Scouting Tri-Cities girls swimming
Rosary
Coach: Bill Schalz
Key losses to graduation: Olivia Scott, Diana Norkus, Mackenzie Powers.
Key returnees: Francesca Devine, Backstroke, sr.; GiSun Pak, Breaststroke, sr.; Rachel Burke, Freestyle, jr.; Emily Launer, Freestyle, jr.; Sarah Sykstus, Butterfly, IM, Freestyle, jr.; Katherine Hare, Freestyle, jr.; Grace Miller, Diving.
Key newcomers: Molly Coonce, IM, Breastroke, jr.; Kelle Lehane, Backstroke, fr.; Emily Mabrouk, Butterfly, fr. IM; Amber Calderon, Freestyle, so.
Outlook: After four straight state championships, Rosary enters the season with plenty of talent but also without three swimmers who scored close to 60 points at last year's state meet. One of those, Olivia Scott, was one of the dominant girls swimmers in Illinois history. Still, the Beads will be favored to win another title. "It's going to be different this year because we will rely on a lot of girls to score a lot of points," Rosary coach Bill Schalz said. "It's conceivable that we could win the state title and not win a race." Rosary has not got another Scott in the water this year, though this doesn't mean there aren't strong swimmers. The greatest depth of the four classes is the junior class. "I don't think we have a star swimmer," Schalz said. "I think we have a star class. I think our junior class could work together to be that star swimmer for us." Katherine Hare, Rachel Burke, Emily Launer and Sarah Sykstus were all standout sophomores a year ago and each played a key role - especially in relay races - toward the Beads' championship. GiSun Pak narrowly was 13th in state prelims last year in the 100 breaststroke and so narrowly missed swimming for a state medal. She and Francesca Devine are among the senior leaders on the team.
St. Charles East
Coach: Joe Cabel
Key losses to graduation: Kayla Scott, Juliet Suess, Hayley Krzeczowski
Key returnees: Allison Ritter, sr.; Emma Smith, jr.; Sneha Bontu, Freestyle, sr.; Emily DiLillo, Freestyle, sr.; Rachel Salveson, Breaststroke, sr.; Brooke Flesher, sr.; Anjelica Smith, Breaststroke, sr.; Katelyn Beck, Freestyle, sr.; Casey Crawford, Breaststroke, Butterfly, sr.; Nicole Chapko, so; Ashley Shanel, jr., Claire Urness, Diving, jr.
Key newcomers: Isabelle Bindseil, Freestyle, fr.; Stephanie Garvin, Freestyle, fr.; Bridgett Flesher, Backstroke, fr.
Outlook: Waking up early to go to swim practice is something which high school athletes consider normal. St. Charles East's girls swimmers are rising just that much earlier this fall to accommodate the multilayered schedule that's taking place at St. Charles North. The Saints are traveling to their crosstown sister school as a multimillion dollar repair project is taking place at East's Norris Center. As a result, not only are the Saints practices at North, but all "home" meets will take place across town too. "It's working out pretty well actually," St. Charles East coach Joe Cabel said. "North and (coach Rob Rooney) have been really nice to us and have been taking care of us." Still, it's not an ideal situation for either school's swimmers, nor for the St. Charles Swim Club, which has also moved its practices from the Norris Center to the North pool. "It's not an easy situation," Cabel said. "We don't practice once a day. It's difficult, but the girls have responded very well. They're tougher than I am." Junior Emma Smith returns as one of the elite swimmers in the state and she added a trip to Senior Nationals this summer to her resume. As a class, Cabel said his seniors have taken the leadership role to heart. "They have stepped up," Cabel said. "They haven't missed a practice. They've each taken their own role. We have some people trying to make sure everyone has their "P's and Q's" in order, and it's coming from inside the team, and that's the sign of a disciplined bunch of girls." Overall, Cabel said, "we're better one-through 15. We are tighter. We had some key losses, but we are deeper and I think we are going to surprise some people." There have been changes throughout the Saints coaching staff. Kent Pearson joins the staff as does star Saints grad Matt Munz. Amy Bromberg, a four-year diving letter winner at Ohio University also joins. Bromberg will work with sectional diving contender Claire Urness.
St. Charles North
Coach: Rob Rooney
Key losses to graduation: Angie Chokran, Jessica Clay, Jessica England, Taylor Gannon.
Key returnees: Lauren Reynolds, jr.; Lauren Zima, jr.; Jennifer Clay, sr.; Allie Smith, jr.; Kirsten Hutchinson, sr.; Meredith Beird, sr.
Top newcomers: Loriel Hutchinson, Freestyle, Backstroke, fr.; Rachel Staudacher, Freestyle, IM, fr.
Outlook: It's busy in the St. Charles North pool this fall, and that has nothing to do with the large turnout the North Stars have in the water. Sharing the water at different times during each day is the St. Charles East team as well as the St. Charles Swim Club. The reason is the repair taking place at East's Norris Center pool. "You can only make the best of what you've got," St. Charles North coach Rob Rooney said. "Obviously the situation isn't the most ideal for (St. Charles East coach Joe Cabel) or I. But more importantly is that we want to try to do what's best for the girls and we'll do the best we can." North had to travel to East at the end of the boys season last spring due to a leaking pipe that needed an emergency fix. "My situation was so minor," Rooney said. "I was down for three weeks and that was it. These guys are going to be down for months." Making the situation easier for both schools is the fact that Rooney and Cabel have known each other for years. "He and I have to lead by example," Rooney said. "I am sure (Cabel) and I will work to make this as easy as it can be, given the situation, for the girls." The quartet of St. Charles North graduates - Angie Chokran, Jessica Clay, Jessica England, Taylor Gannon - took with them an abundance of experience and many state finals appearances. "We lost a lot," Rooney said. "I'm not going to lie about it. We lost an awful lot. But the nature of high school athletics is that life moves on. As much as I love those kids and respect them, I'm still here and so is St. Charles North swimming." For top returning swimmers, many schools would love to have athletes such as Lauren Reynolds and Lauren Zima. The two juniors figure to power the North Stars this year, as will senior Kirsten Hutchinson. "We're going to scrap and get as much as we can out of it and we'll do what we can to get something together at the end," Rooney said.
West Aurora
Coach: Sydney Martin
Key Losses to graduation: Jackie Iglesias, Sarah Zirk and Bri Ross
Top returnees: Carolyn Kovanic Breaststroke, jr.; Mary Houlihan, Breaststroke, so; Amanda Doran, Freestyle, sr.; Brynn Lehman, Diving.
Top newcomers: Miranda Ambre, Freestyle, Diving, fr.; Shannon Sullivan, Diving, fr.
Outlook: Sydney Martin may be new to the West Aurora head coaching position, but she's very familiar with the Blackhawks program, having most recently served as Joe Neukirch's assistant. So Martin is very well-placed to talk about what the team lost and what it has returning. And she's not at all displeased with what she's seeing in the water so far this fall. "We have some new girls who are preparing to be a part of the unit," Martin said. "It's a small group that comes in every year so we get to know them pretty well. This year, they're all hard workers." Martin said the squad includes roughly 20 swimmers and divers. "We gained five or six freshmen on the swimming side and we added a couple of divers too." Stephanie Roley, a Western Illinois grad, has taken over the diving program, and Martin said, "she's doing an outstanding job. The new girls are showing talent right away and the returning girls are picking up right where they left off last year." Martin said she is aware that her team will struggle against the larger programs it faces, including DuPage Valley Conference powers such as Naperville North and Naperville Central. But she added that this doesn't mean that meets against those teams is a waste of time. "The girls know that they're never going to win against Naperville Central or Naperville North given the size of squad we have and what they have in the water," Martin said. "We always start with an individual focus. We focus on their times and we want them all to get their best times every time out. That's more important than where they finish." In addition to Roley, Julie Laatsch has joined the staff as the varsity assistant swim coach. "Both of them are having a tremendous impact on the skill of the girls," Martin said.