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EVANSTON – The Loyola Academy girls’ swimming and diving team rolled to the Illinois High School Swimming and Diving state title last weekend at the Burton Aquatic Center in Evanston, scoring 148 points to top Downers Grove North and Rosary, who tied for second with 118 points.
Neuqua Valley brought home the first title of the day, as Natalie McGovern, Amanda Brockmeier, Wyli Erlechman and Mackenzie Hornstra clocked in at 1:44.46, just over half a second ahead of Downers Grove North’s Emily Albrecht, Gabriele Serniute, Daria Wick and Lindsay Mathys (1:45.14). Evanston rounded out the top three with Paige Haden, Ana Woods, Iana Wolff and Honore Collins touching in 1:45.52.
After qualifying second in prelims of the 200 free, Barrington’s Kirsten Jacobsen stormed to the state title in finals, dropping a second and a half to touch first in 1:47.77. Loyola Academy’s Grace Tierney moved up a spot as well to take second in 1:50.47, while top seed Erin Falconer of Mundelein wound up third in 1:51.15.
Rosary made it to the top of the podium in the 200 IM, with sophomore Alexis Yager posting a 2:02.15 to top the championship heat. Gabriele Serniute of Downers Grove North slipped to second in 2:03.54 after qualifying first in 2:01.95. Reilly Lanigan of Lake Forest rounded out the top three in 2:03.57.
In the 50 free final, Effingham’s Avery Braunecker dipped under 23 with a 22.99 for the win. Daria Pyshnenko of Lake Forest touched .45 behind in 23.44, just ahead of Metea Valley’s Amanda Burson (23.53).
Mt. Prospect’s Dana Liva led the 1-meter diving competition by almost 24 points after the semi-final round and held on for the win in finals, topping Naperville’s Sydney Dusel, 464.50 to 456.60. Hinsdale Central’s Margaret McCarthy emerged from a tightly bunched group in semi-finals to take third in 426.15.
Addison Trail’s Kelly McNamara couldn’t quite match her prelim time in the 100 fly final, but she still had plenty in the tank to take the win in 54.83. Loyola Academy’s Maria Jardaleza pulled away from the rest of the field to take second in 55.43, while Notre Dame’s Rachael Kelch placed third in 55.62.
Avery Braunecker of Effingham picked up her second win of the meet in the 100 free, collecting the sprint freestyle double with a 50.40. She just edged Mundelein’s Erin Falconer for the title, as Falconer finished only .03 behind in 50.43. Glenbrook North’s Abigail Rosenberg came in third with a 51.28.
Barrington’s Kirsten Jacobsen swam away with her second state title of the day in the 500 free, dropped nearly four seconds from her prelim time to take first in 4:47.29. St. Charles North’s Audrey Guyett finished third in her first championship final with a 4:53.57, just in front of her sister, junior Monica Guyett (4:53.91).
Emily Albrecht, Daria Wick, Gabriele Serniute and Lindsay Mathys led Downers Grove North to a win in the 200 free relay after stopping the clock in 1:35.24. New Trier’s Morgan Conley, Lydia O’Connell, Nicole Retondo and Brittany Bishop finished two tenths behind in 1:35.49, while Rosary’s Erin Hart, Emily Ryan, Georgia Young and Elaina Ricci wrapped up third in 1:35.74.
Neuqua Valley’s Natalie McGovern wrapped up her high school career in style with an individual state title in the 100 back. McGovern dropped two tenths from prelims to take the win in 55.12, just under a second in front of St. Charles East’s Jordan Morling (56.05). Boylan Catholic’s Aby Olson touched right behind in 56.06.
Metamora freshman Noel Peplowski had a meet to remember, bringing home her first state championship in the 100 breast. After qualifying first in prelims at 1:03.94, Peplowski dropped to a 1:03.69 for the win, with Rosary’s Alexis Yager (1:04.17) and Mundelein’s Jennifer Kordik (1:04.32) in second and third.
Loyola Academy capped their team title with a win in the 400 free relay thanks to Maria Kyle, Ella Tierney, Olivia Andrew and Grace Tierney, who stopped the clock at 3:27.05 to top Lake Forest’s Madeline Smith, Haley Nelson, Ella Needler and Reilly Lanigan by only .13 (3:27.18). Rosary’s Georgia Young, Erin Hart, Emily Ryan and Alexis Yager came in third at 3:27.91.
A.W.D. state finals were also held in several events. Ana Kohout of Lake Forest won the classification A 200 free (3:53.32), while Jones’ Sophia Vilim claimed the classification B title in 2:25.09, a new IHSA state record. Alyssa Gialamas held the previous mark at 3:05.76. Richwoods’ Samantha Peters took home the classification A 50 free in 43.18, while Vilim lowered Peters’ state record of 41.36 in classification B with a 29.35. Peters and Vilim returned to the pool to win the 100 free state titles, as Peters topped classification A in 1:38.07 and Vilim topped classification B in a new state record of 1:06.51, crushing Alyssa Gialamas’ 1:30.03. Lake Forest’s Ana Kohout topped the classification A 100 breast in 2:53.74, while Sandburg’s Rachael Apter won the classification B title in a new state record of 1:43.00, taking almost a minute off Marykate Callahan’s 2:35.90 from 2012.
Results: Illinois Girls’ High School Swimming and Diving Championships
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