Palatine's Fisher doesn't flinch, wins MSL title
Palatine junior Mallory Fisher had been here before.
In the same Barrington pool last season, she'd finished second in the Mid-Suburban League diving meet. The experience helped prepare her for what was ahead.
"I think last year I might have thought about the end result a little bit too much," Fisher said after claiming the league championship Friday night with a score of 424.05. "This time I think I was more aggressive, more focused on each individual dive - I was thinking about the process and letting the result take care of itself."
Which was probably a wise move, because the competition was awfully crowded at the top. Fisher edged Hersey senior Kate Reszotko by less than 3 points, and Barrington senior Anna Etherington (404.85) also broke the 400-point plateau.
Fisher had held a 15-point lead over Reszotko after 8 dives, but struggled with her 10th dive, a back somersault with 21/2 twists in the free position. It was the final dive Fisher added to her list.
"Obviously, I can still be a little better than tonight on that one," said Fisher.
That Reszotko was so close was especially impressive, given the arc of her season. For most of the first half of it, coach Tom Schwab was very limited in the amount of work he could proscribe as Reszotko continued to recover from a broken foot suffered in gymnastics.
"Things went fantastic for us tonight," said Schwab. "I don't know how it could have gone any better."
Reszotko's final dive, a 21/2 front tuck, drew scores between 61/2 and 71/2, nearly vaulting her to victory. Because of her foot issues, that was one of the last dives she added to her list. Her senior teammate, Mackenzie Ireland, finished eighth at 350.95.
"That's the best athletic performance she's had anywhere, any time, at any level," Schwab said of Ireland's effort.
Fremd's Stephanie Uhrich placed fourth at 385.35; her sister Elizabeth was sixth at 369.80. Both are sophomores
Prospect's Pekars also placed closely to one another. Junior Christina Pekar finished fifth at 380.55, and junior Sarah Pekar placed ninth at 342.85.
Palatine's Stephanie Hamer finished seventh (364.05), and Wheeling's Jenna Tornquist (307.55) rounded out the top 10.
The swimming portion of the meet starts at 1 p.m. Saturday. Hersey's in third place with 18 points, Fremd is second with 20 and Palatine's in first place with 23 points. Thanks to Fisher.
"I always thought it was a possibility for her," said Palatine coach Donna O'Brien, who in her 27 years with the Pirates has also coached Alyx Korn (2006) and Laura Prosperi (1985) to league titles. "It's great to see it turn out this way."
"She's a great coach," Fisher said of O'Brien. "She knows how to push it with us - without killing us. That can be a fine line, I think, but she really knows what she'd doing."