Girls swimming: Maine South dances its way to Jamboree title
They each packed curly, dirty-gray wigs, dresses that were maybe in style decades ago, and fake glasses with straps attached to them.
The members of Mundelein’s girls swimming and diving team then traveled to Prospect on Saturday to compete in Hersey’s seventh annual Rob Lindgren Jamboree.
They each wore the granny getup for the … dance-off — the traditional, highly anticipated, premeet contest at the Jamboree that’s judged by Hersey’s homecoming royalty.
It was Mundelein senior Sophia Sauer’s idea, with a little help from her mother, Kelly.
“Mom and I went for a walk one day in July and brainstormed,” Sauer said. “Her suggestion was, ‘Portray elderly ladies dancing.’ I wanted to go a step further and portray them dancing at a nightclub.
“I thought our message should be, ‘Anybody at any age can enjoy dancing to hip-hop music.’”
Sauer and her fellow teens won the dance-off and then collected 10 pounds of candy for their fun-loving depiction of boogieing golden-agers.
What never gets old: the constant fun and loud, catchy music — during races — at the Jamboree, staged to honor the memory of Lindgren, who died of pancreatic cancer in 2018.
“Rob did so much for aquatics in the area,” said Lindgren’s successor, Huskies coach Dick Mortensen. “He would have loved seeing the smiles and the good time we all had on deck today.”
Rolling Meadows coach Monika Chiappetta coached with Lindgren when both served as District Unified Swim Team staffers.
“Special guy,” she said, minutes after Rolling Meadows senior Vera Conic won the 100-yard butterfly in a meet-record 57.25. “Rob knew a meet should be fun and competitive. We’re all having a blast here today, but there’s also a business side to this meet.
“Swimmers,” she added, “are fighting to own spots for conference and sectional meets.”
A tired Maine South squad, which swam in a meet Friday night, still tallied 327 points to top Saturday’s 15-team field invite behind five event titles, including a pair of relays. Sarah Juiris touched first in the 50 free (24.19 seconds) and 100 free (53.4), and Hawks teammate Maeve Przekota won the 200 IM by nearly three seconds.
“Dick Mortensen does such a great job making sure this is a competitive meet every year,” said Maine South coach Don Kura. “The format is spectacular. It’s my favorite meet of the year.
“Our girls had an amazing afternoon.”
Hersey (272 points) finished second, followed by Rolling Meadows (235.5), Whitney Young (215), Mundelein (204), Buffalo Grove (163), Metea Valley (162), Highland Park (156), Stevenson (145) and Prospect (137).
Buffalo Grove senior and Southern Methodist University-bound Ella Houston — runner-up in the 500 free at state last fall — churned to first in both the 200 free (1:54.75) and 500 free (5:03.21) Saturday.
“This meet is definitely fun at the beginning, but you have to be locked in later,” said Houston, whose home Thursday was where the Bison first rehearsed their Jamboree dance routine to Meghan Trainor’s “Better When I’m Dancin’.”
Rolling Meadows’ Conic turned in the swim of the meet, clocking a meet- and pool-record 55.42 in the 100 backstroke after winning the 100 fly and before anchoring the Mustangs’ victorious 400 free relay (3:37.16, with Elise North, Emily Sang and Naomi Poortinga).
“Vera continues to work incredibly hard,” Chiappetta said.
Hersey swimmers Melissa Loch, a senior, and Audrey Neill, a junior, didn’t race Saturday, but each played a significant role at the Jamboree from start to finish — as the spirited public-address announcers.
They revved up the crowd by essentially singing the names of each heat’s swimmers during the races and then again during the awards’ segments.
“They sure added flavor to the meet’s great atmosphere,” Mortensen said.
Added Hersey senior Paulina Kuczek: “Those two enjoyed the meet today as much as anybody did. Every year, this Jamboree proves that you can have fun and compete hard at the same time.”
Other Jamboree champions: Buffalo Grove’s Allison Houston (diving, 418.1 points); Highland Park’s Brooke Eliacin (100 breaststroke, 1:06.39); Maine South’s 200 medley relay (1:48.65, Abbie Przekota, Maeve Przekota, Juiris and Gabi Szymanski); and Maine South’s 200 free relay (1:40.26, Kendall Bai, Abbie Przekota, Sophia Wandel and Juirus).