Bessette makes Antioch waves
History is being made this weekend on a couple of fronts this weekend by Antioch athletes.
While the Sequoits' football team will be playing in the state semifinals for the first time in more than 25 years with tonight's Class 6A contest at Lemont on Saturday night and going after its first-ever finals appearance, the Sequoits also made waves in another arena.
Dominique Bessette, a sophomore, became the first Antioch swimmer to advance beyond the girls swimming state meet preliminaries on Friday at Evanston.
Bessette qualfiied for today's consolation heat of the 200-yard individual medley, finishing 11th in (2:08.23).
"My goal this year was to make it back here and make the final day," said Bessette, who only reached the preliminaries of the race last year. "My goal was to come back and make the top 12. More experience helps to know what I was doing - I was also a lot faster than last year."
It wasn't an easy task for Bessette, who was essentially on her own here as the Sequoits' only swimmer, but she was very clear about what it meant for her school.
"It's all kind of cool," Bessette said. "But there's no on one from Antioch in the stands. Even at school, a couple of people say, do we really have a swim team? We really don't, but I have a chance to come here and represent my school.
"Everybody here warms up with their team and they have team cheers. I do know some of the other teams like Lake Forest and Libertyville, and it does help to know them."
Stevenson's Tori Alland made it back to the finals for the third straight year in the 500 freestyle (5:00.62) and also reached the consolation finals in the 200 freestyle (1:53.02). Alland finished fifth last year in the 500. One of Alland's competitors in today's finals, Adrienne Bicek of Downers Grove North, broke the state record Friday with a time of 4:46.66. Bicek broke one of the oldest state marks, from 1986.
"I want to do better than last year," said Alland, who had her second career-best time on Friday. "It wasn't my best swim, but I feel like I'm swimming my best out of all season."
Stevenson's Erin Cunningham also qualified for the consolation finals in the 200 individual medley (2:08.11).
Patriots diver Kerrin Seymour is third after the first day (297.75), behind only New Trier's Paige Grant (320) and Mary Sue LeMay (305.45) of Sterling Newman Central Catholic.
Mundelein diver Taylor Reckert also advanced and is currently in ninth (273.90), and the Mustangs' Cassie Brueckbauer just missed a chance to race again after taking 13th in the 100 breaststroke (1:07.3).
"I thought I could place in the top 12," said Brueckbauer, a junior. "I wish I could've touched (the wall) a little faster. I can still come back and do it next year."
Libertyville's Maggie Bolling placed 11th in the breaststroke (1:06.97) and will advance to the consolation finals.
"I was hoping for everything to fall into place," Bolling said. "I focused on a lot of technique and speed in practice. I just knew I had to concentrate so much in reaching the finals."
Rosary, whose standout Olivia Scott was disqualified in the 100-yard butterfly after a false start, nevertheless is poised to win the state crown in today's finals. The meet begins at 1 p.m.