Homestead, despite hardships, takes second in NSC swim meet

It was just not a good month of October for Homestead girls swim coach Mark Gwidt.

With his team's decade-long control of the North Shore Conference usurped first in the relays by Whitefish Bay and again in duals by both Bay and Cedarburg, and then with Cedarburg breaking the Highlanders' control of the league meet by winning Saturday's event, you'd think nothing else could go wrong.

But it did. The Highlanders had to avail themselves of the Bay pool for several weeks this month for practice as broken glass was cleaned out of their own pool and the water drained. Then the laborious process of refilling and reheating the new water needed to be done.

And yet, Gwidt was still pleased with the competitive second his team turned in at the North Shore test that Cedarburg hosted.

"We did a good job," he said. "We made it very interesting (for Cedarburg) in spite of it all. We were actually winning the meet until the 200 free relay and then we just couldn't make up the points in the last few events. Still, I thought the girls did awfully well."

Cedarburg went one, three, four, five, and seven to put a stranglehold on the meet.

The Highlanders scored 394.5 points as the Bulldogs won with 431. Bay was third with 368.5 while Nicolet was fourth with 245.

Homestead was led by the one-two effort of Meghan Casey (1:08.75) and Alex Petersen (1:09.24) in the 100 breaststroke.

The Highlanders also got several other top six finishes including the following: diving: Leigh Berman, fourth (315.1); 200 medley relay: Margaret Stolz, Casey, Petersen and Molly Zall, third (1:56.56); 200 free: Brittany Thomas, fourth (2:02.86); 200 individual medley: Petersen, second (2:18.79); Stolz, fourth (2:21.29); and Monique Ma, sixth (2:22.56); 50 free: Zall, third (26.06); Rachel Kessler, sixth (26.98); 100 butterfly: Stolz, fourth (1:05.36); 100 free: Zall, sixth (58.33); 500 free: Thomas, second (5:26.16); 200 free relay: Zall, Stolz, Kessler and Petersen, second (1:45.27); 400 free relay: Kessler, Madeline Richter, Thomas and Ma, fourth (3:57.11).

"It had been a trying month for us," Gwidt said, "but we're not making any excuses. This is what we've been dealt and we tried to stay positive about everything."

Thomas, Petersen and all the seniors were praised for their efforts.

Whitefish Bay

For Bay, Annelise Sprau led the way with victories in both the 50 free (25.5) and 100 butterfly (1:00.64). She won the fly by more than two seconds.

Other top six performances for the Blue Dukes included the following: 200 medley relay: Lissy Maercklein, Sarah Olver, Sprau and Caroline Kucha, second (1:54.19); 200 individual medley: Olver, third (2:19.9); 100 butterfly: Marisa Brudny, fifth (1:06.51); Ali Stewart, sixth (1:06.67); 100 free: Maercklein, fifth (58.2); 500 free: Sabrina Raber, sixth (5:46.85); 200 free relay: Anna Lauko, Hannahy Pasterski, Hannah Schwartz and Kucha, sixth (1:49.22); 100 backstroke: Maercklein, fourth (1:04.19); 100 breaststroke: Olver, third (1:11.04); and 400 free relay: Raber, Olver, Maercklein and Sprau, second (3:55.16).

Nicolet

Nicolet coach Dwight Davis was pleased with his team's performance.

"The kids that should have swam fast did and those who are still training hard still had close to their best times," he said. "I also thought that our divers did a nice job, too."

Christa Rumbaugh led the way for the Knights as she was third in the 200 free (1:59.26) and second in the 100 free (54.3). In both races, she was close to winning, said Davis, before training fatigue hit her.

Other top performers for the Knights included the following: diving: Kim Charles, fifth (314.5 points); Laura LeBrun, seventh (286.95); 200 medley relay: Grace Wilkie, Sophie Jokumsen, Sarah Zelazoski, and Rumbaugh, fourth (1:58.64); 50 free: Zelazoski, fourth (26.23); 100 butterfly: Zelazoski, third (1:04.91); 100 butterfly: Wilkie, seventh (1:07.76); 200 free: Rumbaugh, Jokumsen, Emily Zuelzke and Zelazoski, fourth (1:47.67); and 400 free relay: Elizabeth Carlton, Sophia Carlton, Wilkie and Zuelzke, fifth (4:10.75).

UP NEXT

Local squads now heading to WIAA sectionals

Bay heads to the Division 2 sectional at Plymouth (diving at 6:30 p.m. Friday and swimming at 2 p.m. Saturday) where the winners and the next 12 fastest of all sectionals head to the state D2 meet on Nov. 11. Meanwhile, Nicolet and Homestead head to the Division 1 sectional at Cedarburg (diving 6 p.m. Friday, swimming at noon Saturday). The winner of each event plus the next 18 fastest of all sectionals statewide head to the D1 state meet Nov. 12 in Madison.