Lake Forest cruises to NSC title

Lake Forest showed it was the best girls swimming and diving team in the North Suburban Conference during the regular season.

The Scouts proved it again Saturday, winning the Vernon Hills-hosted NSC meet with 292 points, well ahead of runner-up Libertyville (225) and third-place Stevenson (223.5).

Warren and Mundelein each finished with 168 points to tie for fourth.

Mika Hlavin dominated for Lake Forest, which didn't lose a conference meet during the regular season. Hlavin captured the 50-yard freestyle (24.81) and 100 freestyle (53.77) in addition to swimming legs on the victorious 200 freestyle and 400 freestyle relays.

Lake Forest also received wins from Olivia Campbell in the 100 backstroke (1:02.82) and Rachel Stoehr in the 500 freestyle (5:08.75). Both Stoehr and Christine Hoelterhoff joined Hlavin on the two sprint relays.

Libertyville was led by Maggie Boling and Morgan Dickson. Boling successfully defended her title in the 100 breaststroke (1:08.93), while Dickson touched first in the 200 individual medley (2:12.86).

Mundelein started out the meet by winning the 200 medley relay. Emma Engdahl, Cassie Brueckbauer, Lauren Anderson and Amy Klink swam a 1:54.29.

Vernon Hills' Melanie Rowland touched out Stoehr in the 200 freestyle, winning in 1:55.45. Mundelein's Klink was a close second to Hlavin in the 50 freestyle.

The well-contested 100 butterfly saw Stevenson's Emma VanLieshout win in 1:02.16, just ahead of Mundelein's Anderson (1:02.45), Lake Forest's Diane Wang (1:02.48), Libertyville's Whitney Mitchell (1:02.49) and Lake Forest's Abbi Kordell (1:02.59).

Vernon Hills' Zoe Eldridge took second in the 100 freestyle, a second behind Hlavin.

Vernon Hills' Rowland and Stevenson's Madison Blaydes tied for second in the 500 freestyle, as they clocked identical times of 5:11.23.

Stevenson's Kerrin Seymour and Madison Douglas went 1-2 in diving, with Seymour (387.5 points) winning easily.