Girls swimming: Scouting Northwest

BarringtonWith coach Jim Bart's illustrious run in charge of the Fillies' program finished after a strong season last fall, Alex Mikolajewski - a former Fremd and Wisconsin-Whitewater swimmer - is embracing his first season as a high school head coach, at Barrington. Don't expect any fall-off in terms of achievement, as the defending conference champs bring back a terrific assortment of experienced, capable elite-level swimmers from last fall and have the kind of team which will likely end up among the best in program history. Three-time individual state qualifier Maggie Emary, a senior, leads the way. Long a distance freestyle standout, she's also made big gains recently in her other events and will certainly be a plus on any relays. Emary placed fifth in the 500 free at state and was eighth in the 200 free last season. Juniors Ally Penrod (breast/IM) and Bridget O'Leary (all freestyles) were near misses to score state points in their individual races last fall, and Becca Galovich had a breakthrough season as a freshman last year and has since improved. Mikolajewski will have a team not only with great depth, but also great breadth as newcomers Emma Pritchett (fly, back), Maggie Graves (distance) and Adelaide Reader (sprints) bring the kind of ability that can make a difference on the last weekend of the season. "Our team goals are to help everyone reach their full potential," Mikolajewski said. "To do this, we will focus on executing workouts consistently and work hard."

Buffalo GroveParticipation isn't just up at Buffalo Grove - it's way, way up. The Bison are certainly taking full advantage of their pool space. "We are blessed with a large number of athletes, with 72 girls listed on the roster," says coach Tom Mroz. Tops among the familiar faces are swimmers Diana Morosan, Emily Schulstad and Samantha Swanson; divers Patrycja Sojolak and Vivian Wilson are also back. Among the promising new faces to varsity, Mroz is couting on swimmers Jillian Drombrowski, Hanna Vates, Sydney Logan, Gabriela Surdyka, Stefanie Surdyka and standout diver Gillian Karster. And with such a large roster, he can reasonably hope the law of probabilities provides him with a few pleasant surprises as well. "I'm excited for this season and we have a great group of athletes, both in swimming and diving," he said. "The Bison are doing a lot of hard work in the pool, having a really good time getting to know each other and creating those team bonds." One key loss from last season is Alexa Jedryka, "but we have a talented group returning and an incoming freshman class with club experience," Mroz said. "We will have a much deeper team than we have had in the past, which will provide more options in our meet lineups. My priority with this young team to have every individual swim faster. If we can accomplish that, great things will happen. These young Bison have a very positive attitude, and they'll carry that through. It'll be fun to see what we accomplish this season."

ConantCoach Justin Bickus is liking his nice blend of proven competitors and developing athletes - and not just for the potential they're showing in the water. "We're always focusing on improvement and having fun as a team, and this year we'll keep that focus going," he said. "So far, this group has been great to work with, and I'm excited to see what they can accomplish." The key seniors are Aly Wooley (sprints), Esther Song (breast, IM) and Nia Tsoulos (distance). They'll be complemented by a strong junior class featuring Sarah Erne (free, breast), Kayla Wartman (back, free), Ashvi Palkhiwala (back, distance) along with Abigail Hanley and Sydney Arnold. Among the freshmen ready to contribute are Kaycie Bilicki, Megumi Komoto, Nina Matusiak, Anika Palkhiwala, Arushi Paul and Brooke Wartman. "We're going to be a good mix of upperclassmen and incoming freshmen who will immediately impact the team," Bickus said. "The girls who have been on the team before are dedicated and have taken it upon themselves to train and compete in the off-season. We will definitely have some added depth this season, while also having girls who can score significant points at conference and sectionals."

Elk Grove

Temporarily displaced by construction at Elk Grove, the Grens are happy to be back in their home waters this week - and appreciative of the hospitality shown by Conant in the meantime. Elk Grove coach Dave Toler is looking forward to seeing where this group can go. He says Kate Duffy, now graduated, made a big impact on team expectations. And this year's seniors, including Alyssa Bonilla (sprints), Katie Ishizaka (breast, sprints) along with Abby Farmer and Gillian Guerra, are building on it. Key juniors figure to be Emilia Gibes, Melena Herrera and Kaylee Hatfield. The sophomore class includes Rachel Ford and Abigail Franke, while the freshmen who can contribute immediately are freshmen Claire Lasovska (diving) and versatile swimmer Natalie Wlodarz. "We have a team that begins the season conditioned as well they ended last year," Toler said. "From bottom to top, the Grenadiers are working hard at everything the coaches ask. Our season is very promising."

Fremd

Last year's Mid-Suburban League runner-up has all kinds of reasons to be looking forward to the season ahead, foremost that the bulk of that group is back for another go. Among the top competitors are returning state qualifiers Emma Bolger, Rebecca Ballo and Sophia Kuehn. Bolger's an elite freestyler, Ballo excels in breaststroke and the IM and Kuehn seems to be terrific in just about everything. The real strength of the team might be just how much support will be close behind that trio, as athletes such as Lauren Savage (sprints), Marie Grzybek (mid-distance free), Kristini Buzuloiu (fly, IM), Anna Miller (sprints), Lauren Streitmatter (distance), Sarah Rothmeyer (backstroke), MJ Poss (sprint free, back), Allie Kim (back/sprint free) and Meagan Helsdingen (distance) are sure to make the Vikings a formidable dual-meet opponent. Carly Goodsite and Colleen Kochanski figure to lead a strong diving group which includes Rachel Kagan and Dani Heinl. Add to all that still more support from soph swimmers Eme Beaupre and Abby Dannebring and frosh Julia Burca, Megan Pankratz and Lisa Flowers, and the expectation is for both high achievement and continued development. "We have an excited and strong group of kids this year," Kittrell says. "Our focus is always on building great kids who become great teammates and athletes. This kids have committed to one another over the last few months, and the atmosphere on deck, while competitive, is rooted in demonstrating a strong and united team character. This commitment has led our kids to have some very fun goals, as we have many returning state qualifiers this year and seek to be competitive in both the MSL and the state at the end of the year at New Trier. I believe that we stand a very good chance of putting some kids into Saturday if we can stay healthy. As always, we will swim with our heads, finish with our hearts, and have fun while we do it."

HerseyThe Huskies are in pursuit of a third straight Mid-Suburban East triumph, and at the very least they have the kind of team that will be at the forefront of that battle. They return many of their top competitors from last season, inlcuding three-time state qualifier Olivia Kusio (breast, IM, sprints) along with state-qualifying diver Madeline Bovino. Other key competitors include seniors Abby Johnstone (free), Mili Meredith (back) and Katie Lindgren, juniors Claire Lutz (sprints), Julia Gerstung (fly) and Amy Kang (IM, breast) and sophs Maddie Irvine (distance), Bianca Teves (fly, IM) and Isa Hahn (breast). Coach Dick Mortensen counts first-year competitors Shannon Blumenfeld (distance, back), Anna Kreie (distance) and Ella Salm (sprints) as immediate varsity difference-makers, too. "With the addition of our new freshmen, we have significantly upgraded our 500, backstroke and medley relay," Mortensen said. "Pair this with our solid core of sophomores, juniors and seniors and our dual meet lineup should be pretty formidable." Even outside the MSL, Hersey is making waves. Last year's team ended up ranked 40th nationally in the National Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association's rankings in their class based on dual meet strength, a high-water mark for the program. Don't let early dual tests against powers Warren and Barrington teams fool you - this is one very capable Hersey group. "We have high expectation in regards to conference, sectionals and state," Mortensen said. "Maddie Bovino in diving and Olivia Kusio bring their multiple state meet experiences to the table - and they hope to bring some friends with them this year."

Hoffman EstatesCoach Chris Fetterman is eager to see how improved roster numbers translate against Mid-Suburban League foes and beyond. He's reporting 10 seniors, four juniors and four sophomores ready for varsity action. "For the first time in a long time we will be able to fill a varsity lineup, so that is exciting," Fetterman said. "As a staff, we will always have high expectations for our toughness and grit, in and out of the water. This group will not disappoint." The top seniors look to be Renata Widelak (fly), Ali Bajor (back), Harumi Minobe (breast) and diver Sofia Rodriguez. Among the top new-to-varsity faces are seniors Hannah Ouimet and Ali Niemet and junior Krisna Patel. "We have a lot of learning to do, and a lot of catching up to do," Fetterman said. "But come conference and sectionals, the sky is the limit. I think we will surprise ourselves."

Palatine'Strong' is the word coach Brittany Berleman uses to describe how her swimmers showed up for the season. That strength starts with two returning standouts, both individual state qualifiers. Ellis Nelson, a senior, excels in the IM, while Jane Smith returns as a sophomore looking better than ever for her top events, the 200 and 500 freestyles. The team is also looking for a big boost from junior Megan Obernesser (200 free) and Kate Burianova (sprints), an exchange student from the Czech Republic. Olivia Jarzab (sprint free, fly) and Steele Rehberger will be another big help to the lineup - as will diving, where Julia Hanson and Christina DiGioia will lead that effort, with sophomore Sydney Aikman and freshman Anais Gonzalez pushing the group to the next level.

ProspectThe Knights lost more seniors from last year's team - 21 of them - than there are total varsity competitors for most squads. While replacing them won't be easy, the picture is anything but dire for coach Alfonso Lopez's program. That's mostly because it was such a large team to begin with, and the returning classes from last season looks to have made significant strides. Senior captains Kaitlin Sattley, Colleen Doyle and Abby Gonzalez will be joined by classmate Katie Kenny in leading the way via experience. The junior class has bunches of proven competitors, such as Amanda Baenke, Katie Mueller, Mary Dembowski, Annie McGuire and diver Madison Malone. Sophomore Jillian Schmit is another capable diver, and freshman swimmers Jackie Vierneisel, Erin Danielewicz and Caitlin Bauer will have a significantly positive lineup impact right away. "The return of our junior class - along with their off-season training - has solidified our varsity lineup," Lopez said. "The introduction of our three top freshmen has elevated the competition for individual spots as well as relay spots. Their ability to swim a variety of events at a high level has put us in a great position to start the season." The program's goals are the same as usual, and ones Prospect has been successful in attaining: Compete for the MSL East title with strong dual effort, show well at invitationals, then compete at the highest level for the season-ending suite of conference, sectional and state. "We are led by a very seasoned and confident senior class that understands what it takes to be successful throughout the season and into championship season," Lopez said.

Rolling MeadowsAlong with Elk Grove, the Mustangs were temporarily displaced by construction work at Elk Grove early this season. The bad news: not an ideal start to the season in terms of conditioning. The good news: the team had an outdoors training solution, so the tans are fabulous. Coach Monika Chiappetta and Co. are back to Elk Grove now, and the results from a first MSL dual at Palatine were certainly eye-pleasing. She reports that like many teams, this group is looking to replace the valuable contributions from last year's seniors. Senior Emily Wilt is an senior sprinter/flyer with big-meet experience, and junior Kate Mallek is focusing her considerable athletic skills on swimming alone this year. Sophomores Abby Wiltse and Jenna Pors are both top-notch contributors. Versatile freshman Ashley Hintz leads the way as an immediate difference-maker for that frosh class that includes Sammi France (free/breast), Abby Losos (free) and Jenna Windhorst (free/breast). Rolling Meadows is a team with a collection of athletes who seem to be on the edge of breakthrough seasons. "We lost a strong senior class with impeccable work ethic and leadership," said Chiappetta, "but the freshman class is one of the biggest we have seen in a long time, and most come with year-round swimming backgrounds."

SchaumburgIt wasn't exactly an ideal introduction to MSL swimming last year as coach Tim O'Grady spent his first season leading the Saxons. Schaumburg's pool was being renovated, which meant a season's worth of training and competing 'home' meets at Hoffman Estates. But now the Saxons' refurbished pool is ready to roll, and O'Grady and Co. hope to take full advantage. After an exceptional freshman season which featured qualification to the state meet, versatile school record-holder Hana Mollin (IM, fly, back) returns and gives Schaumburg a great starting point in dual meets. Other key familiar faces include seniors Ingrid Hay (back) and Sarah Nelson (free) along with juniors Alex Wimmer (free), Kailey Cordova (free, breast), Kayle Heumann (back, free) and Olivia Bugajny (free). Sophomore Lynda Steen (free, fly) and Chloe Hansen (free) join the varsity effort, and O'Grady expects freshmen Andrea Torres, Keya Patel, Daphne Legaspi, Sarah Husain and Preslee Bank to be a big plus. The upshot is that O'Grady is hoping for more top-end fierceness from Mollin and a deep enough lineup that some school relay records may also be broken this year.

WheelingCoach Rob Lindgren is eager to see just what can come about with the very healthy outlook he's seeing from his athletes this fall. "We are a young and very motivated team," he said. "What we lack in experience, we make up for in determination. The girls did a nice job preparing in the off-season and look to be ready to take the next step." Leading the way will be diver Anna Emery along with swimmers Meghan Hergert, Katerina Papioannou and Joanna Tamayo. Lindgren counts Estephenia Diaz, Amber Ahkter and Corina Whidden as promising new varsity competitors. And if there are strong performances, you can be sure Wheeling's athletes will know about it. "We will be tracking our times and improvement over the course of the season," Lindgren said. "We are excited to see where this team can go. We look forward to continuing to put expectations and routines in place that help support that sustained improvement and success."