Girls swimming: Rosary in prime position to compete for state title

There are many names for the sheet which ranks the state's girls swimmers by time heading into the state meet preliminaries, which starts Friday with 9 a.m. diving and then 3:30 p.m. swimming at New Trier.

But when Rosary looks at this listing, the Beads see the fruit of much labor since August. They are seeded first entering this year's meet, and will be favored in the two-day competition that concludes with Saturday's finals.

“I think we did exactly what we wanted last week at sectionals,” Rosary coach Bill Schalz said. “We wanted to get everybody qualified, and this is the first time any team I've ever coached, boys or girls, has done that.”

The other schools in the Top 5 are Lake Forest, St. Charles North, New Trier and Loyola, and each of those schools will be trying to topple the Beads or to snare one of the three trophies which are awarded based on Saturday's finals performances only. Rosary has had plenty of recent team success, winning four straight titles from 2006-09 and tying for second last year.

“I'm really excited for our team when we go in there, when we duke it out with Lake Forest, St. Charles North and Loyola,” Schalz said.

Relay points are doubled from individual events, so the 200-yard medley relay, 200 freestyle relay and 400 freestyle relay are often the keys to victory. Rosary's medley relay is seeded seventh, its 200 freestyle relay is seeded first and the 400 relay is seeded fifth.

“We're in a bit of an enviable position in the relays,” Schalz said. “We were able to put two girls into the medley relay who don't have individual events in our sectional lineup — we were able to swim alternates. It's great for those kids, who are also state level swimmers, to swim. And when we put our two fastest kids in our state lineup, we should be faster.”

Individually, the Beads have junior Alexis Yager, who is seeded fourth in the 200 IM and 15th in the 100 breaststroke, while freshman Athena Ye is the top seed in the 100 breaststroke and seeded 14th in the 50 freestyle leading the way.

The top six swimmers from Friday's prelims compete for the state championship while the next six compete for the consolation title. Rosary has a number of swimmers seeded just outside the top 12, and Schalz said those swimmers improving to a scoring position is important.

“We have to do our job and perform on Friday,” Schalz said. “That's the name of the thing — we have to do our job. If we have a great day on Friday, then Saturday's more of a relaxing day. I'm confident in my girls that each will do their job. If we do that and another team has a great day and beats us, they do.”

St. Charles North is in a strong position as it chases its first team trophy. The North Stars have finished as high as fifth in 2002, and have 12 entries in this year's prelims.

“They're a very focused group,” St. Charles North coach Rob Rooney said. “Our goal is to do what we're supposed to do. Other teams are going to have some kids with fantastic times, and we can't control that. We've just got to get up and go.”

The North Stars relays are seeded well: the medley relay is fourth, the 200 freestyle relay is ninth and the 400 freestyle relay is sixth. Individually, sophomore Audrey Guyett is seeded third in the 500 freestyle and sixth in the 100 backstroke. Her senior sister Monica Guyett is seeded fourth in the 500 freestyle and ninth in the 200 freestyle.

St. Charles North is a blend of youth and experience, but for the team's seniors, the knowledge that this is their final state meet adds a sense of urgency.

“It's an all or nothing thing now,” North Stars' senior Sam Sauer said. “There's no ‘next year' for high school swimming. It's kind of crazy to think that this is my last year, but I have to make the most of it, and do it with the team. We all know what we want to accomplish, so I think we'll get it done in the end.”

St. Charles East is seeded eighth in a competitive pack that includes Oak Park-River Forest, Fenwick, Barrington and Waubonsie Valley. Among the team's 15 qualifying entries, the medley relay is seeded 12th and junior Anna O'Malley is seeded sixth in the 100 butterfly.

“We've definitely put ourselves in position to be in the Top 10,” St. Charles East coach Joe Cabel said. “It's close at that level. They have a lot of fun, this team. They were under a lot of pressure heading to the sectional, but they'll loosen up and be ready for the state meet.”

The Saints have a number of swimmers just outside the top 12, including O'Malley, who is seeded 13th in the 200 freestyle.

Other St. Charles East swimmers who are seeded highly include Jordan Morling, who is seventh, Lucy Johnson, who is 13th in the 200 IM, Isabel Herb, who is 13th in the 100 backstroke and Kayla Jones, seeded 14th in the 100 breaststroke.

Bartlett-Streamwood is ranked 15th heading into prelims and has five entries in the meet, headed by junior Kayla Filipek, who is seeded 11th in the 50 freestyle and 12th in the 100 freestyle. Add senior Sarah Hanning and both freestyle relays, and the Sabrehawks have potential for their best team finish in a state meet.

“Last year, we scored the first-ever points in school history,” Bartlett-Streamwood coach Jeremy Meserole said. “We want to be able to build on that. Top 10 would be nice, but Top 15 is more realistic. They've done a really nice job of all working together.”

Huntley junior Kristen Czarnecki competes in the 200 IM and the 100 butterfly, and said after last week's sectional that qualifying for the state meet was her goal.

“She's the first junior we've had who has qualified and one of only two who has qualified in two events,” Huntley coach Brenda Czarnecki said. “We're excited, she's thrilled and the team is thrilled for her. She has worked really hard this season.”

Crystal Lake co-op sophomore Valerie Tarazi is seeded fifth in the 200 IM and fourth in the 100 breaststroke.

“I would really like to make both ‘A' finals,” Tarazi said. “I have really high goals, but I am just going to go out there and have fun. Last year was challenging. My suit ripped behind the blocks. My caps were ripping. Everything seemed to go wrong, so I'm hoping for smooth sailing this year.”