But the girls did a nice job stepping into those spots."
Connie Zhang won the 200 freestyle for Naperville North with her season-best time. Zhang also finished second in the 100 freestyle.
"She was nice and strong, especially in midseason, to be swimming the times she is," McWhirter said.
Like all teams, the Huskies are deep into midseason training, and no one swam near their lifetime best times. In-season improvement is important, though, and there the Huskies did well, and they are swimming somewhat faster than a year ago. Zhang, for example, was nearly three seconds faster in this year's 200 freestyle, and her 1:53.75 is below the state qualifying time nearly two months before the state meet.
"A couple of the freshman girls did a nice job," McWhirter said. "Kelly Zhou in the 200 free did a nice job and so did Melissa Troy in the 500. We had four girls swim in the 500 and stack up the points."
Naperville Central finished seventh in the meet and did not have a swimmer finish in the top five of any event.
"As I have said, we are a work in progress," Naperville Central coach Mike Adams said. "The competition here is tough. That's what we want. We will build on this. Now we have to get ready for the end of the year."