Think fast: Barrington, Hersey ready for sectional
Barrington is taking a team-first approach toward the sectional meet it is hosting today.
The Fillies have switched their conference lineup slightly, moving sophomore sprinter Erika Elliott out of the 100 freestyle and onto three relays in hopes of maximizing the team's point-scoring potential in next weekend's state meet at New Trier.
"We're excited about our chances," said Barrington coach Jim Bart.
The decisions coaches make for the sectional are not easy.
For example, a swimmer may have a chance at individual qualification for the state meet, but if that same swimmer is also a member of a relay that is already well under a state-qualifying standard, there are choices to made.
Should the swimmer take a full taper for the sectional in hopes of qualifying for the state meet as an individual? If the answer is yes, it might comporomise the relay's ability to be its best at the state meet, since it's very difficult to maintain peak performance two weeks in a row.
On the other hand, by saving the full taper for the state meet, there's another risk: If there's a false start, or illness with a key teammate at sectional, then all the strategizing goes out the window and a swimmer has probably missed out on a great opportunity to advance individually.
Because Barrington has opportunities to score major points with relays at the state meet, it makes the decision a little more simple.
Bart's policy is that any swimmer who is competing on a relay that's already been under the state cut saves their full taper for the state meet. The same goes for any individual who already has a state cut.
Naturally, any swimmer who hasn't already been under the state cut and isn't on a relay takes the full taper for the sectional meet.
See? Simple.
"We feel like we're where we need to be right now," Bart said.
Hersey on track: Hersey is rightfully brimming with confidence right now.
The Huskies are coming off their best-ever finish in the Mid-Suburban League meet two weeks ago, where they finished second, behind Barrington and just ahead of Fremd. Coach Dick Mortensen's team has had more than its fair share of illness and injury this fall, and he welcomes the opportunity for his girls to simply swim fast.
"We're good to go," he said. "I feel very confident, and I think the girls do, too. This is the first time we've gone into a meet this year without some kind of adversity."
The Huskies are also eager to see how their first taper under Mortensen's guidance turns out. The Prospect boys team Mortensen coached last winter came through with spectacular end-of-season time drops. The Hersey girls team this fall has followed the same general formula in hopes of getting similar results.
If the day goes perfectly, Kathryn Korff (50, 100 free), Amanda Petro (100, 200 free), Christine Rovani (breastroke) and perhaps backstrokers Bethany Figiel and Erin Horne will advance to the state meet, along with both of Hersey's freestyle relays.
The Huskies enter the meet with the knowledge that they've beaten every team in attendance with the exception of Barrington, and Addison Trail-Willowbrook, against whom they haven't competed this season. Another plus is that the setting is familiar.
"One of the keys at this time of year is confidence," Mortensen said. "I think our kids have that. And if you want to swim fast, Barrington's the place to do it."
Swimming
State meet standards
These are the times to equal or better in order to qualify for the state meet. If no performer in a given event betters the time standard, the event winner automatically advances:
200 medley relay: 1:51.87
200 freestyle: 1:57.03
200 IM: 2:12.69
50 freestyle: 24.84
100 butterfly: 1:00.01
100 freestyle: 53.99
500 freestyle: 5:13.93
200 free relay: 1:40.19
100 backstroke: 1:00.59
100 breaststroke: 1:08.49
400 freestyle relay: 3:39.90
Diving
State meet advancement
The champion from each sectional automatically advances, plus any diver whose score is among the next 32 from all sectional meets, excluding sectional champions.