Girls swimming: St. Charles East solid 3rd at college events meet

Once a year, St. Charles East hosts a college events girls swim meet, and it is a day when high schoolers can show how they can perform in the distances in which collegians compete.

And while most Saints swimmers looks forward to their invitational meet, none enjoys it more than senior Jordan Morling. In her final college events meet at the Norris Center, Morling won the 200-yard butterfly, the 200 backstroke and the 400 IM and helped the Saints to victory in the 400 freestyle relay.

"It's really cool to get to swim events you don't normally get to swim in the high school season," Morling said. "We did well. We haven't been training for these events, so to do as well as we did is a good thing."

Deep into their heaviest training period of the season, the added length of events proved a challenge. College events that are not included in a high school format meet include 200-yard races in the backstroke, butterfly and breaststroke, the 1,000 freestyle, the 400 IM, a 400 medley relay and the 800 freestyle relay which ends the meet.

"It's exhausting because we're sprinting," Morling said. "We have been doing a ton of yards in practice, and that is good training for this, but it's still hard."

Amy Pearson won the 100 freestyle and Isabel Herb won the 100 backstroke for the Saints.

As usual, the Saints welcomed some of the state's best teams to their meet. New Trier won, 397-380 over Lake Forest. The Saints finished third.

"I thought we did really well," St. Charles East assistant coach Kent Pearson said. "We had two of the best teams in the state visiting us, and they gave us some really good races. I think our girls stepped up to the task."

The Saints took their usual place on-deck and cheered for their teammates through the meet.

"We try to create that," Pearson said. "College events is a format they don't get to swim all the time, and I think there is some excitement in that variety."

In addition to the shift from swimming the high school format, there is a benefit for swimmers with college aspirations.

"It gives college coaches an indication what they're going to be able to do next year," Pearson said. "We go to meet after meet where we swim the same events. By the middle of October, it gets to be a bit of a grind."

Nearly one month remains in the regular season, and Pearson said the Saints are on-course to their goals.

"October is an interesting month," Pearson said. "We have to keep our spirits up. The practices are starting to get long and the kids are getting tired. Right now, they are in great shape, are positive and we want to keep that momentum going."

Waubonsie Valley finished fourth in the meet, and Warriors coach Kate Peterson said she was pleased with her team's effort.

"Half our team is super sick right now," Peterson said. "They showed what they can do today, which is awesome. A lot of them came and wanted to be there for their teammates and had to leave because they're so sick."

Hannah Hunt won the 200 breaststroke, was second in the 100 breaststroke and was part of a strong 400 medley relay.

"She went a personal best in the 100 breaststroke today," Peterson said. "A lot of them stepped up and swam well, which was good to see. Some of them swam different events as well, because it is a college events meet and you are able to swim three individual races."