Girls swimming / Northwest sectional scouting
Girls swimming
Sectional scouting
What: State qualifying meets across the state, with diving beginning at 9 a.m. and swimming at 1 p.m.
Advancement: In swimming, sectional winners plus any competitor who betters the state-qualifying standard advance to next week’s state finals at New Trier. In diving, each sectional champion automatically qualifies, and the divers producing the 32 next-best scores throughout the state also advance with at-large berths.
At Barrington
The field here is most of the Mid-Suburban League plus Stevenson, Dundee-Crown, Lake Zurich, St. Viator and Maine West.
The MSL champion Fillies are positioned to send another strong group through to the state meet. Senior Erika Elliott is the top seed in both the 50- and 100-yard freestyles; Mekenna Scheitlin is the top seed in the 100 breaststroke and the second seed in the 50 freestylee. All three Barrington relays have excellent chances to advance. Senior Justine Kaszynski (200 free, 100 fly) qualified for state last year. Junior Danielle Elliott is well-positioned in the 200 and 500 freestyles, and Emma Barnett (500 free), Olivia Hoffman (200 IM, 100 fly) and Kayla Widdowson (200 IM, 100 breaststroke) each could make the state meet with great efforts.
Stevenson brings a top-notch team, too. The North Suburban Conference runner-up has terrific sprinters in sophomore Julia Wawer, Isabella Tomasetti and Cheryl Xiang. Junior Madison Blaydes is the top seed in the 100 back and will bolster the Patriots’ relays, and senior diver Madison Douglas has been terrific this season. Freshman Ashlin Ruiz is the top seed in the 100 fly and also has a chance in the 500 free; senior Michelle Hannon has a chance to advance in the 200 IM and sophomore Rebecaa Hannon has a chance in the 500.
Fremd junior Breanna Anderson has made the final heat of the sprint freestyles; she advanced in both races last season and she’ll be key on the Vikings’ freestyle relays, both of which are close to the state cut. Freshman Erica King is seeded second in the 500 free and also has a chance to move on in the 200 free; junior Kayleen Samuels is close to the cut in the 100 back and frosh Julia Portmann is close in the 200 free and 500 free. And senior divers Stephanie and Elizabeth Uhrich figure to both finish near the top.
Hersey junior Amanda Petro has the top seed in the 200 free and the fourth-fastest 100 free seed; in both events, she’s been faster than the state standard already and last season advanced to state in both. Huskies senior Erin Horne has an individual opportunity in the 100 back and will also play a key role on the Huskies’ state-hopeful relays. She’s been surging the last few weeks and also has a chance to extend her season in the 100 free.
Palatine has multiple state meet opportunities. Senior Nicole Huffman made it in the 100 back last season and is close once again. Sophomores Laura Mayer and Amy Zahn will swim in the final heat of the 100 fly, and a short drop would qualify Mayer for state in the 200 IM. Senior Stephanie Hamer figures to have a shot in diving, too.
Buffalo Grove junior Veronika Jedryka has great chance to make a third state meet, this time in the 100 free and 100 backstroke. The Bison freestyle relays featuring Jedryka, Sara Fasching, Callie Fasching and Margaret Lotzer are also close to the state standard. Sara Fasching also has a chance to move on in the 100 back.
Prospect’s best bets are senior breaststroker Jessica Cavaiani and freshman diver Dana Liva. Cavaiani has the No. 2 seed in the 100 breaststroke and has already bettered the state cut this season; Liva won the Mid-Suburban League meet two weekends ago and has already shown she can handle big-meet conditions.
Wheeling senior Leah Malsom isn’t far off from the state standard in the 100 free and 50 free, and freshman Theresa Godlewski is closest in the 50 free.
Dundee-Crown senior Colleen Champa is looking for another state trip in the 100 breaststroke and 200 IM.
St. Viator sophomore Erin Primdahl is in the final heat of the 100 fly and 100 breaststroke.
Lake Zurich junior Ashley Balda is in the final heat of the 100 breaststroke.
Other sites
Schaumburg is competing at the St. Charles East sectional, where the host Saints and St. Charles North figure to set the pace. Sophomore Sydney Skibinski is the Saxons’ top state meet possibility, in the 100-yard breaststroke.
Conant and Elk Grove are competing at the Downers Grove North sectional. Conant freshman Allison Cicero has impressed all season and has state-meet capability in the 500 and 200 freestyles. Cougars divers Haley Schuhl and Bridget Waas were among the MSL’s top divers all season. Elk Grove’s top swimmer is Simona Kurta in the 100 fly; senior diver Natalie Przybylski placed fourth at the MSL meet and could net a state spot.
— Aaron Gabriel