Hersey tops Prospect, reclaims MSL East crown
When Hersey girls swimming and diving team captains Sarah Petro, Kat Gorey and Cara McCarthy were freshmen, the Huskies won the Mid-Suburban East title in convincing fashion.
They spent the next couple of years, however, watching Prospect celebrate the same achievement, as the Knights put a stop to a streak in which Hersey had won at least a share of the East crown for six straight seasons.
Fast forward a couple of seasons for Hersey's captains, now seniors. They were delighted to see history repeat itself on Thursday at Olympic Pool in Arlington Heights, back in favor of the Huskies.
Hersey left no doubt about who is the top team in the East this fall, handling Prospect 136-50 in the final MSL dual meet of the season.
Coach Dick Mortensen says this year's team has been especially reliant on senior leadership, owing to the huge size of the team. With a total of 68 competitors, every bit of it has been important.
Important varsity contributions come from all classes on this Hersey team. Huskies winners included sophomore Olivia Kusio in the 200-yard IM and 100 breaststroke, Jenny Lutz in the 100 fly and 100 back, Melissa Pollina in the 200 free, and Gorey in the 100 free. Hersey also got a diving sweep from Madeline Bovino (236.60), Allie Heidrich (200.15) and Mackenzie Kamysz (197.75). The relays went heavily in favor of Hersey as well.
"It was definitely hard the last two years for us, after having won conference a bunch of years in a row," said Petro, fresh from a celebratory post-meet dip in the diving well. "So it was definitely on our minds all year to try to get back on top."
Prospect had prevailed handily against all its previous East opponents this fall but just didn't have the kind of depth required to beat a team like Hersey. Knights junior Gracie Dix provided a bright spot by winning the 50 free (26.17).
"With our team, most of our girls haven't known anything but winning," said Prospect coach Alfonso Lopez. "So it's nice for them to know you've got to work for it, both in high school season and out of it."
For Hersey, that work has included regular 5:45 a.m. sessions at Buffalo Grove's pool, where the Huskies are afforded the opportunity to work on starts and turns. And with so many young swimmers on Hersey's team, practices poses some kind of logistical, and occasionally behavioral, challenge.
"We definitely had a few things early in the season where the seniors had to step up," said Gorey, "but once that happened it's stayed in check, everything's been fine."
One result of all that is Mortensen reached a coaching milestone of sorts. The conference title marks his 20th as an MSL East coach, in a combination of girls swimming, boys swimming and boys water polo. He says this team will hold a special place with him.
"I don't think I've had any team before that can compare to the kind of depth this team has," he said. "And the neat thing is, because of how young we are, we're only going to get better."
Fittingly, it was senior night for Hersey. So in addition to the captains, seniors Jane Quinn, Emma Wilcher, Machaela Leno, Brooke O'Donnell and Stephanie Surkin were able to make their final home meet at Olympic quite memorable.
Quinn placed third in the 500 free and cites the team's overall embrace of hard work as the reason behind the success.
"I just think we're really lucky to have the seniors we have," she said. "We have a really competitive team, but in a good way - everybody is always pushing somebody else to be faster - or being pushed by somebody."
McCarthy, meanwhile, echoed the sentiments of the parents of those Hersey seniors.
"You come in as a freshman and it's all new, you learn a lot as sophomore, then junior year you're a bigger part of the team and then bam, you're senior," McCarthy said. "It goes in the blink of an eye."
Fremd d. Palatine: Two teams sharing the waters this fall at Palatine High School (due to renovation of Fremd's pool) also ended up being tough to separate in their final MSL West duals of the season.
The Vikings used a 1-3 finish in the meet-ending 400-meter free relay to edge the Pirates 100-86 in a meet with bunches of tight individual races.
Palatine won the first two relays, as Tess O'Brien, Ellis Nelson, Mathilde Mogensen and Kristin Anderson took the medley in 2:06.79 (winning by 11 one-hundredths of a second) and Nelson, O'Brien, Kelsey Hank and Anderson won the 200 free relay in 1:52.57.
Fremd finished with a win from Emily Kini, Becca Rutkowski, Emily Bolger and Grace Grzybek in 4:11.28 in the 400 free relay.
Individual wins for Palatine came from Anderson in the 50 free (season-best 27.13) and 100 free (1:00.44), Nelson in the 200 IM (2:28.83), Mogensen in the 100 fly (1:11.68) and Katelyn Kurrie in the 400 free (4:52.73).
Fremd counted victories from Bolger in the 200 free (2:18.66), Grzybek in the 100 back (1:09.88) and Rebecca Ballo in the 100 breast (1:18.75).
Vikings coach Andrew Kittrell said his program is thoroughly impressed with the team that is hosting it this fall.
"Tough and talented," said Kittrell of Palatine. "They are going to be an absolute blast to watch at conference and sectionals, and they should turn a lot of heads with some of the swims they have been turning out. I see them qualifying a bunch of kids, and they have a special senior class this year.
"I can speak for my coaches - Brian (Newby), Kristen (Newby), Courtney (Wilhelm) - and our kids when we say we are really proud to represent Palatine swimming with them this year."
The only previous losses in MSL West duals this year for both teams came against division champ Barrington, which wrapped up its victory by topping Hoffman Estates on Thursday.
Fremd will eventually host Palatine's aquatic teams in turnabout fashion, when the Pirates' own pool is overhauled. It sounds like they'll be welcomed with open arms.
"Brittany (Berleman), Curt (Bendell) and all of their coaches have been so generous to us, and the kids have been extremely welcoming all season long," said Kitrell. "They are class acts."