Girls swimming: Sectional scouting, Northwest
Girls swimming: Sectional scouting
Background: Most of the Mid-Suburban League teams and St. Viator will gather at Stevenson for state-qualifying chances, while Conant, Schaumburg, Elk Grove and Maine West join the action in the sectional hosted by York. Diving begins at 9 a.m. and swimming and 1 p.m. at both sites. In swimming, event winners plus anyone who equals or betters the qualifying standard gets the chance to compete in the following weekend's state finals. In diving it's slightly different, as the 16 sectional winners advance, plus the next-best 32 scores from around the state.
As for those qualifying times for the swimmers, they're extremely tough. Anyone who makes these had to work for it:
200 medley relay: 1:48.88
200 free: 1:55.10
200 IM: 2:09.84
50 free: 24.46
100 fly: 58.23
100 free: 53.08
500 free: 5:09.87
200 free relay: 1:38.44
100 backstroke: 58.81
100 breaststroke: 1:07.07
400 free relay: 3:35.73
Stevenson sectionalThe Patriots turned in an eye-opening effort on their way to winning North Suburban Conference meet last weekend, including a school record 1:45.70 in the meet-opening medley relay. Stevenson has quality throughout the lineup and is led by Rachel Song, Iza Pelka, Ashley Carollo, Danielle Fang, Morgan Bosse and Claire Huang. Expect three terrific relays and plenty of state qualifiers ... Mid-Suburban League champ Barrington brings a lineup with great balance. The top guns are junior Maggie Emary (200, 500 free) and sophomores Ally Penrod (200 IM, 100 breast) and Bridget O'Leary (100 free, 200 free). But there are plenty of other state hopefuls, including a pair that qualified last year: Catherine Kitzman and Emma Graves. Barrington hopes to be in the running for top team honors, but the priority for the Fillies is getting as many qualifiers through to state as possible ... Fremd is also well positioned for sectional success. Junior freestyle standout Emily Bolger, junior breaststroker Rebecca Ballo and freshman IMer/backstroker Sophia Kuehn each have individual chances to advance, and the Vikings have enough depth and a history of great season-end performance to expect a pleasant surprise or two from their lineup ... MSL East champion Hersey has junior Olivia Kusio trying for a third straight year of state qualification, while senior Jenny Lutz has been steadily closing in on the 100 fly state standard and junior Madeline Bovino will pursue a second straight diving berth. The Huskies also have an excellent medley relay ... Palatine will have individual opportunities with junior Ellis Nelson and freshman Jane Smith, and a 400 free relay that was sharp at the MSL meet ... Prospect has a pair of terrific divers in sophomore Madison Malone and senior Meghan Schmit, and senior sprinter Gracie Dix performed well at the conference meet ... St. Viator senior Elizabeth Drab repeated as the MCAC champ and hopes to earn a second consecutive state voyage ... Hoffman Estates has had nice 200 medley and free relays, while Casey Rawlings impresses in the 100 breast and Benita Varanauskaite in the 100 free ... Emily Schulstad and Alexa Jedryka led the way for Buffalo Grove at the MSL meet and will be looking for big swims.
York sectionalLake Park, Downers Grove North and Addison Trail/Willowbrook will each bring strong teams to the competition. Schaumburg freshman Hana Mollin is well positioned to advance to state in a couple of events ... Conant junior Aly Wooley has been solid in the sprints all year, and the Cougars have assembled a fine 200 free relay ... Elk Grove sophomore diver Anna Sprenger excelled her last time out at the MSL meet and is a threat to make state for a second straight year ... Maine West senior Julia Boesche finished second in the 100 free at the Central Suburban League meet (54.79) and fourth in the 50 (25.25); great efforts Saturday in either event could get her another trip to the state meet.
- Aaron Gabriel