Relays are fun to watch, and the 200-free relay is arguably the most fun to watch. It's all about speed and starts -- a whirlwind of activity. A friend of mine whose children participated in swimming called the 200 free relay "the best event -- by far -- in high school swimming."
So it was with a great deal of anticipation that the 200 free relay teams from Wausau East and Wisconsin Rapids matched up against each other last week. Wausau East was the surprise runner-up in the event last year the Div. 1 state meet; seeded 4th, the East relay knocked off two relays ahead of it -- Hartland-Arrowhead and top-seeded Waukesha South/Mukwonago -- to claim the runner-up spot behind Madison East's record-setting relay. With four underclassmen on the relay, including three sophomores, Wausau East could lay claim to being favorites in the relay this year at state.
Standing in their way last week was Wisconsin Rapids and anchor swimmer Becca Weiland, having a monster of a season a year after being sidelined by a bum shoulder. The two relays battled it out in their dual meet last week at the Wisconsin Rapids 25-meter pool, with East emerging with a narrow win -- .11 seconds -- as anchor Lea Koenig held off Weiland on the last leg.
"That was a great race," Wisconsin Rapids coach Todd Wiedenhaft told the Wausau Daily Herald. "I was happy with our girls tonight. I wanted them to come in and battle with East and they did."
There are likely opportunities for a rematch this year. The two teams go up against each other in the conference meet later this fall, as well as sectionals and -- I wouldn't bet against it -- maybe even the D1 state meet.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Thursday, September 24, 2009
So far, pretty fast
Times are starting to trickle in to the Wisconsin state swim coaches website, which tracks top-30 times reported by coaches (see http://www.wisca.net/top30). Some of the more notable times I've seen:
-- Wisconsin Rapids' Becca Weiland with a time of 23.38 in the 50 free. That's faster than any seed time for last year's D1 state meet in the 50 free by more than half-a-second. To put that in context, Weiland's 50 time is faster than all but one of the past five winning D1 50 free times at state -- only Madison East's Ruby Martin with a 23.10 last year (swum with the now banned blue70 suit) has gone faster.
-- Sturgeon Bay's 200 free relay -- sisters Sierra and Savanna Townsend, McKenzie Trelka and Erin Hogan -- with a time of 1:39.36. That's less than half-a-second off the state D2 record in that event, set last year by Monona Grove's winning 200 free relay. Few D2 teams in the history of the state have gone under 1:40 for the 200 free relay.
-- Hartland-Arrowhead's Emma Goral with a 56.84 in the 100 butterfly. Goral may be the strongest favorite in any single D1 race this year; the junior has won state titles in the fly her first two years, each by more than a second.
-- Hartland-Arrowhead's 200 medley relay has posted a 1:48.66, fast enough for All-American status, according to the WISCA website. HA has several versatile swimmers it can place on this relay; who swims on it at sectionals and (presumably) state will depend on how HA arranges its other two strong relays. But pencil in Goral for the butterfly leg; she's the key to the potential success of this relay.
-- Badger-Big Foot's Emily Russart with a 1:04.15 in the 100 breaststroke; like Goral, Russart is a two-time defending champion in the event. Only Russart herself swam faster at last year's D1 state meet.
With the season about halfway done, swim teams will start to gear up for conference and sectional meets, and face each other in some of the bigger invitationals of the season. Look for more fast times as the season progresses.
-- Wisconsin Rapids' Becca Weiland with a time of 23.38 in the 50 free. That's faster than any seed time for last year's D1 state meet in the 50 free by more than half-a-second. To put that in context, Weiland's 50 time is faster than all but one of the past five winning D1 50 free times at state -- only Madison East's Ruby Martin with a 23.10 last year (swum with the now banned blue70 suit) has gone faster.
-- Sturgeon Bay's 200 free relay -- sisters Sierra and Savanna Townsend, McKenzie Trelka and Erin Hogan -- with a time of 1:39.36. That's less than half-a-second off the state D2 record in that event, set last year by Monona Grove's winning 200 free relay. Few D2 teams in the history of the state have gone under 1:40 for the 200 free relay.
-- Hartland-Arrowhead's Emma Goral with a 56.84 in the 100 butterfly. Goral may be the strongest favorite in any single D1 race this year; the junior has won state titles in the fly her first two years, each by more than a second.
-- Hartland-Arrowhead's 200 medley relay has posted a 1:48.66, fast enough for All-American status, according to the WISCA website. HA has several versatile swimmers it can place on this relay; who swims on it at sectionals and (presumably) state will depend on how HA arranges its other two strong relays. But pencil in Goral for the butterfly leg; she's the key to the potential success of this relay.
-- Badger-Big Foot's Emily Russart with a 1:04.15 in the 100 breaststroke; like Goral, Russart is a two-time defending champion in the event. Only Russart herself swam faster at last year's D1 state meet.
With the season about halfway done, swim teams will start to gear up for conference and sectional meets, and face each other in some of the bigger invitationals of the season. Look for more fast times as the season progresses.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Another installment on suits
Reachforthewall.com -- the very good website that tracks developments in the swimming world -- has a story on how suit enforcement may take place in the coming months.
As devoted swim followers well know, the sport's governing bodies have moved to ban the high-tech, full-body suits that have sparked controversy in the swimming world. The WIAA has announced that the suits will not be allowed in state competition for this year's girls and boys seasons.
But that's left some to wonder -- what is a legal suit? The sports governing bodies -- USA Swimming and FINA (and in turn the WIAA and the national high school sports association) -- have yet to provide a legal list of suits, and have suggested it may be up to coaches and meet officials to make a decision. (The primary guidance so far has been on suit length -- nothing longer than jammers for boys, and knee-length to neck for women.)
Here's how it might work; see this story (although it focuses on Washington, D.C.-area swim clubs, it provides some insights into how suit disputes may be resolved elsewhere):
http://reachforthewall.com/2009/09/22/what-to-wear-if-it-looks-legal-it-is/
Note this important section of the story:
More specifically, USA Swimming President Jim Wood said, officials will be advised to make judgments in three areas: Is the suit the appropriate length? Is it free of zippers or fasteners, which are now banned? And is the material, whatever it is, the same throughout — in other words, no visible panels, such as those found on Speedo’s popular LZR?
The answer to all three questions must be yes.
“We don’t want to go around feeling materials, but those three [evaluations] are pretty easily made,” Wood said.
As devoted swim followers well know, the sport's governing bodies have moved to ban the high-tech, full-body suits that have sparked controversy in the swimming world. The WIAA has announced that the suits will not be allowed in state competition for this year's girls and boys seasons.
But that's left some to wonder -- what is a legal suit? The sports governing bodies -- USA Swimming and FINA (and in turn the WIAA and the national high school sports association) -- have yet to provide a legal list of suits, and have suggested it may be up to coaches and meet officials to make a decision. (The primary guidance so far has been on suit length -- nothing longer than jammers for boys, and knee-length to neck for women.)
Here's how it might work; see this story (although it focuses on Washington, D.C.-area swim clubs, it provides some insights into how suit disputes may be resolved elsewhere):
http://reachforthewall.com/2009/09/22/what-to-wear-if-it-looks-legal-it-is/
Note this important section of the story:
More specifically, USA Swimming President Jim Wood said, officials will be advised to make judgments in three areas: Is the suit the appropriate length? Is it free of zippers or fasteners, which are now banned? And is the material, whatever it is, the same throughout — in other words, no visible panels, such as those found on Speedo’s popular LZR?
The answer to all three questions must be yes.
“We don’t want to go around feeling materials, but those three [evaluations] are pretty easily made,” Wood said.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
About those Milton freshmen...
...they are pretty good.
A couple of commentators on the blog have mentioned the prowess of Milton's incoming freshmen class. Yesterday's Milton Invite showed just how good they are.
Milton won its invitational 300-283 over Monona Grove Saturday in a meet that saw the two solid Division 2 programs go back-and-forth for the top spot throughout the meet. Milton came out on top in the end, and it can thank its freshmen for putting the team there.
Milton won the opening 200 medley relay, with freshman Katelyn Holmquist getting her relay off to an early lead on the backstroke leg, and fellow freshman Meagan Roberts providing a solid anchor leg to clinch the relay win. Twin sisters Katelyn and Abby Holmquist also swam legs on Milton's winning 200 free relay, while Abby Holmquist, Roberts, and freshman Katelyn Kirk comprised three-fourths of the team's 1st-place 400 free relay. The Holmquist sisters also contributed three wins in individual events -- Abby in the 200 and 100 frees (the 200 by nearly four seconds over multiple state qualifier Emily McClellan of Delavan-Darien), and Katelyn in the 100 back with an eye-popping time of 59.57. Roberts and Kirk provided top-four finishes in their individual events, as well.
Notable for Milton was that it won its invitational without a first-place in an individual event from star senior Jennah Haney. She twice finished second in what were the two most exciting and closest races of the meet -- to MG's Kelsey Millin in the 100 butterfly (where Haney swam a 59.33 to Millin's 59.13), and to D-D's McClellan in the 100 breaststroke in a match-up between two of the five swimmers who broke the state record last year in the race (Haney swam a 1:08.23 to McClellan's 1:08.10 -- very fast times for this stage of the season).
Milton had some big holes to fill after the graduations of state qualifiers Hailey Foss and Kaitlyn Kincaide. Looks like they are well on their way to filling them this year.
A couple of commentators on the blog have mentioned the prowess of Milton's incoming freshmen class. Yesterday's Milton Invite showed just how good they are.
Milton won its invitational 300-283 over Monona Grove Saturday in a meet that saw the two solid Division 2 programs go back-and-forth for the top spot throughout the meet. Milton came out on top in the end, and it can thank its freshmen for putting the team there.
Milton won the opening 200 medley relay, with freshman Katelyn Holmquist getting her relay off to an early lead on the backstroke leg, and fellow freshman Meagan Roberts providing a solid anchor leg to clinch the relay win. Twin sisters Katelyn and Abby Holmquist also swam legs on Milton's winning 200 free relay, while Abby Holmquist, Roberts, and freshman Katelyn Kirk comprised three-fourths of the team's 1st-place 400 free relay. The Holmquist sisters also contributed three wins in individual events -- Abby in the 200 and 100 frees (the 200 by nearly four seconds over multiple state qualifier Emily McClellan of Delavan-Darien), and Katelyn in the 100 back with an eye-popping time of 59.57. Roberts and Kirk provided top-four finishes in their individual events, as well.
Notable for Milton was that it won its invitational without a first-place in an individual event from star senior Jennah Haney. She twice finished second in what were the two most exciting and closest races of the meet -- to MG's Kelsey Millin in the 100 butterfly (where Haney swam a 59.33 to Millin's 59.13), and to D-D's McClellan in the 100 breaststroke in a match-up between two of the five swimmers who broke the state record last year in the race (Haney swam a 1:08.23 to McClellan's 1:08.10 -- very fast times for this stage of the season).
Milton had some big holes to fill after the graduations of state qualifiers Hailey Foss and Kaitlyn Kincaide. Looks like they are well on their way to filling them this year.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Growing the sport of swimming -- in Pewaukee
Wise swim followers say a successful showing by the United States in swimming in an Olympic year is almost always followed by an uptick in swim participation. So it's no surprise to see increased swimming numbers following last year's Michael Phelps-dominated Olympics.
One high school program experience strong growth is Pewaukee, in the western suburbs of Milwaukee. The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel's "Focus on Swimming" feature this week highlighted the girls swim team at Pewaukee; see here:
http://www.jsonline.com/sports/preps/59687192.html
Pewaukee now has 47 swimmers, a sizeable number for a Div. 2 team. That includes 20 swimmers new to the sport, a pretty good sign of the sport's growing popularity. Pewaukee qualified one swimmer last year for state -- current sophomore Lacey Leist in the 100 back -- and also returns all of its swimmers from its medley and 200 free relays that could contend for state qualifying berths this year.
Making Pewaukee's growth all the more remarkable is that the school lacks a pool; swimmers have to commute to nearby St. John's Northwestern to practice.
"I call them the most devoted high school swimmers in the state," Pewaukee coach Angie Gatzow told the Journal-Sentinel.
One high school program experience strong growth is Pewaukee, in the western suburbs of Milwaukee. The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel's "Focus on Swimming" feature this week highlighted the girls swim team at Pewaukee; see here:
http://www.jsonline.com/sports/preps/59687192.html
Pewaukee now has 47 swimmers, a sizeable number for a Div. 2 team. That includes 20 swimmers new to the sport, a pretty good sign of the sport's growing popularity. Pewaukee qualified one swimmer last year for state -- current sophomore Lacey Leist in the 100 back -- and also returns all of its swimmers from its medley and 200 free relays that could contend for state qualifying berths this year.
Making Pewaukee's growth all the more remarkable is that the school lacks a pool; swimmers have to commute to nearby St. John's Northwestern to practice.
"I call them the most devoted high school swimmers in the state," Pewaukee coach Angie Gatzow told the Journal-Sentinel.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
New sheriff in town
It's always healthy to see programs develop and grow -- swimming tends to center around a few areas and several well-established programs, so up-and-coming programs are worth noting.
One such program is the Burlington co-op, comprised of five schools: Burlington, Burlington Catholic Central, Wilmot United, East Troy and Waterford in southeastern Wisconsin. The Burlington co-op hasn't even scored a point in the last five Div. 1 state meets, but that should change this year.
Burlington showed why last weekend at the Shorewood Invitational, where they topped two strong D2 squads -- Shorewood and Whitefish Bay -- along with D1 Bay Port. And they did so pretty handily, netting 455.5 points to comfortably top runner-up Bay Port (388 points, with Shorewood in 3rd with 368.5 and WBay in 4th with 365.5). Burlington won the opening medley relay to set the tone for the meet, captured three individual titles, and closed out its win with a 1st-place in the closing 400 free relay.
"Across the board, we just had a lot of strong swims," Burlington coach Ken France told the Racine Journal-Times. "We showed that our top swimmers are extremely good and that we have great depth."
Of course, it helps to have one of the best sister acts in the state -- Anna and Sara Brooks. Both are good enough to have qualifed for this summer's junior national meet in Florida for their Waukesha Express club team. Anna, a freshman, won both the 200 IM and 100 breaststroke at the Shorewood Invite, delivering a particularly impressive time of 2:07..06 in the IM. Sara, meanwhile, finished 2nd in the 100 back and swam along with her sister on the winning medley and 400 free relay teams. Freshman Serena Wanasek also contributed a win in the 500 free in a time -- 5:22.27 -- that stamps her as a contender in the race at the Kenosha Bradford sectional.
One such program is the Burlington co-op, comprised of five schools: Burlington, Burlington Catholic Central, Wilmot United, East Troy and Waterford in southeastern Wisconsin. The Burlington co-op hasn't even scored a point in the last five Div. 1 state meets, but that should change this year.
Burlington showed why last weekend at the Shorewood Invitational, where they topped two strong D2 squads -- Shorewood and Whitefish Bay -- along with D1 Bay Port. And they did so pretty handily, netting 455.5 points to comfortably top runner-up Bay Port (388 points, with Shorewood in 3rd with 368.5 and WBay in 4th with 365.5). Burlington won the opening medley relay to set the tone for the meet, captured three individual titles, and closed out its win with a 1st-place in the closing 400 free relay.
"Across the board, we just had a lot of strong swims," Burlington coach Ken France told the Racine Journal-Times. "We showed that our top swimmers are extremely good and that we have great depth."
Of course, it helps to have one of the best sister acts in the state -- Anna and Sara Brooks. Both are good enough to have qualifed for this summer's junior national meet in Florida for their Waukesha Express club team. Anna, a freshman, won both the 200 IM and 100 breaststroke at the Shorewood Invite, delivering a particularly impressive time of 2:07..06 in the IM. Sara, meanwhile, finished 2nd in the 100 back and swam along with her sister on the winning medley and 400 free relay teams. Freshman Serena Wanasek also contributed a win in the 500 free in a time -- 5:22.27 -- that stamps her as a contender in the race at the Kenosha Bradford sectional.
Monday, September 14, 2009
As if there was any question...
...Hartland Arrowhead has a really good girls swim team.
HA ventured south to Kenosha for the Tremper Trojan Invitational and came away with a convincing win against some top teams. HA finished with 648.5 points, nearly 100 points more than runner-up Waukesha South/Mukwonago (460) and Muskego (455.5). Those two teams finished 4th and 5th, respectively, at the Div. 1 state meet last year, and with a healthy core of swimmers returning, are expected to represent some of HA's toughest competition this year.
But HA showed it can overwhelm teams with talent and depth. At the Trojan Invite, Haley Pietila won the 50 and 100 frees, and Emma Goral the 100 fly as expected. But HA really dominates with its relays, all of which won at the invitational. Pietila and Goral both swam on the winning medley and 400 free relays, while newcomer Julia Mikota contributed legs on the winning 200 and 400 free relays. State meet veterans Kate Jones and Holly Johnson also contributed on the relays, all three of which could be contenders for state titles this November. The relay times -- 1:48.66 for the medley, 1:39.77 for the 200, and 3:34.75 -- are certainly respectable at this stage of the season.
Individual titles are fine and dandy, but state trophies in swimming are earned with relays. HA showed why it will be a likely favorite this November in Madison.
HA ventured south to Kenosha for the Tremper Trojan Invitational and came away with a convincing win against some top teams. HA finished with 648.5 points, nearly 100 points more than runner-up Waukesha South/Mukwonago (460) and Muskego (455.5). Those two teams finished 4th and 5th, respectively, at the Div. 1 state meet last year, and with a healthy core of swimmers returning, are expected to represent some of HA's toughest competition this year.
But HA showed it can overwhelm teams with talent and depth. At the Trojan Invite, Haley Pietila won the 50 and 100 frees, and Emma Goral the 100 fly as expected. But HA really dominates with its relays, all of which won at the invitational. Pietila and Goral both swam on the winning medley and 400 free relays, while newcomer Julia Mikota contributed legs on the winning 200 and 400 free relays. State meet veterans Kate Jones and Holly Johnson also contributed on the relays, all three of which could be contenders for state titles this November. The relay times -- 1:48.66 for the medley, 1:39.77 for the 200, and 3:34.75 -- are certainly respectable at this stage of the season.
Individual titles are fine and dandy, but state trophies in swimming are earned with relays. HA showed why it will be a likely favorite this November in Madison.
Friday, September 11, 2009
A shot at redemption
If there is one D2 swimmer looking for redemption this season, it might be Milton's Jennah Haney.
She entered last year's state meet as the two-time defending champion in the 100 breaststroke, with a chance of becoming one of the few swimmers in state history to win a single event all four years in high school. But she finished runner-up to Plymouth freshman Kate Criter in one of the fastest races in state history -- five swimmers, including one in the first heat, broke the existing state record. Haney dropped 2.16 seconds from her sectional time at state, only to come up nearly half-a-second short of Criter. As she emerged from the pool after the race and looked up at her time on the scoreboard, Haney had one of those "What do I have to do?" looks on her face.
Probably no swimmer in the state greeted the news banning high-tech swimsuits like the blue70s with greater eagerness than Haney. For if any single event generated buzz and angst about the high-tech suits, it was the D2 girls breaststroke final last year at state. Records in 100-yard races usually fall in increments, not multiple seconds (Criter topped the old record, which had stood since 1996, by 2.23 seconds.), and not by multiple swimmers. Suits like the blue70s, because of their buoyancy, were viewed as especially beneficial to breaststrokers. See this article on how one elite U.S. breaststroker is changing her stroke to accomodate less-buoyant suits:
http://reachforthewall.com/2009/09/11/kukors-plans-to-change-with-the-slower-times/
And it's worth watching last year's D2 breaststroke final (see http://wiaa.tv/events/6276 starting at about the 98-minute mark), and note in particular how high Criter sits in the water; the top half of her head rarely if ever breaks the surface. Did Criter get "more" out of wearing a high-tech suit than any other swimmer in the race? Hard to tell; Criter had a very solid freshman campaign, is a very good technician with a rapid turnover, and won the race over the two other top finishes -- Haney included -- who also wore full-body high-tech suits. But it should be a fascinating race to watch this year -- all five of the swimmers who broke the state record in the race last year return.
As for Haney, she's already established some solid times early in the season, with a 1:07.27 100 breaststroke against McFarland this past week at her home pool. Haney will also face a big decision on her second event -- she's never finished lower than 3rd place at state in an individual event, but in her first two years she swam the 200 IM. Last year she switched over to the 200 free, but she finished well behind two other swimmers -- Brookfield Academy's Kelsey Hojan-Clark and Shorewood's Elli Sellinger -- who return this year. Maybe Milton's dual-meet win over McFarland showed a hint of what's to come -- Haney won the 200 IM in a very fast 2:08.29 (a time good enough to finish 2nd last year at state).
She entered last year's state meet as the two-time defending champion in the 100 breaststroke, with a chance of becoming one of the few swimmers in state history to win a single event all four years in high school. But she finished runner-up to Plymouth freshman Kate Criter in one of the fastest races in state history -- five swimmers, including one in the first heat, broke the existing state record. Haney dropped 2.16 seconds from her sectional time at state, only to come up nearly half-a-second short of Criter. As she emerged from the pool after the race and looked up at her time on the scoreboard, Haney had one of those "What do I have to do?" looks on her face.
Probably no swimmer in the state greeted the news banning high-tech swimsuits like the blue70s with greater eagerness than Haney. For if any single event generated buzz and angst about the high-tech suits, it was the D2 girls breaststroke final last year at state. Records in 100-yard races usually fall in increments, not multiple seconds (Criter topped the old record, which had stood since 1996, by 2.23 seconds.), and not by multiple swimmers. Suits like the blue70s, because of their buoyancy, were viewed as especially beneficial to breaststrokers. See this article on how one elite U.S. breaststroker is changing her stroke to accomodate less-buoyant suits:
http://reachforthewall.com/2009/09/11/kukors-plans-to-change-with-the-slower-times/
And it's worth watching last year's D2 breaststroke final (see http://wiaa.tv/events/6276 starting at about the 98-minute mark), and note in particular how high Criter sits in the water; the top half of her head rarely if ever breaks the surface. Did Criter get "more" out of wearing a high-tech suit than any other swimmer in the race? Hard to tell; Criter had a very solid freshman campaign, is a very good technician with a rapid turnover, and won the race over the two other top finishes -- Haney included -- who also wore full-body high-tech suits. But it should be a fascinating race to watch this year -- all five of the swimmers who broke the state record in the race last year return.
As for Haney, she's already established some solid times early in the season, with a 1:07.27 100 breaststroke against McFarland this past week at her home pool. Haney will also face a big decision on her second event -- she's never finished lower than 3rd place at state in an individual event, but in her first two years she swam the 200 IM. Last year she switched over to the 200 free, but she finished well behind two other swimmers -- Brookfield Academy's Kelsey Hojan-Clark and Shorewood's Elli Sellinger -- who return this year. Maybe Milton's dual-meet win over McFarland showed a hint of what's to come -- Haney won the 200 IM in a very fast 2:08.29 (a time good enough to finish 2nd last year at state).
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Early returns
After a couple of weeks of girls swimming, here are a few notable times and results:
-- Madison Memorial's depth of talent is impressive. The Spartans wandered north for the UW-Eau Claire relays and emerged with a first-place win with 386 points, 82 points in front of neighborhood rival Madison West. In an all-relay meet, Memorial took six of the 12 relays, with four 2nd-place finishes. Memorial has also topped tough Big Eight rivals West (109-61) and Verona (112-58, a very good win considering two-time state champ Jackie Powell took the night off). Memorial has a young but versatile squad this year, with key contributions from several sophomores; how its young group of swimmers develop over the course of the season will be a big factor in how the Spartans match up against the D1 field in November.
-- In a very tight contest, Madison Edgewood beat out Oregon and Milton to win the Badger Conference South relays meet. Edgewood scored 132 points to 126 for Oregon and 124 for Milton, with McFarland in 4th place with 104 points. The meet was decided in the last event -- the 400 free relay -- with Edgewood and Oregon battling it out in an extremely close race. It came down to the anchor legs for each team, and appropriately featured two senior sprinters -- Edgewood's Kelsey Richards and Oregon's Rachel Walsh -- who have been two of the conference's better sprinters for the past four years. Richards held off her rival from Oregon as Edgewood won with a time of 3:45.56, just .15 seconds ahead of Oregon. DeForest won the Badger Conference North relays meet with 106 points, with Waunakee (90), Baraboo (84) and Sauk Prairie (82) trailing.
-- Sturgeon Bay/Southern Door has been impressive in some early meets, posting times that are competitive with those swum by the team late in the season last year. Notably, the Clippers star freshman Savanna Townsend set a team record in the 50 free with a time of 24.68 at the Shawaon Sprints meet, a time that would've placed 4th last year at the D2 state meet. Her 54.32 100 free time at the same meet would've placed 9th at state. The team's medley relay of Townsend, older sister Sierra Townsend, Michaela Rabas and McKenzie Trelka also set a team record time of 1:51.48 that topped the team's 11th-place finish at state last year by nearly a second. The Townsends and Trelka also teamed with Erin Hogan to swim a 1:40.89 200 free relay, which would've placed 7th last year at state. ""It was pretty scary," Clippers coach Mike McHugh told the Door County Advocate. "I think the times are remarkable for this early in the season." The Clippers don't regularly face the caliber of teams that Madison and Milwaukee-area D2 teams do, but they continue to make a case for a strong showing this November at the state meet.
-- Madison East junior Aja Van Hout, the state's best swimmer, often finds herself swimming against her own time standards, given that few swimmers in the state can keep up with her. But she's just as good when faced with a hill to climb. Against Middleton recently, Van Hout anchored East's 200 and 400 free relays to victories, overcoming large deficits in doing so. In the 200 free relay, she swam a 22.92 anchor leg after entering the water nearly three seconds behind. In the 400 free relay, she swam a 50.79 anchor leg after entering the water nearly four seconds behind. In each case, she ran down veteran state meet swimmers for Middleton. Oh, and her winning individual times: 1:52.34 in the 200 free and 4:56.22 in the 500 free -- a time only a small handful of swimmers in the history of the state have topped.
-- Keep an eye on Brookfield East sophomore Sara Brzozowski. Against Menomonee Falls/Sussex Hamilton this past week, she won the 200 freestyle in 1:55.91 and the 500 freestyle in 5:06.00 -- both impressive times for this early in the season. Brzozowski qualified for state last year in the 500, finishing 19th with a time of 5:17.16. It's not unusual to see young swimmers make big strides in distance events from year to year. And the 500 free may be the single most loaded event this year in D1 -- 15 of the top 16 placers from last year's meet return, including the top 8. With four returning swimmers having already broken 5 minutes in their careers (Van Hout, Middleton's Katie Delaney, and Muskego's Brittany Walsh and Jessica Wolf), the 500 free has the potential to be one of the best events to watch at the state meet this year.
-- Madison Memorial's depth of talent is impressive. The Spartans wandered north for the UW-Eau Claire relays and emerged with a first-place win with 386 points, 82 points in front of neighborhood rival Madison West. In an all-relay meet, Memorial took six of the 12 relays, with four 2nd-place finishes. Memorial has also topped tough Big Eight rivals West (109-61) and Verona (112-58, a very good win considering two-time state champ Jackie Powell took the night off). Memorial has a young but versatile squad this year, with key contributions from several sophomores; how its young group of swimmers develop over the course of the season will be a big factor in how the Spartans match up against the D1 field in November.
-- In a very tight contest, Madison Edgewood beat out Oregon and Milton to win the Badger Conference South relays meet. Edgewood scored 132 points to 126 for Oregon and 124 for Milton, with McFarland in 4th place with 104 points. The meet was decided in the last event -- the 400 free relay -- with Edgewood and Oregon battling it out in an extremely close race. It came down to the anchor legs for each team, and appropriately featured two senior sprinters -- Edgewood's Kelsey Richards and Oregon's Rachel Walsh -- who have been two of the conference's better sprinters for the past four years. Richards held off her rival from Oregon as Edgewood won with a time of 3:45.56, just .15 seconds ahead of Oregon. DeForest won the Badger Conference North relays meet with 106 points, with Waunakee (90), Baraboo (84) and Sauk Prairie (82) trailing.
-- Sturgeon Bay/Southern Door has been impressive in some early meets, posting times that are competitive with those swum by the team late in the season last year. Notably, the Clippers star freshman Savanna Townsend set a team record in the 50 free with a time of 24.68 at the Shawaon Sprints meet, a time that would've placed 4th last year at the D2 state meet. Her 54.32 100 free time at the same meet would've placed 9th at state. The team's medley relay of Townsend, older sister Sierra Townsend, Michaela Rabas and McKenzie Trelka also set a team record time of 1:51.48 that topped the team's 11th-place finish at state last year by nearly a second. The Townsends and Trelka also teamed with Erin Hogan to swim a 1:40.89 200 free relay, which would've placed 7th last year at state. ""It was pretty scary," Clippers coach Mike McHugh told the Door County Advocate. "I think the times are remarkable for this early in the season." The Clippers don't regularly face the caliber of teams that Madison and Milwaukee-area D2 teams do, but they continue to make a case for a strong showing this November at the state meet.
-- Madison East junior Aja Van Hout, the state's best swimmer, often finds herself swimming against her own time standards, given that few swimmers in the state can keep up with her. But she's just as good when faced with a hill to climb. Against Middleton recently, Van Hout anchored East's 200 and 400 free relays to victories, overcoming large deficits in doing so. In the 200 free relay, she swam a 22.92 anchor leg after entering the water nearly three seconds behind. In the 400 free relay, she swam a 50.79 anchor leg after entering the water nearly four seconds behind. In each case, she ran down veteran state meet swimmers for Middleton. Oh, and her winning individual times: 1:52.34 in the 200 free and 4:56.22 in the 500 free -- a time only a small handful of swimmers in the history of the state have topped.
-- Keep an eye on Brookfield East sophomore Sara Brzozowski. Against Menomonee Falls/Sussex Hamilton this past week, she won the 200 freestyle in 1:55.91 and the 500 freestyle in 5:06.00 -- both impressive times for this early in the season. Brzozowski qualified for state last year in the 500, finishing 19th with a time of 5:17.16. It's not unusual to see young swimmers make big strides in distance events from year to year. And the 500 free may be the single most loaded event this year in D1 -- 15 of the top 16 placers from last year's meet return, including the top 8. With four returning swimmers having already broken 5 minutes in their careers (Van Hout, Middleton's Katie Delaney, and Muskego's Brittany Walsh and Jessica Wolf), the 500 free has the potential to be one of the best events to watch at the state meet this year.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Big early win for Shorewood
Give Shorewood and Whitefish Bay a lot of credit. The two Div. 2 powers in girls swimming aren't in the same conference, but they have a tradition of swimming against each other in an early-season dual meet. The two teams are expected to be among the top five or so squads this year competing for the D2 state title.
This week, they met again, and Shorewood eked out an 87-83 win, clinching the victory with a win in the meet-ending 400 free relay. Shorewood stars Claire Chamberlain and Elli Sellinger led the way, with four individual wins between them and helping Shorewood to wins in the 400 free and 200 medley relays. Ellen Stello provided the depth Shorewood has been looking for, with wins in the 100 fly and 500 free. WBay kept it close with its superior depth, and the team picked up wins from Maggie Smith in 50 free and Lauren Van Loon in the 200 free, along with its 200 free relay.
These two teams will be interesting to watch as the season progresses, and they are a study in contrasts. Shorewood has the kind of top-tier talent that goes a long way at the state meet, but WBay has the kind of depth that can qualify lots of individuals, and all three relays, for state. They both should be fun to watch. And kudos to those involved at each school for maintaining this compelling non-conference rivalry.
This week, they met again, and Shorewood eked out an 87-83 win, clinching the victory with a win in the meet-ending 400 free relay. Shorewood stars Claire Chamberlain and Elli Sellinger led the way, with four individual wins between them and helping Shorewood to wins in the 400 free and 200 medley relays. Ellen Stello provided the depth Shorewood has been looking for, with wins in the 100 fly and 500 free. WBay kept it close with its superior depth, and the team picked up wins from Maggie Smith in 50 free and Lauren Van Loon in the 200 free, along with its 200 free relay.
These two teams will be interesting to watch as the season progresses, and they are a study in contrasts. Shorewood has the kind of top-tier talent that goes a long way at the state meet, but WBay has the kind of depth that can qualify lots of individuals, and all three relays, for state. They both should be fun to watch. And kudos to those involved at each school for maintaining this compelling non-conference rivalry.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
By the way -- no season switch
Lost in all the hullabaloo over swimsuits comes this announcement from the WIAA: girls and boys swim seasons will stay where they are -- girls in the fall, boys in the winter. A year ago, the WIAA appeared poised to switch the seasons, following a lawsuit over the placement of a number of girls and boys seasons in Michigan.
But WIAA assistant director Tom Shafranski, in his video presentation (available on WIAATV.com) on the upcoming swim seasons, said the WIAA's Board of Control has decided to keep the current swim seasons in place. One factor cited by Shafranski: the lack of support for the idea among high school swim coaches. WISCA, the state association for swim coaches, played a key role in surveying its membership on the idea of switching seasons, and few reported that they favored the move.
But WIAA assistant director Tom Shafranski, in his video presentation (available on WIAATV.com) on the upcoming swim seasons, said the WIAA's Board of Control has decided to keep the current swim seasons in place. One factor cited by Shafranski: the lack of support for the idea among high school swim coaches. WISCA, the state association for swim coaches, played a key role in surveying its membership on the idea of switching seasons, and few reported that they favored the move.
Making it to state
I always like stories such as these:
http://www.htrnews.com/article/20090830/MAN020507/908300438/1378/MAN02/Lincoln-looks-to-end-state-drought
It's been seven years since Manitowoc Lincoln -- one of the larger high schools in Wisconsin -- has sent a swimmer to the D1 state meet. Sometimes lost in all the speculation about who will win state, and what records may be broken, is that for some teams, simply qualifying for the state meet and competing against the best in Wisconsin is a notable goal and accomplishment.
It's clearly the focus these days for the Manitowoc girls team. Here's an excerpt from the above article:
--------------------
Seven years.
It's a fact not lost on Ships' head coach Vance Higdon nor his crew of swimmers, and it's a drought that all involved hope to bring to an end this season.
"We do talk about. If I don't, the girls do. They are so motivated," Higdon said. "We have girls with a lot of desire that go about attacking their times. They really want to lower their times."
----------------------
Last Feburary, I noted that Jefferson's boys program ended a 10-year drought when it qualified for the D2 state meet in two individual events and the 200 free relay. There are few more exciting venues for Wisconsin high school athletes to compete in than the UW Natatorium, packed literally to the rafters, during a state high school swim meet. Here's hoping the Manitowoc swimmers can reach their goal this fall.
http://www.htrnews.com/article/20090830/MAN020507/908300438/1378/MAN02/Lincoln-looks-to-end-state-drought
It's been seven years since Manitowoc Lincoln -- one of the larger high schools in Wisconsin -- has sent a swimmer to the D1 state meet. Sometimes lost in all the speculation about who will win state, and what records may be broken, is that for some teams, simply qualifying for the state meet and competing against the best in Wisconsin is a notable goal and accomplishment.
It's clearly the focus these days for the Manitowoc girls team. Here's an excerpt from the above article:
--------------------
Seven years.
It's a fact not lost on Ships' head coach Vance Higdon nor his crew of swimmers, and it's a drought that all involved hope to bring to an end this season.
"We do talk about. If I don't, the girls do. They are so motivated," Higdon said. "We have girls with a lot of desire that go about attacking their times. They really want to lower their times."
----------------------
Last Feburary, I noted that Jefferson's boys program ended a 10-year drought when it qualified for the D2 state meet in two individual events and the 200 free relay. There are few more exciting venues for Wisconsin high school athletes to compete in than the UW Natatorium, packed literally to the rafters, during a state high school swim meet. Here's hoping the Manitowoc swimmers can reach their goal this fall.
Good to see her back
Two years ago, Wisconsin Rapids' freshman Becca Weiland burst on to the Wisconsin swimming scene with two 3rd-place finishes at the Div. 1 state meet in the 50 and 100 frees. She seemed destined to some day win a state title in at least one of the sprints.
But last year proved to be a disappointment, as Weiland's sophomore season was derailed by a shoulder injury that prevented her from competing at the sectional qualifying meet.
Weiland is now back, and joins a team that in her absence established a presence at the state meet -- its 200 medley relay finished 19th with three underclassmen, including Becca's youngster sister Racheal. Weiland will certainly be aiming for a return trip to state in two individual events, and also joining her state-meet veteran teammates on potentially two relays with the hopes of another visit to the D1 meet.
But last year proved to be a disappointment, as Weiland's sophomore season was derailed by a shoulder injury that prevented her from competing at the sectional qualifying meet.
Weiland is now back, and joins a team that in her absence established a presence at the state meet -- its 200 medley relay finished 19th with three underclassmen, including Becca's youngster sister Racheal. Weiland will certainly be aiming for a return trip to state in two individual events, and also joining her state-meet veteran teammates on potentially two relays with the hopes of another visit to the D1 meet.
blue70s: Here today, gone tomorrow
Here's the upshot of the long-running high-tech swimsuit debate: Watch what you wear at this year's sectional swim meets.
By now, most in the high school swim community are aware of the ban announced on full-body, high-tech suits. The suits were credited (or blamed, depending on your take on these things) for a season (both boys and girls) in which fast times were the norm, and record times were not surprising (e.g., at last year's Div. 2 state meet, five swimmers broke the state record in the 100 breaststroke, and it was lowered by an astounding 2.23 seconds). For many swimmers, the suit of choice was the full-body blue70s; it wasn't unusual to see entire heats at the state meet (or entire teams, in the case of DeForest's girls team at the Baraboo sectional) wearing the suits.
Here's the press release from the National Federation of State High School Associations announcing the ban on high-tech suits:
http://www.nfhs.org/web/2009/08/hightech_swimsuits_banned_in_hi.aspx
The WIAA has said it will follow the ban recommendations. This is the annual WIAA sports meeting presentation that details the WIAA's interpretation of the ban (the section devoted to suits starts at about 22 minutes and runs for about five minutes):
http://wiaa.tv/events/6683
In short, it sounds like the blue70s are out, while TYRs and Speedos (though it's unclear about the LZRs) are in. Here is some additional information posted by the WIAA recently about the ban:
--------------------------------
SWIMSUIT TECHNOLOGY
Question: Should officials inspect swimmers if they view a potential violation of the new swimming suit rule?
Interpretation: No, all questions regarding the legality of a swimming suit are directed to the coach of the swimmer involved. If no violation is observed by the official, then there is no violation. If a potential violation is observed by an official, the coach of the swimmer is contacted. The coach handles the inspection
and reports to the official whether or not there is a violation.
Question: Will a list of legal or illegal swimming suits be available?
Interpretation: The NFHS is currently informing us that they will not be providing a list of suits at this time. Through their discussions with the NCAA, USA-S, Speedo, and TYR, the requirements of made of textile, permeable and no aid in buoyancy should be easy to just observe. The manufacturers are not making anything that won’t be in compliance. Should a list become available, it will be provided to school administrators, WISCA leadership and WIAA officials.
-----------------------------
Coaches, swimmers and parents may want to pay particular attention to the WIAA sports presentation clip as it pertains to the role of officials and coaches at meets, and the procedure that will be used for identifying, and potentially DQing, swimmers wearing non-conforming suits. The WIAA says it will equate decisions about suits on the pool deck the same way it rules on jewelry. But given that most jewelry takes seconds to take off, and most high-tech suits take several minutes to put on, it's likely that a swimmer risks a DQ (because meet officials won't hold up the meet for a suit change) if they step up to the blocks for a race wearing a banned suit.
By now, most in the high school swim community are aware of the ban announced on full-body, high-tech suits. The suits were credited (or blamed, depending on your take on these things) for a season (both boys and girls) in which fast times were the norm, and record times were not surprising (e.g., at last year's Div. 2 state meet, five swimmers broke the state record in the 100 breaststroke, and it was lowered by an astounding 2.23 seconds). For many swimmers, the suit of choice was the full-body blue70s; it wasn't unusual to see entire heats at the state meet (or entire teams, in the case of DeForest's girls team at the Baraboo sectional) wearing the suits.
Here's the press release from the National Federation of State High School Associations announcing the ban on high-tech suits:
http://www.nfhs.org/web/2009/08/hightech_swimsuits_banned_in_hi.aspx
The WIAA has said it will follow the ban recommendations. This is the annual WIAA sports meeting presentation that details the WIAA's interpretation of the ban (the section devoted to suits starts at about 22 minutes and runs for about five minutes):
http://wiaa.tv/events/6683
In short, it sounds like the blue70s are out, while TYRs and Speedos (though it's unclear about the LZRs) are in. Here is some additional information posted by the WIAA recently about the ban:
--------------------------------
SWIMSUIT TECHNOLOGY
Question: Should officials inspect swimmers if they view a potential violation of the new swimming suit rule?
Interpretation: No, all questions regarding the legality of a swimming suit are directed to the coach of the swimmer involved. If no violation is observed by the official, then there is no violation. If a potential violation is observed by an official, the coach of the swimmer is contacted. The coach handles the inspection
and reports to the official whether or not there is a violation.
Question: Will a list of legal or illegal swimming suits be available?
Interpretation: The NFHS is currently informing us that they will not be providing a list of suits at this time. Through their discussions with the NCAA, USA-S, Speedo, and TYR, the requirements of made of textile, permeable and no aid in buoyancy should be easy to just observe. The manufacturers are not making anything that won’t be in compliance. Should a list become available, it will be provided to school administrators, WISCA leadership and WIAA officials.
-----------------------------
Coaches, swimmers and parents may want to pay particular attention to the WIAA sports presentation clip as it pertains to the role of officials and coaches at meets, and the procedure that will be used for identifying, and potentially DQing, swimmers wearing non-conforming suits. The WIAA says it will equate decisions about suits on the pool deck the same way it rules on jewelry. But given that most jewelry takes seconds to take off, and most high-tech suits take several minutes to put on, it's likely that a swimmer risks a DQ (because meet officials won't hold up the meet for a suit change) if they step up to the blocks for a race wearing a banned suit.
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