Girls swimming: Neuqua Valley triumphant at Metea Valley
The Neuqua Valley girls swimming team's depth showed up in a big way during Saturday's Mustang Invitational at Metea Valley.
Oswego won nine events, but the Wildcats scored consistently in all of the races and won the meet with 480.5 points. The Panthers were second at 401.
“We were down four athletes — ACTs, college visits. But the next person up is just as talented,” said Neuqua coach Jason Niforatos.
Plainfield was third in the 13-team meet with 397.5 points followed by Metea (331), Waubonsie Valley (301) and Glenbard West/South co-op (257).
The relays were split into two events. Saturday's competition began with the freshman/sophomore 200-yard medley relay followed by the varsity with both events counting toward the team score. The individual races were run on one level.
Neuqua won the frosh/soph 200 medley relay with the team of Athena Salafatinos, Divya Kale, Nidhi Chetan and Jill Erlechman clocking in at 1 minute, 51.09 seconds. Later the 200 freestyle relay of Salafatinos, Kale, Chetan and Izzy Harder won the frosh/soph version in 1:41.98.
Salafatinos would win the 100 backstroke in 58.61.
“I'm happy with the time. I've been under the state cut already. I'm excited for sectionals and state,” she said.
Ryan Dulaney earned two second-place finishes in the 200 freestyle and 500 freestyle.
Next up for the Wildcats is defending their conference title at the DuPage Valley meet. Diving takes place Friday at Naperville North with swimming Saturday at Waubonsie.
Neuqua beat Waubonsie in the final dual meet of the regular season Thursday. Niforatos said the Warriors present a big challenge to the Wildcats, but so will everyone else.
“I anticipate a battle overall,” he said.
After the DVC meet Neuqua, Waubonsie, Naperville Central and Naperville North head to Metea Valley for sectional competition Nov. 12.
Glenbard West/Glenbard South co-op earned an individual title Saturday. Jane Denenberg prevailed in the 100 butterfly in 58.79.
“I'm really happy with my splits. I got what I wanted. I'm really excited for what's next,” she said.
Glenbard West/South competes Saturday at the West Suburban Silver meet at Lyons Township and will battle for state berths at the York sectional.
Metea's top finishes were the second-place marks of the frosh/soph 200 medley relay of Kellie Willhite, Melanie Patterson, Rylee Stone and Aimee Patterson and the varsity 200 medley quartet of Natalia Castillo, Lucy Siwicki, Anna Scovill and Sadie Gregory. Scovill was also second in the 100 butterfly.
Waubonsie's best finish came in the frosh/soph 200 freestyle relay were Maggy Campos, Kelli Holt, Emily Hennessy and Rebecca Farber swam to third in 1:42.75.