Rowland sets the standard at Vernon Hills

If you're only going to have one senior swimmer on the varsity, it might as well be Vernon Hills' Melanie Rowland.

"All I can tell you is that she's a once-in-a-lifetime kid," Cougars coach Kedric Greenawalt said. "I have no idea what I'll do without her next year."

Rowland, a varsity fixture since the first practice of her freshman year, has more than made her mark on the Cougars' young program. She holds every school record in swimming except for the 50-yard freestyle and the 100 breaststroke. Counting relays, she has competed at the state meet in eight different events.

"She's tremendously versatile," Greenawalt said. "She's been successful in (almost all) the events."

And yet, despite her success, there is plenty left for her to accomplish at the high school level. Rowland has not finished in the top 12 in any event at the state meet since her freshman season. She vividly remembers returning to the state meet on the second day last year and watching the final heats from the stands.

Rowland, 5-foot-10, has no desire to repeat that experience.

"I've been really close the last two years, and I really want to make it back for a second swim," she said. "That would mean a lot to me."

Rowland, whose father was a swimmer at the University of Kansas, is being recruited by a number of Division I schools including her father's alma mater. Her younger sister, sophomore Stacy Rowland, dives for the Cougars.

"At first the (recruiting process) was really daunting, but now that I have narrowed my choices down it's become very fun," Melanie Rowland said.

Rowland made major improvements in the off-season. Perhaps her biggest highlight was the way she swam at a Speedo Sectional in July. In the 200-meter backstroke, she shaved seven seconds off her previous best with a time of 2:21.86.

"I dropped time in everything that meet," she said. "I haven't had a meet that good in four years."

No wonder that Rowland has so much confidence.

"At this point last season I wasn't swimming anywhere near this well," she said. "We'll see what that means for the end of the season."