Girls swimming / State meet scouting, Northwest

Girls swimming and diving state meet

Where: Evanston Township High School

Friday: Diving prelims 9 a.m., swimming prelims 3:30 p.m.

Saturday: Swimming and diving finals, 1 p.m.

Outlook: Downers Grove North excelled in last weekend's York sectional and joins Loyola and Lake Forest as title contenders. Rosary, Barrington, Fremd and Mundelein could each vie for top-three finishes, and both St. Charles North and East have quality teams.

Relay strength makes both Barrington and Fremd major players in this year's meet.

The Fillies will score big individual points with distance standouts Kirsten Jacobsen and Maggie Emary along with terrific freestyle relays, especially the 400. Getting points out of the medley will be another key for Barrington, which will also have chances at points in the 200 IM (seniors Andrea Vega and Emma Barnett). Coach Jim Bart reserved the full taper for his top swimmers for this weekend, and also made tactical decisions to maximize points via the relays. One tough call was taking Vega out of the 100 breaststroke so she could grab a leg of the 400 free relay - but now that relay has a great chance to score top-six points. The Fillies also have junior Sara Kate Capel in her first state meet individual performance, in the 50 free

Fremd is also hoping for top-six relay finishes from a terrific group of seniors - Loretta Stelnicki, Grace Kneller, Saki Takumiya, Julia Portmann and Erica King - and junior Grace Grzybek. Key for the MSL and sectional champs is also finding points in individual events. The most likely chances for that come from Kneller (100 free), Grzybek (100 back), Takumiya (100 fly, 100 back), King (500 free) and Stelnicki (100 breast). Divers Sydney Plichta and Sarah McTague could also give Fremd a boost. It will be a full day for Fremd, as Emily Kini and Rebecca Rutkowski (50 free) and Rebecca Ballo (100 breast) also compete.

Wheeling senior standout Theresa Godlewski makes her third straight state appearance and is well positioned to score points with top-12 finishes in the 50 free and 100 back. She's seeded sixth in the 100 back and ninth in the 50 free and seems poised for a big finish to her high school career.

Prospect senior diver Dana Liva had the fourth-best sectional score and will attempt her highest finish yet after three straight point-scoring efforts at state. Conant's Emily Weingart and Palatine's Liz Johns will also represent the MSL on the boards.

Palatine junior Kristin Anderson is a threat to make the top 12 in both the 50 and 100 freestyles after lifetime bests at the sectional. Lily Zahn will race in the 100 fly; Anderson and Zahn join Tess O'Brien and Kelsey Hank on 200 free relay.

Buffalo Grove senior Sarah Morosan will compete in the 50 free, and Hersey freshman Olivia Kusio in the 50 free and 100 breast.

Conant senior Allison Cicero has both the 200 IM and 500 free, and the Cougars also made it to state in the 200 free relay with Cicero, Lea Cejvan, Paulina Wolska and Sam Wooley.