All kinds of dramas are set to play out at the girls state swim finals on Friday and Saturday at New Trier High School in Winnetka.
For example, can New Trier senior Jenny Greable hold off Rosary freshman Lauren Silva and win her first state individual medley title?
Can Greable win her fourth breaststroke title in a field packed with worthy contenders, including teammate Kristin Nyweide?
Can Hinsdale Central maintain its grip on the state team title by scoring its fourth in a row, without winning an individual event?
Can Hinsdale’s 200 freestyle relay, the same cast that set a state record last year with one of the country’s best times, go even lower?
Can Elk Grove freshman Lindsay Farella set records in the 50 and 100 freestyles?
Can Lane Tech’s Kim Laughlin become the first Public League swimmer to win a state event since 1981?
All that and more is promised to those few holding tickets to the New Trier pool, the perennially sold-out site of the past two state meets.
Those in attendance are, as always, promised a frenzied show.
Here’s how the events break down:
Diving: Kortney Schell of Glenbrook South posted the highest qualifying score in the state with 498.20, 20 points better than defending state champ Hanna Shin of Fremd and 29 points better than Shin’s teammate Kelly Tellschow. Whether Lisa Hoffmann of New Trier, the sixth seed at 443, can score to add to her team’s total could be crucial.
Butterfly: Deerfield’s Ellen Fraumann and York freshman Lauren Pace tied as top seed at 59.07 seconds but New Trier’s Nyweide (:59.18) and Lake Park’s Katie Cherwin (:59.22) are right behind.
100 freestyle: Lane’s Laughlin posted the fastest seed time but needs to hit her peak for Saturday’s final in her best event.
500 freestyle: It should come down to Rosary’s Silva and Wheaton-Warrenville South junior Courtney Coleman, the only swimmers near the sub-5-minute mark.
200 freestyle relay: Hinsdale Central posted only the sixth-best time but that means little-the Devils were swimming easy in sectionals. Their names: Meredith Quast, Jennifer Steffen, Krista Koranda, Nelly Roberts.
Backstroke: Hinsdale has two scoring threats in Jenny Roberts and Natalie Larrick, who should challenge Rosary’s Betsy Nagel, Crystal Lake Central’s Alison Kasuboske and Lake Forest’s Lara Hoffman.
Medley relay: The points Rosary’s talented unit of Betsy Nagel, Misty Laurich, Silva and Amber Aurit could score by winning would be crucial to Rosary’s quest for its first swimming trophy, but three members of New Trier’s defending champion relay are back.
200 freestyle: Low-seeded Ellen Stonebreaker of Naperville Central would like to lead her sectional-winning team to some respect.
Individual medley: Greable (2:08.01) faces off against Silva (2:06.74) in what looks like a two-swimmer race.
50 freestyle: Farella wants to break the state record of :23.15. Her :23.88 at sectionals indicates it’s possible.
Breaststroke: Without doubt the best race this year. Greable, Laurich, Fraumann, Nyweide, and throw in Amy Munz of St. Charles, Tawney Larm of West Chicago and Palatine’s Kate McMillan, all are under 1:08 going in.
400 freestyle relay: Hinsdale Central, with Quast, Steffen, Larrick and Nelly Roberts, is favored, and a win could cap off a fourth straight victory celebration.
Team title: Here’s why Hinsdale Central looks so good: Its 200 and 400 free relays are the cream of the crop, and winning those gives the Devils 64 points to work with because relays count double any individual events.
Coach Carol Bobo knows her team doesn’t have a marquee name like a Greable.
“It’s the same as last year’s,” she said of her lineup. What happened then?
Hinsdale was first without winning a single individual event, but by sweeping those same two relays.
