Girls swimming: Scouting Cook and Lake County
BARRINGTON
Coach Alex Mikolajewski returns Elizabeth Williams, Eva Wetzel, Ingrid Coonrad and Kathryn Quintanar from a team that placed 45th in the state.
"We want to improve our performance from last year regards to the sectional and state meet," Mikolajewski said. “We want to get more athletes to the state meet. We want to work hard every day and do the little things right. We want to go about the process in the correct manner which would ensure our goals are attainable at the end of the year."
BUFFALO GROVE
Senior Ella Houston, a SMU recruit, leads the charge for the Bison in 2025. Houston was the runner-up in the 500 freestyle and 10th in the 200 freestyle.
Also back are seniors Payton Menely (28th 200 freestyle, 30th 500 freestyle) and Emily Krause (43rd diving) along with sophomore Allison Houston (40th diving), senior Rada Rekada and juniors Lydia Surdyka and Hailey Walscheid.
BG hopes to improve on last season’s fifth-place finish in the MSL, fifth-place sectional finish and 23rd-place effort at the state meet.
"We have the largest group of athletes since COVID,“ said coach Mike McPartlin. ”We have amazing freshman and sophomore classes. We hope to build them up to compete at the next level. The younger athletes will be tested. We are working hard in the pool. We want to finish higher in the conference. With the changes in the conference alignment the dual meets will look very different. The athletes have individual goals related to specific times at the state meet. The girls are excited about the challenge."
CONANT
The Cougars under Denise Mitchell return senior Brooke Lucotti, junior Erika Lopez and sophomores Natalie Wong and Ola Zajt.
Freshman newcomers are Michelle Tzotxomanski, Sophia Kolaida, Kailyn Robiski and Stephanie Donchev.
"We want to improve in the conference (Mid Suburban) standings, place well in the sectionals and qualify for the state, said Mitchell.
ELK GROVE
With 10 returning swimmers, the Grens hope to improve on a 10th-place finish in the Mid-Suburban League.
Back are seniors Anastasia Jevtic, Naima Leonatti and Sarah Haller along with juniors Claire Krawec, Nora Bellatti and Claire Milles and sophomores Ema Restak, Natalie Shafar, Raya Panova and Roselyn Hoseman. Newcomers include freshmen Mia Bartel and Natalie Cetnar.
"We are optimistic about the Elk Grove swim and dive team this season," said coach Jason Spjuth. “We are looking forward to the opportunity to compete in the new division of the conference. We hope to grow the team to new levels we haven't seen in awhile. We could challenge some school relay records. The tiered division could work out well for us. The dual meets could be more competitive for us. There should be more competition and parity for us."
FREMD
Returning several state finishers and boasting 25 seniors, Andrew Kittrell's squad could certainly improve on last season's 10th-place finish in the state.
The Vikes return senior Noora Nahlawi who was sixth in the 100 breaststroke at the state meet. Junior Ellie Patla was sixth in the 200 freestyle and eighth in the 500 freestyle. Junior Mihika Tillu was seventh in the 1-meter dive and sophomore Sophia Pentchov was 26th in the 100 freestyle.
Back from the 11th-place 200 freestyle team is Patla, Pentchov, Anna Hinshaw and Cat Guido. The 15th-place 400 freestyle relay team returns Patla, Pentchov, Hinshaw and Erica Meyer.
Other returners include seniors Emme Lee, Lindsey Kaleta, Molly Kanupke, Naishu Gopa, Sarah Fletcher and Aubrey Schinkel along with junior Yana Sapsova.
"We are loaded with talent and experience," said the Fremd coach. “We have a wealth of experience with 25 seniors. We have tough competitors who know how to compete. It is an intense class but they know how to have fun. This is a special group of kids. I can't wait for the season to start. This is a wonderful senior class. They will have a great legacy when they leave the building. I won't take a minute for granted with this group."
Freshmen seeking time in the pool are Ellen Hinshaw, Julia Dahl, and Lucy Palarz.
"We want to finish in the top 10 in the state and go undefeated in all four levels (varsity, junior varsity, sophomore, freshman," said Kittrell. “We are lucky to be in the MSL. It is a fantastic group of athletes and coaches. Hersey, Prospect Rolling Meadows and Schaumburg will challenge us for the conference title."
HOFFMAN ESTATES
The Hawks were seventh in the MSL and seventh in the sectionals a year ago.
Back are state qualifiers seniors Emi Latasiewicz and Lena Banszewski. Other returners are senior Gigi Navar and juniors Raegen Kline and Karina Pikhovich, and the Hawks also have freshman Charlena Villaro.
"We want to finish in the top six in the MSL and qualify for the state in the relays," said coach Adam Longo.
LAKE ZURICH
Junior Alicia Czosnyka is the top swimmer back for Jill Kragseth's Bears. As a sophomore, Czosnyka was eighth in the 200 individual medley and 12th in the 500 freestyle at the state meet.
Others back for the Bears are senior Nicole Dimitrova and juniors Mia and Anna Howarth.
"Our goal is to have Alicia and other swimmers make it to the state finals," said Kragseth.
LEYDEN
The Eagles were third in the rugged West Suburban Silver and fourth in the sectionals.
Coach Chris Cook, in his 26th season, has a veteran team with 18 returners.
They include seniors Christina Alamillo, Carolina Diaz, Valerie Lagunas, Jocelyn Martinez, Xienna Martinez, Veronica Psencik and Molly Turacek, juniors Liz Bonfil, Olivia Casper, Emily Gacon, Valeria Gonzalez, Karla Magana, Evelyn Olney and Julia Zorniak, and sophomores Yurianna Carvajal, Emily Martinez, Jenisa Cerna and Kamila Szcepaniak, plus newcomers Zuzanna Karyta and Kamilla Williams.
"This is the smallest team I have had in 26 years," said Cook. “The main reason for the drop is girls flag football. We graduated 10 swimmers from last year. We hope to remain competitive and improve on the third place conference finish. We hope Olivia (Casper) can qualify for the state in the 100 backstroke."
LIBERTYVILLE
The Wildcats were second in the North Suburban Conference and second in the sectionals. Back for Greg Herman's troops are senior Anne Lock, juniors Elle Klotz and Courtney McCall and sophomore Maddie Moss.
Looking to contribute are seniors Sarah Barbee, Annie Buchert, Abby Neff, Olivia Vines and Finley Weinstein and juniors Katherine Anderson and Audrie White, and sophomore Isla Ellingson. A talented group of freshmen include Indy Allen, Anna Eulberg, Hannah Hoover, Piper Stephens, Haley Byers, Haley Stonehacker, Bree Summers, Ashley Wicklander and Addison Woodward.
"We have nine freshmen on their way," said Herman. “We have a strong upperclassmen group. We want a high finish in the conference and win a sectional title. Stevenson is the team to beat. The battle for second will be between us Lake Forest and Warren."
MAINE EAST
Blue Demons first year coach Rob Payne welcomes back senior Carolina Cichy and Olivia Picco along with juniors Alexandra Stoyanova, Amy Morales, Tuisi Arya, Mia Chonillo, Nicole Maniewski and Mamata Bosker and sophomores Aleksa Svargina, Resh Mar and Anna Yushchek.
MAINE SOUTH
The Hawks, third in the rugged Central Suburban League South, first in the Deerfield sectional and 20th in the state, return Ohio State recruit Sarah Juris. Juris was second in the state in the 50 freestyle and eighth in the 100 freestyle. Senior Maeve Przekota was 16th in the 200 individual medley. Junior Gabi Szymanski was 34th in the 200 freestyle and 23rd in the 100 freestyle. Sophia Wandel was 42nd in the 500 freestyle and 44th in the 200 freestyle.
The 200 freestyle relay with Juris, Przekota, and Szymanski were eighth and the 400 freestyle relay with Juris, Wandel, Szymanski and Przekota were 11th.
Returners are seniors Amelia Aguila and Kendall Bai, and juniors Olivia Babula, Hannah Drone, Claire Keyworth and Reece Mansser to go with freshmen Abigail and Erin Przekota.
"We have a majority of our athletes back from the sectional championship," said coach Don Kura. “We have an experienced deep team. The CSL South is a tough conference with New Trier and Evanston presenting significant challenges. We want to stack good practice after good practice. We focus on our mindset in our training. We have a high ceiling and want to improve our finish at the state meet."
MUNDELEIN
The Mustangs, third in the North Suburban Conference, third in the sectionals and 34th in the state, are led by UIC recruit senior Melia Wills.
Wills was sixth in the 100 backstroke and 17th in the 100 freestyle. She was also on the 23rd place medley relay team with senior Gracyn Gigiano and junior Lauren Tablemann.
Returners include seniors Madeline Iverson, Sophia Sauer and Addie Hagel (diver). Juniors include Lily Madison, Paige Robertson, Isla Nutall, Hayden Hilgart and Olvia Bartusch and sophomore diver Trixie Kleinschmidt.
Newcomers are senior Lexi Southwick, Gabriella Gordon and Sophie Colvin along with sophomore Jaina Bartusch and freshman Jenna Taylor.
"This is one of the strongest teams we have had in awhile," said coach Raul Sethna. “We have a great blend of returning state level experienced swimmers and mix of athletes to fill out the roster. Stevenson is one of the top teams in the state. We want to challenge Libertyville for the runner-up spot and hold off Warren. We want to get more athletes to the state and peak at the end of the season."
PALATINE
With five solid swimmers returning the Pirates hope to rebound from a ninth-place finish in the Mid-Suburban League and an eighth-place sectional placement.
Back for coach Kathryn Mroz are seniors Kali Kiss and Julietta Ottati along with juniors Vivian Meyers, Rachel Carlson and Tessa Faltinek, and they welcome sophomore Debi Georgieva.
"We are excited about starting out the season stronger than we did last year," said Mroz. "We have a lot of varsity swimmers with experience. We have a small team but have big goals for dual meets. We want to win the close races and have an overall positive experience for the entire team. We want to have fun and work hard. There a lot of opportunities for us to be competitive during the dual meet season.“
ROLLING MEADOWS
After winning the 100 backstroke as a freshman and runner-up in the event as a sophomore along with a ninth-place finish in the 100 butterfly, Vera Conic took her junior season off to concentrate on the recruiting process.
Conic, who is a North Carolina State recruit, is hoping for a huge senior season.
Also back is senior Elise North, who was 19th in the 50 freestyle.
Conic and North will be joined by returners seniors Ella Poortinga, Emily Sang and junior Abigail Rodgers, plus a talented freshman group spearheaded by Naomi Poortinga, Sophie Wery, Bria Hagen, Maddie Pariato, Claire Poteracki, Elyn Connelly and
Rosa Montgomery.
The Mustangs seek to improve on a sixth-place sectional effort.
"We want to break some school records and finish higher in the varsity conference and qualify a few for state," said coach Monika Chiapetta. “We have a much bigger team with some great new freshmen. We want everyone to finish with their best times and have great memories."
STEVENSON
With a fourth-place finish at the state meet a year ago with 176 points, can the Patriots finish a little higher in 2025?
"Our goal is to finish in the top two which would be the best finish in school history," said coach Ayrton Kasemets. “We return all individual state points from last year. We have our team ready to fight for another trophy.”
Boasting five Division I commitments and nine returners who placed at the state meet, the Patriots are primed for a run at a possible state championship.
Winning the North Suburban Conference and a sectional title last year, the Pats return juniors Ari Grossenbach (third, 50 freestyle, sixth 100 freestyle) and Claire Wang (11th 200 individual medley, 13th 100 butterfly). Senior place winners back in the fold are Linnea Florin (Utah, sixth 100 butterfly); Shay Donovan (Delaware, seventh in the 200 individual medley, 16th 500 freestyle); Anika Donovan (Duquense, 14th 500 freestyle); Nelli Sandor (William and Mary; ninth, 100 breaststroke) and Heidi Swerken (Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 17th 100 breaststroke).
The Patriots also return all four swimmers from the fifth place 200 medley (Karina Cantero, Sandor, Wang and Florin), fifth place 400 freestyle relay team (Wang, Shay Donovan, Florin, Grossenbach) and sixth place 200 freestyle relay team (Grossenbach, Sandor, Florin, Cantero).
Also back is senior Vanessa Mieznikowski. Newcomers include freshmen Emma Kierzkowski and Shreya Chandrakasan.
ST. VIATOR
The Lions, eighth in the Catholic League and 10th in the sectionals, return seniors Anne Stauder, Claire Franczyk Abby Farrell and Lily Maloney.
Newcomers are sophomore Mia Leslie and freshman Nicole Hsu.
"We want to improve as a team and individuals during the season," said coach Dan Emary. “We want to swim our best at the end of the season and finish better in the conference and sectionals. We are doing the hard work early in the season so we can perform at the end."
VERNON HILLS
The Cougars have won 6 of 7 Central Suburban North titles since 2018. Vernon Hills was third in 2022 and 41st in the state in 2024.
Coach Andrea Block, in her eighth season at the helm, has state qualifier senior Sophia Kamarauli (backstroke) returning. Other returnees include seniors Julia Rausa and Andrea Phua along with juniors Olivia Williams and Maeve McAullife. Newcomers hoping for pool time include freshmen Bryn McAuliffe and Katherine Prohorov.
"We are fielding a smaller team," said Block. “Every meet in the conference will be competitive. We want to keep the Cougars tradition going as being a contender in the conference and represented at the state meet.”
WHEELING
The Wildcats hope to improve on a 12th-place finish in the MSL and 12th-place effort in the Deerfield sectional.
Returners for coach Tod Schwager are seniors Isabel Nelson, Karina Sahayda, Diana Flores, Anna Matcharachvill, Joaneh Chapeshamano and Yessica Respardo along with juniors Jessica Wilkins and Lily Flores. Newcomers are sophomore Sierra Kuhlman and freshman Dephne Paul.
"We are growing as a team and we should be better," said Schwager. “We want to improve our times, win loss, finish in the conference and sectionals."