Girls swimming and diving: Vernon Hills happy with third at sectional
There's no crying in swimming.
Well, except maybe if you're A.J. Block.
Block was in tears most of the meet, but they were tears of joy as she watched her Vernon Hills team finish third in the Highland Park sectional on Saturday afternoon.
On the line were tickets to New Trier and the state swimming and diving meet next Friday and Saturday.
"I wear my emotions on my sleeve and today I'm just so proud of our girls," said Block, who was awarded Sectional Coach of the Year shortly after the meet.
"Today was just an emotional day. The whole season of emotions wrapped into one day."
Vernon Hills tallied 177.5 points behind sectional champion New Trier with 318 and runner-up Evanston with 226. Lake Forest was fourth (158.5), followed by Mundelein 124.50, Warren (120), Libertyville (87), and host Highland Park (70).
"We're always challenging ourselves. We didn't have one disappointing swim today," Block said.
Last week, the Cougars completed a 5-0 dual season by winning the Central Suburban League North meet.
And senior diver Ally Landis can almost taste another state medal.
She tallied 464.80 points to qualify just behind New Trier's Erin McNally (468.50).
"I started seeing improvement in my dives after sophomore year and that helped motivate me to do better," said Landis, who owns every girls diving record at Vernon Hills and is headed to the University of Illinois next fall.
"It's also fun competing against the other girls. Trying to beat them motivates me as well. My goal is to win it (diving) as long as I don't put too much pressure on myself."
Last week, Landis broke the Highland Park pool record by winning the conference diving title with 466.95 points.
The Cougars are hoping to get senior Avery Longdon through as well. She's hoping for an at-large berth after amassing 407.85 points.
Senior Cameron Hamilton of Libertyville is also hoping for an at-large berth after finishing fourth (409.35).
When it came down to swimming, Claudia Yoon, Emma Zhang, Alexsandra Skatchkov, and Casey Craffey started things off by qualifying in the 200 medley relay after touching in 1:47.35. The 400 freestyle relay of Isabella Ramos, Yoon, Zhang, and Craffey then qualified for state (3:33.08).
Craffey then qualified in winning the 200 freestyle, where she swam a personal best and pool record 1:49.68.
"I was really nervous and then surprised when I made it," said Craffey, a junior who'll be making her second trip to state.
She also qualified in the 500 freestyle where she touched in 4:55.31.
"I've been working really hard on things like pace work and training distances," she said.
Skatchkov also qualified in the 200 IM where she touched in 2:07.80. Skatchkov (56.98) and Zhang (57.68) both then made it to New Trier in the 100 butterfly.
Yoon also qualified in the 100 backstroke with a time of 56.79.
Mundelein had an outstanding meet with a host of state qualifiers.
Right off the bat, the quartet of Anna Kokosinski, Adry Kasemets, Riley Rutledge, and Angela Bowes qualified in the 200 medley relay (1:46.78), good for a Mundelein school record.
"It was kind of nice to get things rolling right away," said Mustangs coach Rahul Sethna.
After being caught leaning and then falling into the pool Kasemets used that energy in a positive way in finishing second in the 200 IM.
"I was upset I fell in but used that energy toward the race," said Kasemets, who also won the 100 breaststroke in 1:01.89. "That time in the breaststroke was unreal. I realized the hard work you have to put into this sport and it's paying off."
All of her times were PRs on Saturday.
Warren started the meet off in fine fashion as well when the quartet of Grace Bevers, Alyssa Wallander, Hailey Benoit, and Trinity Springer qualified in the 200 medley relay.
"Like we have all season, we just went out and swam. Don't panic and trust the training and the rest will take care of itself," said Warren coach Chris Bertana.
Springer then qualified for state in the 50 freestyle, where she finished second with a time of 24.08.
"That was the best swim I've ever had," said Springer after the 50 free. "It feels so good. I've worked so hard. I wanted to hit 24 seconds. One last breath at state. I'd love to get 23. If that happens, I'm more than satisfied."
Bevers (57.29) and Benoit (57.90) also qualified in the 100 backstroke.
Lake Forest will also be well represented at state.
The 200 medley relay of Ashley Updike, Mary Grace King, Kendra Joachim, and Lauren Kingsley touched in 1:47.47.
The 400 freestyle relay of King, Updike, Isabella Lewin, and Joachim also qualified (3:32.27).
Joachim (1:51.92) and King (1:53.47) also qualified in the 200 freestyle to lead seven swimmers to make it in that event.
Updike was also a qualifier in the 50 freestyle (24.24), while Joachim also made it in the 100 butterfly (57.14).
Updike then qualified after finishing fourth in the 100 freestyle (52.41).
King also won the 500 freestyle in pool record time 4:54.62.
Sophomore Eleni Gewalt of Richmond-Burton qualified in the 100 breaststroke (1:04.58).
Warren's Keegan Knott, Mundelein's Mackenzie Strong, New Trier's Sela Cornell, and Julia Tanna from Lake Forest all qualified in four events for athletes with disabilities. The four will compete at New Trier in the 200 freestyle, 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle, and 100 breaststroke.
New Trier's Bruce Kimball was named Sectional Diving Coach of the Year.