Rowland's patience is rewarded

For Melanie Rowland, this was well worth the wait.

Three years ago, she delivered her fastest times at the high school girls swimming state meet. For three years, she's been trying to improve upon them, and hasn't.

Until Friday, at New Trier High School, that is.

Improving by leaps and bounds over her qualifying performances, Rowland charged into today's championship heat of the 200-yard freestyle after turning in the sixth-fastest time of the day, 1:52.45. She'll also swim in the consolation heat of the 500 freestyle, where she had the eighth-best performance, 5:03.62.

"I couldn't believe it - when I saw I'd made the finals, I just started crying," she said. "This makes four years of work so worth it."

Of her previous best performances three years ago, Rowland says, "they kind of were haunting me. You start to wonder if you're ever going to get back there again."

Rowland's goals for today's session are simple - try to finish higher than where she qualified, and perhaps in the 500, break the five-minute mark for the first time.

"What Melanie did today was so incredibly important for our program," said Vernon Hills coach Kedric Greenawalt. "We thought she was capable of getting into the top six, and then seeing her actually do it was tremendous."

Libertyville senior Maggie Boling is also making the most of her last moments in the state spotlight. Though her time was a shade slower than her sectional time in the 100 breaststroke, it was good enough to get her into the championship heat. She finished in 1:05.90, the fifth-fastest performance.

"I'm glad I get another chance to race," said Boling. "It felt pretty solid, and it was my goal all along to get into the final heat. Now I've just got to take advantage of that and race."

Stevenson senior Kerrin Seymour is in the thick of the hunt for a diving state title. She's got the third-best total entering Saturday's final three dives, but the leader, Erin Purdy of Deerfield, is just 2 points ahead of Seymour, and second place, Abby Grilli of Hinsdale Central, is just 1 point ahead.

Mundelein wasn't able to advance any competitors into today's events, but coach Nancy Cope wasn't disappointed.

"Our kids did the best they could," she said after watching Cassie Brueckbauer's 100 breaststroke (18th, 1:07.45). "Realistically, last weekend was our week to be fast. But I'm really proud of our girls."

A disappointed Dominique Bessette of Antioch was pondering her races - the 200 IM and 100 backstroke - after she was finished.

"It just didn't feel very good in the water, for whatever reason," she said. "Today just wasn't my day."

Barrington senior Emily Fogle is the top seed in the 100 breaststroke after producing a time of 1:02.27, about three-tenths of a second off the state record held by Stevenson's Ashley Wanland.

But Barrington's team hopes took a huge hit when the medley relay, which would have qualified for the finals with the top time, was disqualifed after a bad exchange.

In the team race, Rosary delivered a dominant performance and is positioned to win its fourth straight title when finals begin at 1 p.m. today.