Relays hold the key in Rosary's bid
By Tamara McQueen-Salentine Special To The Beacon News
EVANSTON — Relays.
This year's Illinois High School Association's Girls' Swimming championship will all come down to relays.
If Barrington, the No. 1 seed in each relay (200-yard medley, 200 freestyle and 400 free), can keep its standing, the Fillies could coast to a state title.
However, maintaining seed standings today and Saturday is difficult for even the best programs in state.
In each of the three relays the Fillies are less than .40 seconds ahead of the No. 2 seed. A good taper, shave and pasta party can shake up the mix and anyone of three teams, including Rosary, could walk away with the title.
The Beads, who are seeded second overall, head into today's preliminaries with a host of seasoned veterans and spunky newcomers.
"These girls worked hard all summer," said Rosary coach Bill Schalz after winning the Neuqua Valley Sectional last weekend. "The state meet is won in the summer, it is not really won in the fall. I am really happy about our fitness level."
Being in tip-top condition is important at the state meet because sometimes swimmers may only have 15 minutes to cool down from one race and prepare for the next — especially on Saturday.
Mackenzie Powers is a perfect example. The freshman has one 15-minute break between competing in the 50 free and the 100 fly, where she is ranked fourth.
"She is a great racer," Schalz said.
She will be joined by freshman teammate Olivia Scott who is ranked first in the 100 fly and sixth in the 200 individual medley.
"They both are great racers," Schalz added. "That is going to be a huge week...we are hoping for big things from both of them."
Also seeded in the top 12 in their events are sophomores Kara Savegnago (100 backstroke and 50 free) and Kally Fayhee (200 free and 500 free), senior Brittany Doss (breaststroke) and the three relays.
Doss has finished in the top six all three previous years. "This (race) is going to be one of the fastest breaststrokes (ever in IHSA history)," Schalz predicted.
Also vying for a state trophies are perennial contender New Trier, Stevenson, Glenbrook North and defending state champ Naperville Central.
"We are going to have to get up and race," Schalz said.
If Rosary wins it will be its first state swimming title. The highest the Beads have ever finished is second.
While the Beads are gunning for a team title, Waubonsie Valley and Oswego strive to advance swimmers into Saturday's finals.
"The girls swam fantastic (at Neuqua Valley)," said Warriors' coach Tim Margerum.
Waubonsie Valley heads into the preliminaries with two of its relays (200 medley and 200 free) seeded seventh and sophomore Elena Carvell ranked eighth.
"The relays were really solid," Margerum added. "They were really great."
Oswego promotes its first girls' relay to the state finals with a strong performance from the 200 medley (Katie Close, Karolina Wartalowicz, Nicole Ligeza and Jenny Buldak). Diver Nikki Schropp who scored 374.20 points and finished fifth earned an at-large bid in diving, as did West Aurora junior Elizabeth Chollet.
Neuqua Valley diver Katie Boyer is seeded first.
Batavia's Brittany Henning will be competing for the fourth-consecutive year in the 100 breaststroke, she is currently ranked 18th.
"My goal is to make top 12 this year," Henning said.
Other local swimmers competing at the state meet will be: Rosary's Amy Schaefer, Elisabeth Tavierne, Sarah Coghlin and Emily Hare; Waubonsie Valley's Hannika Schleebs, Laurel Sieber, Tyler Crittenden, Allison Szott and Victoria Munson.
Diving preliminaries begin at 9 a.m. and swimming begins at 3:30 p.m. today at Evanston Township High School, 1600 Dodge Avenue. Finals start at 1 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $10 per session or $20 for both.
For additional information visit www.ihsa.org .
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