Posted: Nov. 10, 2009 |(0) Comments

Even in high-quality, ultra-swift years like this one, Homestead girls swim coach Mark Gwidt is encouraged that his upperclassmen-dominated team can maintain standards like winning WIAA sectional meets, qualifying all three relay teams for state and doing other fine things.

Just like the Highlanders did Saturday, when they cruised to the title in the Cedarburg sectional and advanced to state Eva Schulteis in the 100 butterfly and the 100 backstroke, Chloe Lewis and Kayla Dlugopolski in the 500 free and Maiya Hilliard in the 100 breaststroke.

In addition, the 200 medley relay of Schulteis, Hilliard, Maggie Stolz and Hannah Happ; the 200 free relay of Hilliard, Lewis, Casey Hagen and Dlugopolski and the 400 free unit of Schulteis, Happ, Hagen and Lewis will also take their marks when the WIAA State Division I swim meet is held at the UW-Madison Natatorium at 3 p.m. Saturday.

Fast swims make qualifying tougher

"It just gets harder and harder, keeping that consistency in place," said Gwidt said. "You try to get all the relays. You try to get five to seven individual swims through but the (state) meet just keeps getting faster and faster."

Alongside the Highlanders at Cedarburg was Nicolet as the Knights got a school-record winning performance out of Calli Head in diving and also advanced fellow diver Leah Fischer as well as Yvonne Hangsterfer in the 100 backstroke. Diving will take place at 10 a.m. on Saturday.

"And her score (Head's) was also All-American consideration," said Knights coach Dwight Davis, "and that was with some other pretty good divers in the meet. Our swimmers ran a little hot and cold. Like anything else, if you don't give an honest effort (in practice) you're not going to excel. You think you're working hard, but what you think and what you're doing are two totally different things."

Homestead won its 10th straight sectional title with 368 points while Nicolet was fifth with 194.

Taking firsts for the Highlanders were Kayla Dlugopolski in the 500 free (five minutes, 5.07 seconds); Schulteis in the 100 backstroke (1:00.17); and Hilliard in the 100 breaststroke (1:09.0). Dlugopolski's time earned her a spot in the third and fastest heat.

In addition, the 200 medley relay (1:52.63) and the 200 free relay (1:41.99) were both second as was Schulteis in the 100 butterfly (1:00.35). Lewis earned her spot with a fourth in the 500 free (5:17.66) as did the 400 free relay (3:43.89).

Hilliard was also second in the 200 individual medley (2:15.5) but did not advance to state in that event.

Rest could help state performances

"I thought we swam very well," said Gwidt. "The best that we could, and I think we still have a chance at doing a few things better. Not everyone was fully rested so I think we score more points and move up in some spots, especially the relays."

Other places by event for the Highlanders included the following: 200 free - Dlugopolski, third (1:57.29), Lewis, fourth (1:58.36), Hagen, eighth (2:01.26); 200 individual medley - Stolz, third (2:18.48), Mary Gabe, fourth (2:20.82); 50 free - Happ, eighth (26.27); 500 free - Hagen, 11th (5:36.72); 100 backstroke - Happ, fourth (1:03.16), Cheyanne Carbone, seventh (1:04.5); 100 breaststroke - Gabe, third (1:10.74), Stolz, fourth (1:10.92) and Monique Ma, sixth (1:13.28).

For Nicolet, the freshman Head turned in a spectacular high school best of 461.15 that places her among the top three entries in the state while Fischer was fourth (383.75). Hangsterfer earned her slot with a second in the backstroke (second-best in school history 1:01.61).

Head, who won a national title over the summer, should be in good shape heading into her first prep state meet.

"Everybody gets excited for a state meet," Davis said, "but she's been involved in a lot of multi-state events and because of that the state meet might be easier for her. Here, she might be among the top three, but in those national events, she sometimes has to work to be among the top 30. Getting involved in something like that definitely gives her an advantage here."

Davis also praised the efforts of Taylor Winter in the 200 freestyle and of Elizabeth Schoenfeldt in the 200 and 500 frees.

Other places by event for the Knights included the following: diving - Laura Leburn, 12th (280.35), Hannah Sandock, 13th (274.45); 200 medley relay - Sasha Rasansky, Marge Schweitz, Emily Zuelzke and Claire Kopetsky, 11th (2:08.54); 200 free - Hangsterfer, sixth (2:00.28), Winter, ninth (2:01.81), Schoenfeldt, 14th (2:07.37); 50 free - Christa Rumbaugh, fifth (personal best 25.85), 100 butterfly - Rasansky, 11th (1:07.58); 100 free - Loredana Farhad, 12th (1:00.7); 500 free - Winter, eighth (5:29.08), Schoenfeldt, 12th (5:38.41); 200 free relay - Farhad, Rasansky, Rumbaugh and Nicole Hangsterfer, eighth (1:47.78); 100 breaststroke - Rasansky, 14th (1:20.21), Kopetsky, 15th (1:20.96); 400 free relay - Nicole and Yvonne Hangsterfer, Winter and Rumbaugh, fifth (3:53.13).