Girls swimming: Rosary going for the state 3-peat

Less than 24 hours remain from the start of Friday's prelims at New Trier to the moment when the championship team takes the first place trophy for a swim in the Trevians' pool - and the state's best are ready.

"In my opinion, the Illinois high school state meet is the most intense meet in the country," said Crystal Lake co-op senior Valerie Tarazi, one of the state's elite. "Swimming in Olympic trials was awesome, but there's no environment that will prepare you for state. You learn quickly how to handle the pressure."

In the race for the team title, two-time defending state champion Rosary is the favorite. Words such as "deep" and "talented" describe Rosary's squad.

"It really helps when you've got a freshman on our medley relay and you also have on that relay two juniors and a senior who are telling that freshman, 'OK, let's do this,' " Rosary coach Bill Schalz said.

Rosary's success has always been built on deep squads and this year's team is right in that mold. There are returning individual event stars in Camryn Streid, Emily Ryan, Athena Ye, Kathryn Mueller, Sydney VanOvermeiren, Linda Licari and Sammie Laurich. There are also freshmen Jessica Geriane and Elyssa Brault in competition for individual medals as well.

"Swimming is an individual sport," Schalz said. "But you hear football teams all the time say 'everyone has to do their job.' If the left tackle doesn't do his job and quarterback ends on his butt, the play falls apart. In our sport, each of our athletes has to do their job. We need them to do their job, win their heats, make finals, do what we need them to do."

Schalz said it could happen that the Beads won't win an event this weekend but could still win the state title.

"We have some state champions returning, but we could have great days both days, not win an event, and still win the state trophy, and not one of our girls would be bothered by that. We have kids who can score in every event and two kids who can score in some events," Schalz said.

St. Charles North has a busload of expectations of its own after a dominant performance at the sectional the North Stars hosted. St. Charles North finished third in 2015 and join Oswego and New Trier as other top teams this weekend.

The North Stars qualified all three relays and 13 individual entries for Friday's prelims.

"This was a real team effort this year," St. Charles North junior Kayleigh Lewis said. "We really grew as a team. Last year was a little chaotic, but this year, everyone seemed better prepared because we've done this before."

The North Stars have a number of swimmers expected to do well this weekend as none of the North Stars tapered for the sectional, so their times should drop considerably at New Trier.

Of those swimmers, none has per1formed better through her career than senior distance swimmer Audrey Guyett.

"Everyone's put in the time in and out of the pool," Guyett said. "Now it's time to drive it home, maybe get a trophy. It's definitely in the back of our minds."

St. Charles East qualified have two relays and six individual swims, two each by freshman Madison Supple, sophomore Mary Jania and senior Kayla Jones.

"Though the whole season, we've taken it one day at a time," Supple said. "Our coach said that we did it two hours by two hours by two hours, and that's what got us here."

Supple swims in the 200 freestyle and the 500 freestyle. Jania and Jones have swims in the 200 IM and the 100 breaststroke.

"I feel more experienced and more like I belong," Jania said. "Last year was like my entrance."

Bartlett-Streamwood sends more swimmers to state this year that it did in 2016, when the Sabrehawks finished seventh. In addition to all three relays, Sidney Kelly qualified in the 200 freestyle and the 500 freestyle while sophomore Kellsie Krisch qualified in the 100 breaststroke.

"It's been so much fun this year," Kelly said. "We have one senior, two seniors, three sophomores and four freshmen on the sectional team. We're building the team, which is awesome. I'm still very nervous for the state meet."

Krisch swam a steady sectional race to qualify for her first individual swim at the state meet.

"I set some expectations, but it's all for the experience. I'll just love being there with my teammates," Krisch said.

When she finished her swims at the St. Charles North Sectional, one of the first things Tarazi checked the times registered by Urbana's Ema Rajic. Rajic was fastest in the 200 IM, second-fastest tin the 100 breaststroke. Tarazi is seeded fourth in the IM and third in the breaststroke. Figuring in the ix is Metamora's Noelle Peplowski should also feature to make for a pair of terrific races.

"I learned you don't want to be seeded first, because you're either tapered or you've put a target on your back. I think it will be a race for first place between Ema and I. There will be other people in there, but I'm always looking at Ema," Tarazi said.

West Chicago-Batavia sophomore Kelly Sego is her team's lone qualifier and she swims in the 200IM and the 100 backstroke. Sego qualified in the same events as a freshman.

"This year, I decided to taper for state rather than the sectional," Sego said. "I'm really excited to get prepared now for state. I am really shooting for (a swim in Saturday's finals.) I love it when you have all the people there. I love it when they say 'take your mark' and it's completely silent. And then you hear all the noise when you're taking off from your block. Then I'm just focused on my swimming and I get into the zone."

Jacobs freshman Jennifer Tokarz swims in prelims for the 500 freestyle.

"I'm not expecting to place or anything," Tokarz said. "I want to go, get a best time and get experience. If I do better than I did at the sectional, that'd be great. But if it doesn't, I won't be mad."

West Aurora's Gina Jenkins qualified in the 500 freestyle and is her team's lone representative.