Scouting girls swimming and diving
Girls swimming and diving: Scouting the state meet
Where: New Trier High School, Winnetka
Friday: Diving prelims at 9 a.m., swimming prelims at 3:30 p.m.
Saturday: Swimming and diving finals at 11 a.m.
Big picture: Rosary is the defending state champion and brings three strong relays and multiple athletes who could score in more than one event. Though coach Bill Schalz's team might have a slightly less top starpower than recent editions, it's a powerful, capable group. Other top teams include Oswego East, New Trier, St. Charles North and Normal. In the most recent team rankings, Barrington checks in a No. 8.
They're back: Defending event champs include Oswego East senior Georgia White (200 free, 100 free), Normal senior Emma Rajic (200 IM, 100 breast), Oak Park-River Forest junior Natalie Ungaretti (50 free) and Rosary senior Camryn Streid (100 fly).
Big opportunities: Barrington is positioned well to have a great weekend of racing. The Mid-Suburban champs qualified all three relays, with the medley and 400 free relays having the best chance to pick up points on Saturday. The medley of senior Maggie Emary, junior Catherine Kitzman, freshman Emma Pritchett and senior Ally Penrod is the highest-seeded of them and surprised even first-year coach Alex Mikolajewski with a winning sectional time of 1:45.19. "We had great exchanges, and that was the first time we had them suited up," he said. "Even so, maybe a bit faster than expected." Double individual qualifiers for the Fillies include Emary (200, 500 free), Penrod (100 free, 100 breast), Kitzman (200 IM, 100 breast) and junior Bridget O'Leary (200 free, 500 free). Swimming one individual race will be Pritchett (100 fly). All of them have a chance to earn top-12 finishes, with Emary, Penrod and O'Leary each having chances at the top 6.
High-profile Patriots: Stevenson is a bit limited in its total number of entries yet has excellent scoring options. Tulane-bound senior Iza Pelka is the top seed in the 200 free (1:49.18) and the fifth-fastest seed in the 100 fly (55.81). Junior teammate Ashley Carollo is the No. 2 seed in the 100 back (55.41) and also qualified in the 100 free, and senior Eva Holsen will race again in the 500 free. Both of Stevenson's freestyle relays have great chances to pick up points, too, so coach Kevin Zakrzewski is looking forward to a two-day commitment to excellence from his group.
Cougars on patrol: Vernon Hills produced a stellar sectional meet, winning its own pool and sending a busload of athletes to state by qualifying all three relays. Tops individually are freshman Casey Craffey (200, 500 free), senior Nicole Pinter (200 free, 100 breast), sophomore Aleksandra Skatchkov (200 IM, 100 fly) and junior Drew Petereit (50 free, 100 breast).
Vikings repeat: The Fremd medley relay of sophomore Sophia Kuehn, senior Rebecca Ballo, junior Kristina Buzuloiu and senior Emily Bolger is back in action for the second straight year on the final weekend of the season. Ballo and Bolger also will race individually - Ballo in the 100 breast, and Bolger in the 100 free.
Cool Cats: Libertyville sophomore Emma Gleason is among the tops seeds in the 100 fly and 200 free, and Alex Eastmond will compete in the 100 back. They'll join senior Allison Morettini and sophomore Paige Rankin on Libertyville's medley.
Pirates take pride: Palatine sophomore Jane Smith competes in both the 200 and 500 freestyles. She's in the middle of the pack with her seed in the 200 free, much nearer to the top in the 500, where she's seeded 10th. Also racing for the Pirates is senior Kate Burianova in the 50 free.
Blue-ribbon Devils: Warren is limited in individual entries but teamed up to get all three relays qualified. The medley features junior Carissa Barker and seniors Jacqueline Goldman, Emily Wong and Megan Wong. On the sprint free relay it's Barker, senior Danielle Glisovich, Church and Megan Wong; on the 400 it's Church, Glisovich and the Wong sisters. Freshman Annalise Stingle also qualified in the 100 fly.
Superlative Saxon: Schaumburg sophomore Hana Mollin will race in the 200 IM after winning that even in 2:06.92 at the Downers Grove North sectional. She's 2-for-2 in qualifying for the state meet.
Board meeting: Palatine freshman Anais Gonzalez Posso excelled in winning the Barrington sectional with what turned out to be the state's ninth-best score. Others diving qualifiers from the MSL include Fremd senior Carly Goodsite, Buffalo Grove sophomore Vivian Wilson, Hersey sophomore Amelie Smithson, Prospect junior Madison Malone, Barrington sophomore Anna Mae King, Palatine sophomore Sydney Aikman and Prospect junior Julia Schroeter. North Suburban Conference entrants are Libertyville senior Claire Neuberger, Mundelein senior Maggie Franz, Warren senior Carly Braun, Stevenson junior Sherry Mestan and Warren senior Teagon Albert. Vernon Hills will be represented by sophomore sectional champ Ally Landis.
- Aaron Gabriel