Girls swimming: Hinsdale Central 2nd, St. Charles North 3rd at state finals

There's nothing like ending your high school career with a state championship.

Welcome to the collective world of Caroline Kramer and Kit Schneider.

The Hinsdale Central seniors capped off impressive high school careers by each winning an individual title at Saturday's championship finals of the IHSA girls swimming and diving championships at FMC Natatorium in Westmont.

Schneider easily won the 50-yard freestyle in 22.59 seconds, besting her preliminary time Friday of 22.86. Kramer took home the title in the last individual event of the day, the 100 breaststroke, in 1:02.30. She just edged New Trier's Charlize Escape by .17 of a second.

The pair also ran the first two legs of the meet-opening 200 medley relay, where the Red Devils were second in 1:42.16.

"I really didn't think I was going to do that. I was so shocked," Kramer said of her 100 breaststroke victory. "I was very nervous. We were all within one second of each other, so that was anyone's race."

Hinsdale Central coach Bob Barber, whose team finished second overall with 131 points, just behind champion New Trier with 149.5, couldn't help but beam about his two stars, who will make an impact collegiately, Schneider at Wisconsin and Kramer at Arizona.

"We grow really tight bonds, and it's hard to let them go to, but you have to," Barber said.

St. Charles North was third with 128 points, and got a big lift into that position with a meet-ending championship in the 400 freestyle relay. The North Stars, who won in 3:25.19, consisted of freshman Tessalina Stavropoulos, senior Enya Linson, Elizabeth Bawolek and sophomore Isabelle Beu.

Beu, who joined forces with Linson, Stavropoulos and sophomore Jenna Williams to take fourth in the meet-opening 200 medley relay (1:43.05), had to quickly get ready for the 200 individual medley two events later. That's tough to pull off, but she did it, taking second in 2:00.38, just .10 behind winner Julieta Tracy of St. Ignatius.

"I saw her on that freestyle, put my head down and tried not to breathe. I touched out, but it's OK, I'll come back next year," Beu said.

Added North Stars coach Rob Rooney of that final relay: "I wouldn't want it any other way. I thought on all sides the speed was good contest between four schools."

Rosary finished sixth with 92 points and was led by sophomore Becky Rentz, who finished second in the 100 butterfly (at 54.12) to Deerfield's Annika Parkhe, who set the state record with a swim of 52.12.

Naperville Central found itself in 12th place with 43 points due to senior Eden Goettsch's sixth-place finish in the 50 freestyle (23.42). Goetsch also took sixth in the 100 backstroke in 56.71.

Junior Katie Gresik's runner-up finish in the 500 freestyle (4:57.64) propelled Oswego co-op to eighth place with 58 points. How did she mentally prepare herself for what amounted to swimming's version of a marathon?

"I had a really good time yesterday, so I think it was just seeing if I could do better today," she said. "Behind the blocks I was listening to music to get myself ready and zone out. I tried not to get nervous."