By Andy Ross, Swimming World College Intern
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Two of the National Junior Team members put on a show at the Division I Wisconsin Girls High School State Championships Saturday in Madison as Arrowhead took home another team title.
Beata Nelson of Verona Area started the day with a 24.81 backstroke split for the victorious 200 medley relay team. Nelson’s teammates Caroline Smith, Grace Bennin and Kristi Larsen won the title with a 1:43.96.
Nelson then returned later in the meet to defend her 100 fly title, beating her own state record at 51.62. That time also broke her own national independent record and missed the overall national record of 51.53 that is held by Cal Freshman Katie McLaughlin.
Nelson teamed with Verona Area classmates Bennin, Larsen and Maizie Seidl to win the 200 free relay at 1:33.97 to swim by team champion Arrowhead who was second at 1:34.70. Nelson swam one of the fastest splits in history by a high school girl when she anchored the relay at 21.88 to swim right by Arrowhead on the last 25.
A few heats later, Nelson broke her 100 backstroke state record by a full second, going 52.13. The old record stood at 53.15. The senior has swum pretty well in the Madison pool and it seems she has liked it so much that she has decided to spend the next four years swimming in it with the University of Wisconsin.
The other national team member, Katie Drabot of Cedarburg started her day off with a state record in the 200 free at 1:44.21, breaking her old record by over a second (1:45.40).
Drabot returned to the blocks to shave over a second off the 100 free state record touching the wall at 48.55. The old record was 49.77 that was set the year Drabot was born in 1997 by Cortnee Adams. Her teammate Skylar Fore was second in the race at 49.92.
Fore and Drabot would team up with Lillie Hosack and Daniella Peters to win the 400 free relay for Cedarburg at 3:23.49 ahead of Arrowhead at 3:25.37. The highlight of the race was Drabot’s anchor leg at 48.64. The senior headed to Stanford also lead off the sixth place 200 free relay team at 22.64 which was under the state record.
Drabot’s teammate, sophomore Hosack won the 200 IM earlier in the meet with a 2:00.51, a good four seconds ahead of second place Megan Doty of Arrowhead.
Arrowhead senior Kelly Jacob picked up the lone win for Arrowhead on the day with a state record in the 50 free at 22.84. She beat the old record of 22.97 that was held by Beata Nelson set in 2012. Jacob beat out Cedarburg’s Fore under the flags with Fore coming in second at 23.12. Jacob will be headed to Notre Dame in the fall.
In the 500 free, it was Milwaukee King senior Cassy Jernberg building through the race to win at 4:46.93. She was six seconds ahead of second place Sarah Laabs of Arrowhead. Jernberg will be headed to Tennessee in the fall.
In the 100 breast, Lauren Stigler of Muskego came from behind to beat Verona Area freshman Grace Bennin. Stigler won the race with a 1:02.97 ahead of Bennin’s 1:03.13.
Arrowhead used its impressive depth to win another state title with 301 points. Middleton (211), Cedarburg (206) and Verona Area (200) rounded out the top four.
2015 Wisconsin Girls High School State Meet, DI Results – Results
