Kalenda, Cary-Grove take aim at state qualification
Cary-Grove senior Kimberly Kalenda has momentum on her side.
Kalenda is fresh off a strong performance at the Fox Valley Conference meet where she was named co-MVP after winning the 50 and 100 free races.
Kalenda will now look for a return trip to the state finals at Saturday's St. Charles North sectional.
Kalenda qualified for state as a junior and a freshman in the 100.
"She definitely wants to go for both of them," said Cary-Grove coach Beth Donatucci. "She's very confident in her 50."
Donatucci said Kalenda is hundredths of a second off the state-qualifying standard in the 50 and still needs to drop a second in the 100.
Kalenda is also part of Cary-Grove's 200 relay team that won a conference title. Kalenda swims with freshman Molly English, senior Julie Oswald and sophomore Courtney Mega. That group also swims the 400 relay (second in the FVC).
Jacobs sophomore Kristen Horney is also coming off a strong conference showing. She swam a 25.8 in the 50 and then clocked a 23.9 relay split. That relay split time is under the state freestyle standard of (24.84).
"To drop that much time is incredible," said Jacobs coach Shawn Brodie. "I couldn't believe it. It was fantastic for her."
Senior Emily Susmarski will swim the 100 and 200 for Jacobs, while sophomore Amanda Podczerwinski will compete in the 200 IM and the backstroke. Podczerwinski swam a strong backstroke split in the medley relay at conference.
Dundee-Crown senior Karlee Munson will compete in the 200 free and 100 backstroke.
"She missed state by a hundredth of a second in the 100 back last year," said D-C coach Kendra Everett. "She's definitely focused this year. She's been really strong in the water. Her mental focus has improved. She put in a lot of work in the off-season. She's put it all together."
The Bartlett-Streamwood co-op team is led by Bartlett students Stephanie Hasenberg (senior) and Katie Popovich (junior). Hasenberg will swim the 200 and 500, while Popovich will swim the 100 backstroke. Hasenberg qualified for state as a sophomore in the 500. She was second in the 500 at the recent Upstate Eight Conference meet.
"From all the girls, I'd like to see individual best times," said Bartlett-Streamwood coach Nancy Kalush. "We've been focusing this year on racing against your own times to achieve a personal best - no better time to do it than sectionals."
The Elgin-Larkin co-op team will have senior Katie Jowaski (100 butterfly, 200, relays), juniors Lauren Sprague (IM-backstroke, relays), Alex Haugan (200, 500, relays), Sarah Glowinski (IM, breaststroke, relay), Kaitlyn Krien (50, 100) and sophomore Lisa Rizzo (50, 100 butterfly) competing at St. Charles. All but Jowaski are Elgin High students.
South Elgin freshman Hannah Rueger is around a second off state time in the 50. She'll also compete in the 100.
Junior Taylor Greene has scored as high as 313.95 in diving competition this year.
"Taylor recently started doing double inward, double back and double front," said South Elgin coach Meghan Kubek. "She's starting to do some of the harder dives and is nailing them. I'm excited about her."
Greene was fifth at the recent UEC meet.
"Our main goal is to get season-best and lifetime-best performances," said Elgin-Larkin coach Rick Andresen. "It's all about doing your best at this time of the year."
District 155 co-op (Crystal Lake South, Crystal Lake Central and Prairie Ridge) senior Kelly Hogan won the FVC 200 free title and was second in the 100 butterfly. Hogan was a state qualifier as a sophomore in the 100 free.
"Kelly had a good conference meet," said District 155 coach Lindsey Mernitz. "She'll be rested and tapered and ready to go."
On the individual front, Burlington Central sisters Alex, Kristin and Courtney Van Oost were also slated to swim Saturday. Alex Van Oost qualified for state in the 200 and 100 backstroke last year and is in search of her fourth-straight state finals trip and a fourth-straight year of qualifying for state in multiple events.
St. Edward will send two individuals to St. Charles in juniors Megan Venlos and Maggie Coyle. Venlos qualified for state as a freshman and a sophomore in the 200 free.
At the sectional level, the winner in each event and any swimmer or relay team satisfying the minimum state qualifying time will advance to next weekend's state finals at Evanston Township High School.