Pleasant surprise for Kirby at North Suburban meet
Stevenson sophomore Riley Kirby had a few things going against her before, and during, the 100-yard freestyle at Saturday’s North Suburban Conference girls swimming and diving meet in the home water:
She had the slowest seed time (55.11) in the fast heat.
She had to race in an outside lane.
She had churned only twice in the event before Saturday.
And she was a tad preoccupied after a couple of turns in the pool.
“I was thinking about my next three races,” the Pat admitted after Event No. 7.
Your winner in the 100 free, Event No. 7, with a time of 53.25?
None other than Kirby.
“My coaches, I guess, wanted to see what I could do (in the 100 free),” she said. “I love the 100 free.”
Another swimmer, Libertyville junior Morgan Dickson, also had an “on” day in an “off” event Saturday. Dickson — normally a swift 200- and 500-yard freestyler — zipped to a first-place 2:07.01 in the 200 IM.
The Wildcat’s seed time in the event: 2:11.55.
“I didn’t mind the break from my regular events,” Dickson, an IMer for her club (Patriot Aquatic Club), said after clocking her second-best time in the 200 IM.
“I don’t mind a little variety, now and then.”
The team atop the final standings: the same school (Lake Forest) that won the conference meet in 2009 and ’10.
LF’s “HSS” Scouts (379 points) sped to championship efforts in eight of 12 events Saturday — including the final five.
Stevenson (293), behind that Kirby title and seven runner-up finishes, took runner-up honors. Warren edged Mundelein 158-157 for third place. Vernon Hills (130), Libertyville (110) and Zion-Benton (64) finished 5-6-7.
“Lake Forest is stacked, capable of a top-five finish at state,” said Stevenson coach Karl Milkereit. “We wanted to come in here, give it our best shot.
“It wasn’t our normal lineup today, but we have a lot of kids who are good in a lot of different races.”
Warren sophomore Paige Wells was very good in the 50 free on Saturday, touching first in 24.62 to match her seed time and nip LF senior standout Mika Hlavin (24.65). LF’s Lilly Wang (24.83) and Stevenson’s Julia Wawer (24.84) finished 3-4 in the highly competitive race.
“Paige didn’t start well; I think she was last off the blocks,” Warren coach Chad Rusk said. “But she sure made that up, didn’t she? She fought really hard. Paige swam those last 12-and-a-half yards at a high tempo … something she’d been working on lately.”
Vernon Hills junior Sarah Lopez, a first-year diver, had practiced a 2-and-a-half front dive for exactly two days (Thursday and Friday) before Saturday morning.
She nailed it Saturday morning.
The plunge produced the morning’s loudest cheers from the spectators — and from the rest of the diving field.
“That was nice, hearing that while I was underwater,” Lopez said after her third-place showing (323.4 points).
Her teammate, Zoe Eldridge, silvered in the 100 free (53.74).
Mundelein finished third in four events, including its 200 medley relay of Erin Falconer, Jennifer Kordik, Meghan Falconer and Karrie Kozokar (season-best 1:53.54). Mustangs senior Amy Klink pulled to a life-time best 1:00.88 (fifth place) in the 100 backstroke.
Each of Stevenson’s three relays took second to a Lake Forest quartet. The Pats’ medley (1:52.19): Madison Blaydes, Leah Bloodgood, Ashlin Ruiz and Michelle Hannon; the Pats’ 200 free (1:40.18): Wawer, Isabella Tomassetti, Hannon and Kirby; and the Pats’ 400 free (3:38.69): Wawer, Cheryl Xiang, Kirby and Blaydes.
The meet’s other champs: LF’s Rachel Stoehr (200 free, 1:53.46; 500 free, 5:00.06); LF’s Hlavin (100 butterfly, 58.04); LF’s Caitlin Lanigan (100 back, 59.45); LF’s Anne McArdle (100 breaststroke, 1:08.84); LF’s medley relay (1:50.61); LF’s 200 free relay (1:38.13); LF’s 400 free relay (3:34.93); and Zion-Benton’s Allegra Codamon (diving, 367.75 points).
A scant 1 point, a week ago, was the difference between first-place Stevenson and second-place Lake Forest at the NSC JV swimming and diving meet.
LF coach Carolyn Grevers reminded her varsity crew of the result before Saturday’s meet.
“It motivated them today, oh yeah,” she said, adding only four of her Scouts had fully tapered for the conference gathering. “I had high expectations and I wanted all of them to focus and race hard today, no matter how they were feeling, no matter where they were in their tapers.”