Richardson's Pirates experience victory

In what will be the final year in a distinguished coaching career with Palatine girls swimming, Ed Richardson may be facing his biggest challenge yet.

Fully half of the Pirates' roster is comprised of swimmers who have never competed in the sport. Yet already, those same swimmers have tasted victory.

Needing a win in the meet's final race Thursday, Palatine's experienced quartet of Nicole Theis, Katy Jo Peters, Nicole Huffman and Monica Dorszewski delivered a convincing win in the 400-meter freestyle relay to give the Pirates a 94-87 victory over an impressive Wheeling squad.

"The swimmers we have, their attitude and enthusiasm is outstanding," said Richardson, whose teams finished second in the state in 1983, '88, '95 and '96. "And we have a nice group that really does have some experience and ability. It's really kind of a unique situation."

Among the experienced is diver Mallory Fisher, who led teammates Alyssa Alden and Stephanie Hamer through a 1-2-3 sweep of diving.

"We needed that," said Richardson. "Wheeling actually outswam us - they've really made some great improvement."

The Wildcats had double individual winners in Kayla Dale (50 free, 100 free) and Leah Malsom (200, 500 free). And Wheeling's Christa Khatcherian, Dale, Jana Tornquist and Malsom easily won the 200 free relay.

Keys for Palatine were a win by Huffman, Theis, Dorszewski and Katie Brown in the medley relay, and double individual victories by Dorszewski (200 IM, 100 breaststroke) and Huffman (100 back, 100 fly).

"For our more experienced kids, this is kind of a chance to see where they are right now," said Richardson, whose teams won six consecutive Mid-Suburban League championships in the late 1980s and early '90s. "With everyone else, we're still finding out what we've got."