Senior Night meets are always emotional for coaches and athletes alike.
The event is even more memorable when the home team wins, which is exactly what the Fenwick High School girls swimming team did Friday.
The Friars won their final home dual meet of the season by edging MCAC rival St. Ignatius 94-92.
The event wasn’t decided until the final race, the 400-yard freestyle relay. Fenwick needed a win and got it as the quartet of Catie Wallace, Grace Reynolds, Erin Scudder and Theresa Mullen cruised to a six-second victory in 3:33.84.
“Fenwick and St. Ignatius are close rivals and I think it’s always a good meet,” Fenwick coach Renee Miller said. “The team as a whole wants to win for the seniors so they can leave on a winning note. It makes the celebration a lot more exciting.”
Wallace, Scudder and Muller were among a group of 18 seniors honored. While it wasn’t the last time the Friars, who host a sectional next month, will swim in their own pool this season, many of the seniors will not be in the lineup.
The other seniors are Sydney Alairys, Katie Clancy, Claire Drnek, Maggie Hogan, Drew Johnson, Noel Keen, Margaret Ketcik, Eryn Kulik, Gillian Lavins, Claire Long, Marlene McGarrity, Madeline Nettleton, Anna Sullivan, Jillian Wickham and Caroline Zidell.
“I think this is one of those years where we have a great group of girls that are willing to work hard together for the team and that’s what makes them good,” Miller said. “These seniors were on the team two years ago with kids like Mimi Schneider that won a trophy and they’ve really adopted that drive and work ethic. They’ve seen that and want to build on it.”
Fenwick was in rebuilding mode last year and still does not have state champions like Schneider, but the Friars are competitive. They went 8-2 in dual meets this fall, losing only to top-ranked Rosary and third-ranked Loyola, the defending state champions. Loyola was the only team to beat the Friars in Oak Park.
The Friars won seven of 12 events against St. Ignatius and nearly swept the relays. Brooke West, Clancy, Scudder and Mullen began the meet by capturing the 200 medley relay in 1 minute, 49.83 seconds, while the 200 free team of Drnek, Grace Rogowski, Wallace and West timed 1:39.55 to finish second, just .08 behind the Wolfpack.
Fenwick had four individual winners, led by double champion Wallace, who edged St. Ignatius star Clare McNamara by .02 to win the 200 free in 1:57.36 before taking the 100 free in 53.31, .53 ahead of Mullen.
Mullen had earlier won the 50 free in 25.15, while Clancy prevailed in the 100 breaststroke in 1:07.86 and Scudder was victorious in the 100 butterfly in 59.15. Diver Clare Long scored 213.95 points to finish second and West was runner-up in the 200 individual medley in 2:12.65.
The Friars are off until the MCAC meet Oct. 31, which Rosary will host at Metea Valley. The conference could produce four top-10 teams at next month’s state meet, as Miller believes the Friars, currently ranked 13th, and St. Ignatius have what it takes to move up.
“It’s a great state meet rehearsal,” Miller said. “We’re looking forward to it as a great test.”
Of the seniors, Miller expects Mullen, Wallace, Scudder, Clancy and Drnek to make the biggest impact.
“They’re training well and working well together,” Miller said. “They’re so fun to coach. That’s what makes it so special.”
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