A popular parlor game this time of year in swimming is to "score" the state meet based on the seeds of each team. It's speculative, yes, and swimmers have a way of dramatically improving on their seeds (or sometimes not). But scoring based on seeding provides some insights into the relative strength of teams, and can forecast what to expect as the meet unfolds. So here goes:
D1:
The race for the team title in D1 looks wide open. Madison Memorial, seeking its 10th state title, is seeded 1st with 190 points. But the Spartans are closely followed by defending state champs Hartland-Arrowhead (173), Marquette (170), and New Berlin (164). Six other teams (in order, Sauk Prairie/Wisconsin Heights, Greenfield/Greendale, Waukesha South/Catholic Memorial, Wausau East, Appleton North/East, and Hartford) are seeded to score more than 100 points in the meet. The closely bunched meet reveals the central truth about D1 this year -- the talent is spread throughout a bunch of teams (e.g., three different teams -- New Berlin, Hartford, and Marquette -- own the top three seeds in the relays). What's also notable is how low Memorial's seed total is -- Memorial would need to improve its seeding by 27 points (certainly possible) to match Arrowhead's winning total from last year (217), which was the lowest total by a winning squad since 1982. Of the top four seeded teams, Memorial and Marquette have divers participating, which will likely give them a head-start on the competition when the swim meet starts.
D2:
McFarland -- top-seeded in all three relays, and with swimmers in all eight individual swimming events -- is head and shoulders above the D2 field with 320 points based on seeding. It's a long way to the rest of the field, which is tightly bunched -- Shorewood (180), Ashwaubenon (178), Delavan-Darien (167), Whitefish Bay (165) and Edgewood (151). All but Delavan-Darien qualified three relays for the meet, so there is potential for a lot of moving up and down the scoreboard based on how the relays play out. Neighborhood rivals Shorewood and Whitefish Bay appear on paper with the best chance at emerging from the crowded field, as WB has 11 swimmers spread across each of the eight swimming events, plus one diver, while Shorewood has 12 swimmers in six swimming events.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
Sectionals -- D1
D1 sectionals this past weekend went as anticipated -- faster times than last year (notably in the fly and breaststroke), although perhaps not as noticeable as some of the D2 qualifying time drops. The Waukesha South sectional was exceptionaley fast, Memorial dominated the Middleton sectional, and Marquette won going away in the Nicolet sectional. On to the recaps:
Hudson -- Eau Claire, with a strong showing by its distance swimmers and a terrific meet by senior Will Weggel depth, won the sectional title 392-315 over Wausau East. Memorial's 500 free swimmers swept the top three spots, while Weggel won the 50 free and 100 fly, upsetting Wausau East's Lucas Koenig in the latter event. East left with lots of hardware, however, as it won five of the 11 even swimming events, led by two-time winner Josh Hall (200 IM, 100 breaststroke). East's 200 medley relay won by more than five seconds and will be looking to defend its title this week at the D1 state meet.
Neenah -- The host team won its sectional 374-336.5 over Bayport with only one win -- backstroker Matt Hollub. Bayport racked up six wins in the sectional, but couldn't match the host's depth. Appleton's Ryan Goggans was a double winner in the 200/500 frees.
Middleton -- Madison Memorial dominated the always fast Middleton sectional, topping Verona easily 392.2-279. The Spartans won all three relays, Michael Drives doubled up in the 200 and 500 frees, and Shaun Marcott went under 1:00 to win the breaststroke. Add in Nat Broadbridge's win in the diving, and Memorial cruised to victory and emerged as the favorite for this week's D1 title. Sauk Prairie/Wisconsin Heights' Matt Friede doubled up in the freestyle sprints, and enters the state meet with the top seed in both the 50 and 100 frees. Teammate Tyler Lentz, meanwhile, won the 200 IM and will go into the state meet as the 2nd seed. Middleton (278), Madison West (248.5) and Sauk (224) rounded out the top five.
Nicolet -- The weakest of the six sectionals nonetheless produced a strong contender for a state title in Marquette, which won all but one of the 11 swimming events to win easily, 429.5-335.5 over host Nicolet. Sprinter Andrew Breger, presumably well after a season beset with shoulder problems, won both the 50 and 100 free sprints and swam on two of the team's winning relays. Milwaukee Riverside's Carlos Rios will carry the hopes of the Milwaukee City League on his shoulders; he won the Nicolet diving sectional title and goes into the state meet as the top seed in diving.
Waukesha South -- This is the home of amazing times and stunning depth; one wonders if the WIAA shouldn't at some point consider a realignment of teams in the Milwaukee area, particularly given the weakness of the not-so-far-away Nicolet sectional. In the end, Hartland-Arrowhead waged a terrific battle with New Berlin, coming out on top 312-291. Others in the top five included Wauesha South/Catholic Memorial (242.5), Meno. Falls/Germantown/Hamilton (238.5), and Hartford (200). HA was led by Ryan Hansen, newly signed to the University of Utah and the defending state champ in the 500 free. Hansen won the 200 free (1:41.34), then came back with a stunning 4:31.20 in the 500 free, or more than a second below the current state record. Hansen's a treat to watch -- he attacks the 500 like a sprint, racing off to the lead that he tries to hold -- and should be fun to watch this Saturday. How deep is this sectional? A total of 13 swimmers in the 500 free qualified for state.
Racine Park -- Kenosha Tremper beat Kenosha Bradford 338-309, but the real noise came from Greenfield/Greendale and its trio of Mike Lucchesi, Jack Lennertz and Matt Jungers. The trio won five events among them (Lucchesi the 100 free, Lennertz the 50 free and 100 fly, and Jungers the 200 IM and the 100 back; Lucchesi was 2nd to Lennertz in the 50 free)and helped G-G to easy wins in the 200 medley and 400 free relays.
Hudson -- Eau Claire, with a strong showing by its distance swimmers and a terrific meet by senior Will Weggel depth, won the sectional title 392-315 over Wausau East. Memorial's 500 free swimmers swept the top three spots, while Weggel won the 50 free and 100 fly, upsetting Wausau East's Lucas Koenig in the latter event. East left with lots of hardware, however, as it won five of the 11 even swimming events, led by two-time winner Josh Hall (200 IM, 100 breaststroke). East's 200 medley relay won by more than five seconds and will be looking to defend its title this week at the D1 state meet.
Neenah -- The host team won its sectional 374-336.5 over Bayport with only one win -- backstroker Matt Hollub. Bayport racked up six wins in the sectional, but couldn't match the host's depth. Appleton's Ryan Goggans was a double winner in the 200/500 frees.
Middleton -- Madison Memorial dominated the always fast Middleton sectional, topping Verona easily 392.2-279. The Spartans won all three relays, Michael Drives doubled up in the 200 and 500 frees, and Shaun Marcott went under 1:00 to win the breaststroke. Add in Nat Broadbridge's win in the diving, and Memorial cruised to victory and emerged as the favorite for this week's D1 title. Sauk Prairie/Wisconsin Heights' Matt Friede doubled up in the freestyle sprints, and enters the state meet with the top seed in both the 50 and 100 frees. Teammate Tyler Lentz, meanwhile, won the 200 IM and will go into the state meet as the 2nd seed. Middleton (278), Madison West (248.5) and Sauk (224) rounded out the top five.
Nicolet -- The weakest of the six sectionals nonetheless produced a strong contender for a state title in Marquette, which won all but one of the 11 swimming events to win easily, 429.5-335.5 over host Nicolet. Sprinter Andrew Breger, presumably well after a season beset with shoulder problems, won both the 50 and 100 free sprints and swam on two of the team's winning relays. Milwaukee Riverside's Carlos Rios will carry the hopes of the Milwaukee City League on his shoulders; he won the Nicolet diving sectional title and goes into the state meet as the top seed in diving.
Waukesha South -- This is the home of amazing times and stunning depth; one wonders if the WIAA shouldn't at some point consider a realignment of teams in the Milwaukee area, particularly given the weakness of the not-so-far-away Nicolet sectional. In the end, Hartland-Arrowhead waged a terrific battle with New Berlin, coming out on top 312-291. Others in the top five included Wauesha South/Catholic Memorial (242.5), Meno. Falls/Germantown/Hamilton (238.5), and Hartford (200). HA was led by Ryan Hansen, newly signed to the University of Utah and the defending state champ in the 500 free. Hansen won the 200 free (1:41.34), then came back with a stunning 4:31.20 in the 500 free, or more than a second below the current state record. Hansen's a treat to watch -- he attacks the 500 like a sprint, racing off to the lead that he tries to hold -- and should be fun to watch this Saturday. How deep is this sectional? A total of 13 swimmers in the 500 free qualified for state.
Racine Park -- Kenosha Tremper beat Kenosha Bradford 338-309, but the real noise came from Greenfield/Greendale and its trio of Mike Lucchesi, Jack Lennertz and Matt Jungers. The trio won five events among them (Lucchesi the 100 free, Lennertz the 50 free and 100 fly, and Jungers the 200 IM and the 100 back; Lucchesi was 2nd to Lennertz in the 50 free)and helped G-G to easy wins in the 200 medley and 400 free relays.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Sectionals -- D2
D2 sectionals were fast this year -- very fast. How fast? Qualifying time standards fell in every event this year save for one -- the backstroke. Some dropped noticeably, like the 200 IM, which fell 2.5 seconds. Relay qualifying times were also much faster, with the 400 free relay qualifying time dropping an astounding 5.5 seconds (3:27.02 this year vs. 3:32.53 last year).
To cite a few examples, Sturgeon Bay/Southern Door's John Parent broke 1:50 in the 200 free and failed to make the final heat. Last year, any time under 23 seconds in the 50 free got a swimmer into the final heat; this year, 23 seconds barely got you into the state meet (last two qualifying times were 23 flat and 23.07.) Only two swimmers this year above 50 seconds in the 100 free made state; last year there were 10. And on and on -- similar to the girls season last fall, it was swim fast or go home.
It was also a tale of some lopsided results -- two of the four sectionals (Waunakee and Cudahay) sent more than two-thirds of the individual swimmers, and exactly two-thirds of the relays, to state.
Here's a summary from the four D2 sectionals:
Stevens Point -- Ashwaubenon won going away, 399.5-305 over runner-up Berlin/Green Lake. The Jaguars won all three relays, went 1-2 in the diving, and had a double-winner in Phillip Crum (200 IM, 100 breaststroke), along with a win from ace sprinter Jake Pelishek in the 50 free, who topped a very good field in the 50 free (2nd went to Eric Emerson of River Falls and 3rd to Rhinelander's Ben Lonsdorf, runner-up at state last year in the event). The Jaguars decided to put senior Chris Vandervest (who has signed a Div. II football letter-of-intent for Minnesota-Duluth) on all three relays, and it paid off; the medley relay with Vandervest leading off won by more than six seconds. Sturgeon Bay/Southern Door (294), River Falls (284), and Rice Lake (202.5) rounded out the top five.
Waunakee -- Just in case anyone was wondering, McFarland showed who's the boss of D2 this year with an outstanding showing at the Waunakee High School pool, winning with 427 points over Edgewood's 307. The Spartans won all three relays (all ended up as the top seeds for this week's state meet), six of the eight individual swimming events, and qualified 17 of its 18 individual entries to state. Leading the way was the senior tandem of Graham Thoresen and Brandon O'Donnell. Thoresen won the 200 and 500 frees in two thrilling duels with Edgewood's Chase Stephens (winning the 200 by .04 seconds, and the 500 by .09 seconds), while O'Donnell won his specialties (200 IM, 100 fly). Only Edgewood's Drew teDuits, who won the 50 free and the 100 back, and Monona Grove's Trevor Sisson, who won the diving the night before, broke up the McFarland party. And just in case you're wondering whether McFarland's going away after this year -- well, they're not. Seven of the team's 17 state qualifying bids (five different swimmers) were won by freshmen. Edgewood provided a good battle for the Spartans in the two free relays, and with teDuits and Stephens the Crusaders have two of the better D2 swimmers in the state. But few teams can come close to matching McFarland's depth; it's why they'll be a heavy favorite this Friday at the UW Natatorium for a third straight state title. Fort Atkinson (235), Waunakee (228), and Oregon (194) rounded out the top five.
Plymouth -- Cedarburg continued its fine late-season run with a 384-358.5 win over the host team. Diving is strong in this sectional (half the divers at state came out of this sectional), and Cedarburg parlayed a 2-6-7 finish in the diving to help it to the win. The squad won all three relays, got a double-win from Carl Newenhouse (100 free, 100 back), and added a win from distance swimmer Jim Akkala (500 free). Plymouth took home three wins courtesy of double-winner Jesse Gambrell (200 IM, 100 breaststroke) and Brian Linzmeyer (200 free). Rounding out the top five were Port Washington (228), Milwaukee Lutheran (185.5), and Grafton (180).
Cudahay -- The sectional at Cudahay was arguably the deepest of the four sectionals, sending more individual entries to state than any other. Whitefish Bay emerged from a very fast meet the winner with 351 points to 328 for runner-up Shorewood. It was a wild and wooly meet; WB won without winning a single event, but parlayed its depth into three top-five finishes in the relays and a number of top-10 finishes. The meet was abnormally deep in some areas -- in the breaststroke, 10 swimmers qualified for the state meet. Whitnall loaded up its relays with its two best swimmers -- Tyler Leroy and Doug Bell only swam one individual event -- and it paid off, as the team won the 200 and 400 free relays and all three relays qualified for state. And did any two swimmers have a better sectional meet in the state than Delavan-Darien's dynamic duo of Nathaniel Johnson and Alex Riegert? Johnson won the 200 IM, earning the top seed at the state, followed by Riegert winning the 100 free and similarly earning the top seed at state. The pair then went 1-2 in the breaststroke -- separated by a mere .02 seconds (with Reigert outtouching his teammate) -- and they earned the top two seeds at state in the event. The pair also led D-D to a win in the medley relay and a runner-up finish in the 400 free relay. Not a bad day's worth of work. Milton's Jeff Maxwell won both the 200 and 500 frees and established himself as the favorite in both events with times of 1:45.21 (200) and 4:43.83 (500, where he's the defending state champ). Milton ended up third (277), followed by D-D (251) and Whitnall (228).
To cite a few examples, Sturgeon Bay/Southern Door's John Parent broke 1:50 in the 200 free and failed to make the final heat. Last year, any time under 23 seconds in the 50 free got a swimmer into the final heat; this year, 23 seconds barely got you into the state meet (last two qualifying times were 23 flat and 23.07.) Only two swimmers this year above 50 seconds in the 100 free made state; last year there were 10. And on and on -- similar to the girls season last fall, it was swim fast or go home.
It was also a tale of some lopsided results -- two of the four sectionals (Waunakee and Cudahay) sent more than two-thirds of the individual swimmers, and exactly two-thirds of the relays, to state.
Here's a summary from the four D2 sectionals:
Stevens Point -- Ashwaubenon won going away, 399.5-305 over runner-up Berlin/Green Lake. The Jaguars won all three relays, went 1-2 in the diving, and had a double-winner in Phillip Crum (200 IM, 100 breaststroke), along with a win from ace sprinter Jake Pelishek in the 50 free, who topped a very good field in the 50 free (2nd went to Eric Emerson of River Falls and 3rd to Rhinelander's Ben Lonsdorf, runner-up at state last year in the event). The Jaguars decided to put senior Chris Vandervest (who has signed a Div. II football letter-of-intent for Minnesota-Duluth) on all three relays, and it paid off; the medley relay with Vandervest leading off won by more than six seconds. Sturgeon Bay/Southern Door (294), River Falls (284), and Rice Lake (202.5) rounded out the top five.
Waunakee -- Just in case anyone was wondering, McFarland showed who's the boss of D2 this year with an outstanding showing at the Waunakee High School pool, winning with 427 points over Edgewood's 307. The Spartans won all three relays (all ended up as the top seeds for this week's state meet), six of the eight individual swimming events, and qualified 17 of its 18 individual entries to state. Leading the way was the senior tandem of Graham Thoresen and Brandon O'Donnell. Thoresen won the 200 and 500 frees in two thrilling duels with Edgewood's Chase Stephens (winning the 200 by .04 seconds, and the 500 by .09 seconds), while O'Donnell won his specialties (200 IM, 100 fly). Only Edgewood's Drew teDuits, who won the 50 free and the 100 back, and Monona Grove's Trevor Sisson, who won the diving the night before, broke up the McFarland party. And just in case you're wondering whether McFarland's going away after this year -- well, they're not. Seven of the team's 17 state qualifying bids (five different swimmers) were won by freshmen. Edgewood provided a good battle for the Spartans in the two free relays, and with teDuits and Stephens the Crusaders have two of the better D2 swimmers in the state. But few teams can come close to matching McFarland's depth; it's why they'll be a heavy favorite this Friday at the UW Natatorium for a third straight state title. Fort Atkinson (235), Waunakee (228), and Oregon (194) rounded out the top five.
Plymouth -- Cedarburg continued its fine late-season run with a 384-358.5 win over the host team. Diving is strong in this sectional (half the divers at state came out of this sectional), and Cedarburg parlayed a 2-6-7 finish in the diving to help it to the win. The squad won all three relays, got a double-win from Carl Newenhouse (100 free, 100 back), and added a win from distance swimmer Jim Akkala (500 free). Plymouth took home three wins courtesy of double-winner Jesse Gambrell (200 IM, 100 breaststroke) and Brian Linzmeyer (200 free). Rounding out the top five were Port Washington (228), Milwaukee Lutheran (185.5), and Grafton (180).
Cudahay -- The sectional at Cudahay was arguably the deepest of the four sectionals, sending more individual entries to state than any other. Whitefish Bay emerged from a very fast meet the winner with 351 points to 328 for runner-up Shorewood. It was a wild and wooly meet; WB won without winning a single event, but parlayed its depth into three top-five finishes in the relays and a number of top-10 finishes. The meet was abnormally deep in some areas -- in the breaststroke, 10 swimmers qualified for the state meet. Whitnall loaded up its relays with its two best swimmers -- Tyler Leroy and Doug Bell only swam one individual event -- and it paid off, as the team won the 200 and 400 free relays and all three relays qualified for state. And did any two swimmers have a better sectional meet in the state than Delavan-Darien's dynamic duo of Nathaniel Johnson and Alex Riegert? Johnson won the 200 IM, earning the top seed at the state, followed by Riegert winning the 100 free and similarly earning the top seed at state. The pair then went 1-2 in the breaststroke -- separated by a mere .02 seconds (with Reigert outtouching his teammate) -- and they earned the top two seeds at state in the event. The pair also led D-D to a win in the medley relay and a runner-up finish in the 400 free relay. Not a bad day's worth of work. Milton's Jeff Maxwell won both the 200 and 500 frees and established himself as the favorite in both events with times of 1:45.21 (200) and 4:43.83 (500, where he's the defending state champ). Milton ended up third (277), followed by D-D (251) and Whitnall (228).
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Conference round-up -- D1
Division 1 conference meets last weekend gave a pretty good indication of what to expect this coming weekend at sectionals -- Madison Memorial, Hartland-Arrowhead, and Marquette look strong, with Middleton, Sauk Prairie-Wisconsin Heights, and Greenfield-Greendale nipping at their heels.
-- Memorial won the always tough Big Eight Conference meet, all the stronger this year with the addition of Verona. They beat out a Middleton squad that made a strong showing, 497-471, with Madison West topping Verona 385.5-337 for third. All four squads will make their presence felt at the Middleton sectional meet. Memorial's Michael Drives, fighting a cold, won the 200 and 500 frees, and the team's 200-yard free relay scored a solid win by more than a minute over Middleton. But the Cardinals won the other two relays, and it was no surprise that senior Purdue recruit Sam Niesen swam on those winning relays. He garnered four wins overall with 1st-place finishes in the back and 100 free.
-- Arrowhead topped Marquette 458-420 in the Classic 8/Greater Metro Conference meet at the fast Waukesha South pool in a meet in which depth paid off for HA. The squad won three events to seven for Marquette, but rode its superior depth to a win. Notable swims for HA included Ryan Hansen's wins in the 200 free (1:41.66) and 500 free (4:36.65), the event in which he's the defending state champ. Only Drives on Memorial has swum faster this year in those two events, and the two swimmers appear headed for a showdown in both events at the UW Natatorium.
-- Sauk Prairie-Wisconsin Heights finished second to two-time defending D2 champ McFarland in the Badger North Conference swim meet, despite winning seven events. The result prompted Eagles coach Todd Wuerger to suggest McFarland might be the best team in the state, D1 or D2.
-- Lake Geneva Badger-Walworth Big Foot on the Southern Lakes Conference meet easily over D2 Elkhorn, with Nathan Kidder winning the 50 and 100 freestyle sprints.
-- Hartford won the four-team Wisconsin Little Ten Conference meet led by Aiden Kohnhorst and Tyler, who each won two individual events and contributed legs on the team's winning medley and 200 free relays.
-- New Berlin edged D2 Shorewood in the Woodland Conference meet, with the Greenfield-Greendale co-op finishing third. G-G's trio of Mike Lucchesi, Jack Lennertz and Matt Jungers won five events, with Lennertz blazing to a win in the 100 butterfly in a D1 season-best time of 50.27. The trio also swam on the team's winning 400 free relay, with Lucchesi and Lennertz swimming on the winning 200 free relay. G-G is one of those teams that won't score as many points in conference and even sectionals meets as they will at state; look for the co-op to make a strong showing at the state D1 meet. New Berlin won four events at the conference meet, led by Byron Butler's win in the backstroke, where he will certainly be a strong contender for a state title.
-- Wausau East won the Wisconsin Valley Conference swim meet 343-308 over runner-up Stevens Point, with wins in all three relays and six individual events. Lucas Koening, Danny Brebrick and Josh Hall contributed five individual wins for East, with Hall being named conference swimmer of the year.
-- Bayport won the Fox River Classic Conference 553-474 over D2 Ashwaubenon. Ryan Keuler and Max Van Egeren both won two individual events and swam on two first-place winning relays for Bayport.
-- Memorial won the always tough Big Eight Conference meet, all the stronger this year with the addition of Verona. They beat out a Middleton squad that made a strong showing, 497-471, with Madison West topping Verona 385.5-337 for third. All four squads will make their presence felt at the Middleton sectional meet. Memorial's Michael Drives, fighting a cold, won the 200 and 500 frees, and the team's 200-yard free relay scored a solid win by more than a minute over Middleton. But the Cardinals won the other two relays, and it was no surprise that senior Purdue recruit Sam Niesen swam on those winning relays. He garnered four wins overall with 1st-place finishes in the back and 100 free.
-- Arrowhead topped Marquette 458-420 in the Classic 8/Greater Metro Conference meet at the fast Waukesha South pool in a meet in which depth paid off for HA. The squad won three events to seven for Marquette, but rode its superior depth to a win. Notable swims for HA included Ryan Hansen's wins in the 200 free (1:41.66) and 500 free (4:36.65), the event in which he's the defending state champ. Only Drives on Memorial has swum faster this year in those two events, and the two swimmers appear headed for a showdown in both events at the UW Natatorium.
-- Sauk Prairie-Wisconsin Heights finished second to two-time defending D2 champ McFarland in the Badger North Conference swim meet, despite winning seven events. The result prompted Eagles coach Todd Wuerger to suggest McFarland might be the best team in the state, D1 or D2.
-- Lake Geneva Badger-Walworth Big Foot on the Southern Lakes Conference meet easily over D2 Elkhorn, with Nathan Kidder winning the 50 and 100 freestyle sprints.
-- Hartford won the four-team Wisconsin Little Ten Conference meet led by Aiden Kohnhorst and Tyler, who each won two individual events and contributed legs on the team's winning medley and 200 free relays.
-- New Berlin edged D2 Shorewood in the Woodland Conference meet, with the Greenfield-Greendale co-op finishing third. G-G's trio of Mike Lucchesi, Jack Lennertz and Matt Jungers won five events, with Lennertz blazing to a win in the 100 butterfly in a D1 season-best time of 50.27. The trio also swam on the team's winning 400 free relay, with Lucchesi and Lennertz swimming on the winning 200 free relay. G-G is one of those teams that won't score as many points in conference and even sectionals meets as they will at state; look for the co-op to make a strong showing at the state D1 meet. New Berlin won four events at the conference meet, led by Byron Butler's win in the backstroke, where he will certainly be a strong contender for a state title.
-- Wausau East won the Wisconsin Valley Conference swim meet 343-308 over runner-up Stevens Point, with wins in all three relays and six individual events. Lucas Koening, Danny Brebrick and Josh Hall contributed five individual wins for East, with Hall being named conference swimmer of the year.
-- Bayport won the Fox River Classic Conference 553-474 over D2 Ashwaubenon. Ryan Keuler and Max Van Egeren both won two individual events and swam on two first-place winning relays for Bayport.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Conference round-ups -- D2
Conference swim meets went pretty much as expected, with only a mild surprise or two. Here's a recap:
-- In the Badger North, McFarland won handily over D1 Sauk Prairie-Wisconsin Heights, 559-449. Waunakee made a strong showing, finishing third and only nine points behind Sauk. The Sauk trio of Tyler Evans, Matt Friede and Tyler Lentz was sharp as usual, combining for five wins and swimming legs on the winning medley and 200 free relays. But McFarland's depth as usual paid off; to cite just one indicator, the Spartans' B relays never finished lower than tied for 6th (their A relays finished twice second and first in the 400 free relay). The 200 free was anticipated to be one of the best races of the meet, and it was; Friede won with a 1:46.07, followed by McFarland's Brian Heiser in 1:46.64 and Graham Thoresen in 1:47.10.
-- In the Badger South, Milton beat back a spirited Edgewood squad by 11 points, 445-434. The runners-up swam remarkably well; the Crusaders swam without sophomore Drew teDuits, seeded to win conference in both the 50 free and 100 back and swim key legs on two relays. But teDuits fell ill on the eve of the meet, a real blow to the team's chances (Edgewood had edged Milton in a duel meet earlier this year.). But Edgewood coach Dave Dahler rallied his team prior to the meet's start, and the team nearly pulled off the win without teDuits. Leading the way was junior Chase Stephens, who set a Fort Atkinson pool record in winning the 500 free (4:49.30), won the 200 free, and swam on two winning relays (200/400 free). Also swimming extremely well for Edgewood was senior Chris Kuecker, who finished second in both the 100 and 200 frees and joined Stephens on the winning freestyle relays. Edgewood may not have the depth to challenge McFarland for a sectional title this week at Waunakee, but if teDuits regains his health in time, the Crusaders look ready to make some noise. Milton's Jeff Maxwell led the way for his team with wins in the 200 IM and 100 back.
-- Elkhorn finished second in the Southern Lakes to D1 Lake Geneva Badger-Walworth Big Foot, with Delavan-Darien placing third. D-D, led by its trio of Nate Johnson, Alex Reigert, and Kevin Schneider, won the medley and 400 free relays, along with Johnson winning both the 200 IM and 100 breaststroke. Elkhorn's Dalton Anderson turned in the year's fastest time in the 100 fly with a winning time of 51.64. And keep an eye out for Jefferson's Doug Posorske -- he swam a strong second-place fly to Anderson in 55.60 and a very strong second in the 50 free with a time of 22.65, which puts him into the top 10 of fastest D2 50 free times this year.
-- In something of a surprise, Cedarburg used good depth and a strong showing by its divers to take the North Shore Conference title over Whitefish Bay, 458-416. Defending state champ Will Mathee won the diving for Cedarburg, which also got wins from Carl Newenhouse in the 100 backstroke and its 400 free relay. WB got individual wins from Chris Fink (200 free), Chuckie Prestigiacomo, and Jason Castillo along with its medley relay.
-- Shorewood finished a close second to D1 New Berlin in the Woodland Conference, 462-441. Whitnall finished 5th and Brown Deer/University School 6th at the meet. Shorewood was led by Kasmir Bohannon (200 free), Stephen Meyer (100 backstroke) and Karl Weisling (500 free), who all posted third-place finishes in what is a very competitive conference this year. Those three joined Asher Kaufman in posting a 2nd-place finish in the medley relay.
-- Ashwaubenon finished 2nd to D1 Bayport in the Fox River Classic conference meet, led by sprinter Jake Pelishek. He won the 50 free with a D2-leading time this year of 22.07 and swam anchor on the team's 200 free relay, which posted a strong 1:32.22 in finishing second, and the 200 medley relay, which also finished second with a 1:43.21. Both relay times are the third-fastest posted this year in D2.
-- Plymouth won the Eastern Wisconsin Conference championship, as the team swept all three relays and five of the nine individual events. Diver Mitchell Spaeth continued a strong season with an all-time conference score of 436.35, the year's highest D2 score.
-- In the Badger North, McFarland won handily over D1 Sauk Prairie-Wisconsin Heights, 559-449. Waunakee made a strong showing, finishing third and only nine points behind Sauk. The Sauk trio of Tyler Evans, Matt Friede and Tyler Lentz was sharp as usual, combining for five wins and swimming legs on the winning medley and 200 free relays. But McFarland's depth as usual paid off; to cite just one indicator, the Spartans' B relays never finished lower than tied for 6th (their A relays finished twice second and first in the 400 free relay). The 200 free was anticipated to be one of the best races of the meet, and it was; Friede won with a 1:46.07, followed by McFarland's Brian Heiser in 1:46.64 and Graham Thoresen in 1:47.10.
-- In the Badger South, Milton beat back a spirited Edgewood squad by 11 points, 445-434. The runners-up swam remarkably well; the Crusaders swam without sophomore Drew teDuits, seeded to win conference in both the 50 free and 100 back and swim key legs on two relays. But teDuits fell ill on the eve of the meet, a real blow to the team's chances (Edgewood had edged Milton in a duel meet earlier this year.). But Edgewood coach Dave Dahler rallied his team prior to the meet's start, and the team nearly pulled off the win without teDuits. Leading the way was junior Chase Stephens, who set a Fort Atkinson pool record in winning the 500 free (4:49.30), won the 200 free, and swam on two winning relays (200/400 free). Also swimming extremely well for Edgewood was senior Chris Kuecker, who finished second in both the 100 and 200 frees and joined Stephens on the winning freestyle relays. Edgewood may not have the depth to challenge McFarland for a sectional title this week at Waunakee, but if teDuits regains his health in time, the Crusaders look ready to make some noise. Milton's Jeff Maxwell led the way for his team with wins in the 200 IM and 100 back.
-- Elkhorn finished second in the Southern Lakes to D1 Lake Geneva Badger-Walworth Big Foot, with Delavan-Darien placing third. D-D, led by its trio of Nate Johnson, Alex Reigert, and Kevin Schneider, won the medley and 400 free relays, along with Johnson winning both the 200 IM and 100 breaststroke. Elkhorn's Dalton Anderson turned in the year's fastest time in the 100 fly with a winning time of 51.64. And keep an eye out for Jefferson's Doug Posorske -- he swam a strong second-place fly to Anderson in 55.60 and a very strong second in the 50 free with a time of 22.65, which puts him into the top 10 of fastest D2 50 free times this year.
-- In something of a surprise, Cedarburg used good depth and a strong showing by its divers to take the North Shore Conference title over Whitefish Bay, 458-416. Defending state champ Will Mathee won the diving for Cedarburg, which also got wins from Carl Newenhouse in the 100 backstroke and its 400 free relay. WB got individual wins from Chris Fink (200 free), Chuckie Prestigiacomo, and Jason Castillo along with its medley relay.
-- Shorewood finished a close second to D1 New Berlin in the Woodland Conference, 462-441. Whitnall finished 5th and Brown Deer/University School 6th at the meet. Shorewood was led by Kasmir Bohannon (200 free), Stephen Meyer (100 backstroke) and Karl Weisling (500 free), who all posted third-place finishes in what is a very competitive conference this year. Those three joined Asher Kaufman in posting a 2nd-place finish in the medley relay.
-- Ashwaubenon finished 2nd to D1 Bayport in the Fox River Classic conference meet, led by sprinter Jake Pelishek. He won the 50 free with a D2-leading time this year of 22.07 and swam anchor on the team's 200 free relay, which posted a strong 1:32.22 in finishing second, and the 200 medley relay, which also finished second with a 1:43.21. Both relay times are the third-fastest posted this year in D2.
-- Plymouth won the Eastern Wisconsin Conference championship, as the team swept all three relays and five of the nine individual events. Diver Mitchell Spaeth continued a strong season with an all-time conference score of 436.35, the year's highest D2 score.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Madison West Invitational @ UW Natatorium
The state's biggest meet of the season took place last Saturday, with Madison West hosting an invitational with 20 mainly D1 teams competing. This has always been a fast meet, as it's held at the UW-Madison Natatorium and features several top D1 teams.
Although chief rival Hartland-Arrowhead didn't compete, Madison Memorial continued to make its case for being the favorite for the D1 state title later this month with an easy win. The Spartans beat next-door neighbor Madison West 309.5-204. It was a real log-jam after that, with Middleton, Waukesha South/Catholic Memorial, Marquette, Verona, Sauk Prairie, Neenah and Wausau West all bunched together in 4th-through-9th place separated by 26.5 points.
West coach Jean Shearer was elated with her team's runner-up finish, telling the Wisconsin State Journal that the key to the team's success was getting in shape. Huh? Turns out West is full of swimmers who play soccer, run cross country, and pursue other sporting activities in the fall, and thus it takes them a while to get into swimming shape compared to teams stocked with club swimmers.
A few other meet highlights:
-- Is there a better male swimmer in the state than Memorial's Michael Drives? You'd be hard-pressed to name one. Drives won two events -- the 200 IM and the 500 free -- both with season-best times this year in D1 (1:55.37 in the IM; 4:34.22 in the 500). His win in the 500 free was something to see -- a truly remarkable race that he won by nearly 18 seconds and drew the loudest applause of the meet from the appreciative crowd. He also anchored two Memorial relays to wins. Drives isn't just a terrific swimmer; he's humble and gracious in victory, making sure to shake hands with his competitors and genuinely congratulating them for their efforts. And here's another thing -- he doesn't duck tough opponents. Knowing Sauk Prairie/Wisconsin Heights' Tyler Lentz would be at the meet and likely swimming in the 200 IM, Drives swam that event instead of the 200 free and the pair hooked up in a terrific race that Drives pulled out by 1.2 seconds (1:55.37 to 1:56.57 for Lentz). The night before, at Memorial's Big Eight duel meet at Madison East, Drives swam the 100 fly against East's Robert Miner, who had been posting some of the state's fastest fly times of the year. Rumor had it that Miner's times had been posted in the Memorial pool prior to the meet. Drives won that race, too, with a 52.49 to Miner's 53.25 that came down to the last 20 yards. Great swimmers take on big challenges -- one reason Drives is the leading force behind Memorial's drive to a 10th state title.
-- Memorial never seems to rebuild; it just re-loads. One good example came from the team's 200 medley relay, which was just edged out by defending state champs Wausau East in the medley, 1:40.09 to 1:40.10. Memorial finished third last year at state in the medley, but only breaststroker Shaun Marcott returned to swim the medley at the Invitational. Instead, Memorial used Illinois transfer Kyle Challis (backstroke), freshman Ben Anderson (fly) and senior diver Nate Broadbridge (anchoring free -- who knew?) to put together a strong relay. Broadbridge will certainly be an asset in Memorial's bid for a state title -- he won the diving competition last weekend, and is a strong contender for the state diving title this year.
-- Middleton's Sam Niesen was a double winner at the meet, easily taking the 200 free (1:42.91) by more than two seconds and the 100 back (52.19) in a terrific duel with Edgewood's Drew teDuits (52.53). Look for Niesen to swim the back at sectionals; he's the likely state favorite with two-time defending state champ Mitchell Friedmann of H-A opting for club swimming this year.
-- The best individual race of the night came in the 100 fly, where six swimmers went under 54 seconds and the final three places finished with .12 seconds of each other. It was Wausau East's Lucas Koening winning with a 53.39, followed closely by Sauk's Tyler Evans (53.42) and Madison East's Miner (53.52).
-- The meet also featured a highly anticipated match-up between the top two finishers at the state meet last year in 100 breaststroke -- defending champ Collin Neitzel of Waukesha South/Catholic Memorial and Wausau East's Josh Hall. The diminutive Hall came into last year's state meet as the top seed and favorite, only to lose to the lanky Neitzel. Hall got his revenge last weekend, though, winning easily with a time of 58.21 to Neitzel's 1:00.89. This should be one of the better races to watch at this year's D1 state meet.
-- It was fitting that the last race of the night would come down to the last legs between the meet's best two swimmers -- Memorial's Drives and Middleton's Niesen (who began swimming against each other in outdoor summer club programs when they were not much older than toddlers; Niesen beat out Drives for the 8 & under 100 IM title at the 2000 Madison All-City swim meet). The two entered the water literally tied, with Memorial holding a a slim one-tenth of a second lead over Middleton (with Wausau East also in the mix). Drives and Niesen quickly got past East anchor Danny Brebrick, and duked it out over the last 50 yards neck and neck. Drives edged Neisen by .11 seconds in the end, with both swimming quick anchor legs of 46.24 (Drives) and 46.25 (Niesen). It should be fun to see those teams, and that relay in particular, match up against each other in the coming weeks -- Memorial and Middleton will meet up twice more at conference and sectional meets before the season-ending D1 state meet.
Although chief rival Hartland-Arrowhead didn't compete, Madison Memorial continued to make its case for being the favorite for the D1 state title later this month with an easy win. The Spartans beat next-door neighbor Madison West 309.5-204. It was a real log-jam after that, with Middleton, Waukesha South/Catholic Memorial, Marquette, Verona, Sauk Prairie, Neenah and Wausau West all bunched together in 4th-through-9th place separated by 26.5 points.
West coach Jean Shearer was elated with her team's runner-up finish, telling the Wisconsin State Journal that the key to the team's success was getting in shape. Huh? Turns out West is full of swimmers who play soccer, run cross country, and pursue other sporting activities in the fall, and thus it takes them a while to get into swimming shape compared to teams stocked with club swimmers.
A few other meet highlights:
-- Is there a better male swimmer in the state than Memorial's Michael Drives? You'd be hard-pressed to name one. Drives won two events -- the 200 IM and the 500 free -- both with season-best times this year in D1 (1:55.37 in the IM; 4:34.22 in the 500). His win in the 500 free was something to see -- a truly remarkable race that he won by nearly 18 seconds and drew the loudest applause of the meet from the appreciative crowd. He also anchored two Memorial relays to wins. Drives isn't just a terrific swimmer; he's humble and gracious in victory, making sure to shake hands with his competitors and genuinely congratulating them for their efforts. And here's another thing -- he doesn't duck tough opponents. Knowing Sauk Prairie/Wisconsin Heights' Tyler Lentz would be at the meet and likely swimming in the 200 IM, Drives swam that event instead of the 200 free and the pair hooked up in a terrific race that Drives pulled out by 1.2 seconds (1:55.37 to 1:56.57 for Lentz). The night before, at Memorial's Big Eight duel meet at Madison East, Drives swam the 100 fly against East's Robert Miner, who had been posting some of the state's fastest fly times of the year. Rumor had it that Miner's times had been posted in the Memorial pool prior to the meet. Drives won that race, too, with a 52.49 to Miner's 53.25 that came down to the last 20 yards. Great swimmers take on big challenges -- one reason Drives is the leading force behind Memorial's drive to a 10th state title.
-- Memorial never seems to rebuild; it just re-loads. One good example came from the team's 200 medley relay, which was just edged out by defending state champs Wausau East in the medley, 1:40.09 to 1:40.10. Memorial finished third last year at state in the medley, but only breaststroker Shaun Marcott returned to swim the medley at the Invitational. Instead, Memorial used Illinois transfer Kyle Challis (backstroke), freshman Ben Anderson (fly) and senior diver Nate Broadbridge (anchoring free -- who knew?) to put together a strong relay. Broadbridge will certainly be an asset in Memorial's bid for a state title -- he won the diving competition last weekend, and is a strong contender for the state diving title this year.
-- Middleton's Sam Niesen was a double winner at the meet, easily taking the 200 free (1:42.91) by more than two seconds and the 100 back (52.19) in a terrific duel with Edgewood's Drew teDuits (52.53). Look for Niesen to swim the back at sectionals; he's the likely state favorite with two-time defending state champ Mitchell Friedmann of H-A opting for club swimming this year.
-- The best individual race of the night came in the 100 fly, where six swimmers went under 54 seconds and the final three places finished with .12 seconds of each other. It was Wausau East's Lucas Koening winning with a 53.39, followed closely by Sauk's Tyler Evans (53.42) and Madison East's Miner (53.52).
-- The meet also featured a highly anticipated match-up between the top two finishers at the state meet last year in 100 breaststroke -- defending champ Collin Neitzel of Waukesha South/Catholic Memorial and Wausau East's Josh Hall. The diminutive Hall came into last year's state meet as the top seed and favorite, only to lose to the lanky Neitzel. Hall got his revenge last weekend, though, winning easily with a time of 58.21 to Neitzel's 1:00.89. This should be one of the better races to watch at this year's D1 state meet.
-- It was fitting that the last race of the night would come down to the last legs between the meet's best two swimmers -- Memorial's Drives and Middleton's Niesen (who began swimming against each other in outdoor summer club programs when they were not much older than toddlers; Niesen beat out Drives for the 8 & under 100 IM title at the 2000 Madison All-City swim meet). The two entered the water literally tied, with Memorial holding a a slim one-tenth of a second lead over Middleton (with Wausau East also in the mix). Drives and Niesen quickly got past East anchor Danny Brebrick, and duked it out over the last 50 yards neck and neck. Drives edged Neisen by .11 seconds in the end, with both swimming quick anchor legs of 46.24 (Drives) and 46.25 (Niesen). It should be fun to see those teams, and that relay in particular, match up against each other in the coming weeks -- Memorial and Middleton will meet up twice more at conference and sectional meets before the season-ending D1 state meet.
Small School State @ Shorewood
To no one's surprise, McFarland ran away with the Small School Invite title at Shorewood last Saturday, stamping itself (as if it hadn't already) as the team to beat at D2 state this year.
It was a dominant win by the Spartans, with their 367 points topping runner-up Whitefish Bay by 96 points. McFarland won half of the eight individual events, and all three relays, prompting Whitefish Bay junior Chuck Prestigiacomo to suggest the Spartans might be the best D2 team in history. How good are the Spartans? At a meet with 19 teams, the lowest finish among the Spartans' 18 individual swimmer entries was 11th place.
For Whitefish Bay, the meet served as their notice to the rest of the state that they are the team to beat for the runner-up trophy at D2 state. The team secured its runner-up finish by 52 points over the third-place hosts, with Sturgeon Bay and Milton rounding out the top five (Ashwaubenon, Madison Edgewood and Waunakee were the top-10 D2 teams absent from the meet). Other highlights:
-- McFarland continues to dominate teams in the distance events, going 1-2 in the 200 free and 1-7 in the 500 free, with senior Graham Thoresen winning both events. Thoresen pulled away from teammate Brian Heiser in the 200 free in the last 50 yards to win with a 1:45.98, the year's fastest time in D2. Heiser finished ahead of Milton's Jeff Maxwell (1:46.88 to 1:48.65) in a race that featured three of the best D2 distance swimmers in the state. Thoresen hooked up with Maxwell again in the 500 free, and after the pair swam away from the rest of the field in the opening 100 yards, Thoresen pulled away in the last 200 yards to win with a 4:47.04 to Maxwell's 4:50.09. The two rivals will surely hook up again at state in what should be a very good race, one in which Maxwell is the defending state champ.
-- The best race of the meet came in the 200 IM, with McFarland's O'Donnell brothers -- Brandon and Ryan -- hooking up against Delavan-Dariens' Nate Johnson. The O'Donnell brothers got off to an early lead, Brandon leading his little brother, but were chased down by Johnson, a great breaststroker, on the third leg of the race. In the end, Brandon O'Donnell just out-touched Johnson for the win by a hundreth of a second (1:59.01 to 1:59.02, the two fastest times of the season). Look for the two to see each other again at state, where O'Donnell finished second last year to Johnson's third, possibly joined by freshman Ryan O'Donnell.
-- Two other swimmers had breakout meets -- Whitefish Bay's Prestigiacomo and Brookfield Academy's Jack Donovan. Prestigiacomo, a junior, won the 100 free over Heiser and finished second in the 50 free to Delavan-Darien's Alex Riegert. He also helped his team's medley relay finish second and 400-free relay finish third. Donovan, meanwhile, has been having a very good season after his terrific debut last year as a freshman, when he qualified for state in both the 200 free and 100 fly. He stamped himself as a state title contender in the 100 fly with an upset over Brandon O'Donnell in the 100 fly, winning with a time of 53.54 to 53.85.
-- Perhaps the biggest upset of the meet came in diving, where Plymouth's Mitchell Spaeth won over defending D2 state champ Mill Mathee of Cedarburg, 424.95-406.55. Spaeth was last year's runner-up; these two dive against each other frequently, and will see each other again at the Plymouth sectional and certainly at state.
It was a dominant win by the Spartans, with their 367 points topping runner-up Whitefish Bay by 96 points. McFarland won half of the eight individual events, and all three relays, prompting Whitefish Bay junior Chuck Prestigiacomo to suggest the Spartans might be the best D2 team in history. How good are the Spartans? At a meet with 19 teams, the lowest finish among the Spartans' 18 individual swimmer entries was 11th place.
For Whitefish Bay, the meet served as their notice to the rest of the state that they are the team to beat for the runner-up trophy at D2 state. The team secured its runner-up finish by 52 points over the third-place hosts, with Sturgeon Bay and Milton rounding out the top five (Ashwaubenon, Madison Edgewood and Waunakee were the top-10 D2 teams absent from the meet). Other highlights:
-- McFarland continues to dominate teams in the distance events, going 1-2 in the 200 free and 1-7 in the 500 free, with senior Graham Thoresen winning both events. Thoresen pulled away from teammate Brian Heiser in the 200 free in the last 50 yards to win with a 1:45.98, the year's fastest time in D2. Heiser finished ahead of Milton's Jeff Maxwell (1:46.88 to 1:48.65) in a race that featured three of the best D2 distance swimmers in the state. Thoresen hooked up with Maxwell again in the 500 free, and after the pair swam away from the rest of the field in the opening 100 yards, Thoresen pulled away in the last 200 yards to win with a 4:47.04 to Maxwell's 4:50.09. The two rivals will surely hook up again at state in what should be a very good race, one in which Maxwell is the defending state champ.
-- The best race of the meet came in the 200 IM, with McFarland's O'Donnell brothers -- Brandon and Ryan -- hooking up against Delavan-Dariens' Nate Johnson. The O'Donnell brothers got off to an early lead, Brandon leading his little brother, but were chased down by Johnson, a great breaststroker, on the third leg of the race. In the end, Brandon O'Donnell just out-touched Johnson for the win by a hundreth of a second (1:59.01 to 1:59.02, the two fastest times of the season). Look for the two to see each other again at state, where O'Donnell finished second last year to Johnson's third, possibly joined by freshman Ryan O'Donnell.
-- Two other swimmers had breakout meets -- Whitefish Bay's Prestigiacomo and Brookfield Academy's Jack Donovan. Prestigiacomo, a junior, won the 100 free over Heiser and finished second in the 50 free to Delavan-Darien's Alex Riegert. He also helped his team's medley relay finish second and 400-free relay finish third. Donovan, meanwhile, has been having a very good season after his terrific debut last year as a freshman, when he qualified for state in both the 200 free and 100 fly. He stamped himself as a state title contender in the 100 fly with an upset over Brandon O'Donnell in the 100 fly, winning with a time of 53.54 to 53.85.
-- Perhaps the biggest upset of the meet came in diving, where Plymouth's Mitchell Spaeth won over defending D2 state champ Mill Mathee of Cedarburg, 424.95-406.55. Spaeth was last year's runner-up; these two dive against each other frequently, and will see each other again at the Plymouth sectional and certainly at state.
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