Girls swimming; New Trier's depth wins out vs. Vernon Hills
To be the best you have to beat the best.
Hanging around with and in many instances this season beating some of the top programs in the state is what the Vernon Hills girls swimming and diving team has been making a habit of doing.
And even though it came up on the short end of a 108-82 decision, the reigning Central Suburban League North champs picked on visiting New Trier plenty on Friday evening in a Central Suburban League crossover meet.
"I remember my freshman year we would just come and swim and didn't even think about whether we were going to win the meet or not," said senior co-captain Drew Petereit, who's headed to Tulane next fall but has some unfinished business the next 2-3 weeks or so.
"We've come so far. We have more depth and have bonded as a team and really motivate each other. We dance sometimes before the meet to help the nerves."
Petereit, a three-time state qualifier who finished 11th in the 50 freestyle at the state meet last November, was up to her old tricks Friday in winning that event in a time of 24.63.
"I have longer legs and come to the wall fast. So I'm working hard on my turns and getting my legs over," she said. "But I'm swimming a lot faster than I was at this point last year, trying to do the best I can and go out with a bang."
Vernon Hills actually won eight out of 12 events, but as first-year coach A.J. Block mentions, it's all about depth.
"We're just a small school but we're working on it," she said. "This is the first time we've raced New Trier in a dual. They are so rich in tradition and their depth was the difference tonight."
Petereit also swam the opening leg of the winning 200 freestyle relay where she paired with Casey Craffey, and sisters Ellie and Anna Long to touch in 1:38.80. The same four then won the last event of the night, the 400 free relay, in 3:36.28.
Diving featured Katie Lipsey of New Trier and Allison Landis of Vernon Hills battling it out for the top spot. They had finished 2-3 respectively at the state meet last year. Landis (239.45) ended up getting the better of Lipsey (222.65) after the final dive.
In another tightly contested race, the place got loud as Anna Long of Vernon Hills and the Trevians' Alexis Wendel matched stroke for stroke in the 500 freestyle before Long's last extension enabled her to touch first in a personal best time of 5:13.58.
Claudia Yoon has also been making some waves as the state series approaches. On Friday, Yoon won the 100 backstroke in a school record time of 59.09, besting Melanie Rowland's mark from 2009.
"That was one of the most exciting races of the night," said Block.
Emma Zhang also picked up a victory in the 100 butterfly (58.31), while Petereit was also second in the 100 freestyle (53.89) and Craffey also won the 200 freestyle in 1:56.05.
"We're just trying to build on where we left off last year," added Block, whose girls in 2 weeks will defend their first sectional title the program won last fall.
"It'll be tougher because the sectional is deeper this year. As long as we have fun and work hard and not get intimidated, results will take care of themselves."
Both teams had won the dual portion of the season after going 5-0.
Vernon Hills, which won the competitive Warren Blue Devil Classic last weekend, will ready for the CSL meet Friday and Saturday at Highland Park High School, where Block coached for 10 years.
"Conference is going to be exciting with a lot of great races," she said.