The Oak Park and River Forest High School girls swimming and diving team has gotten accustomed to practicing and competing away from campus while Project Two, which includes a new natatorium, nears completion. The new pool was originally scheduled to open last month, but construction delays pushed it back to Oct. 1. Then the school announced it wouldn’t open until November as another unanticipated construction delay came about.
But OPRF coach Clyde Lundgren says his team has stayed positive and focused despite the ordeal.
“Our challenge is to continue to be optimistic while facing the challenges of not having a pool. So far, the girls have been great,” said Lundgren, in his 28th season.
This year’s squad will look different as several familiar names, like state qualifier Hailey Boland, Evie Hasenbalg, and Avaa Ruffer, graduated. Senior Kylie Miller teamed up with those three last year in the state-qualifying 200 medley relay.
Other swim returnees for the Huskies include junior Lily Cook and seniors Yeojun Kim, Claire McFarlin, and Erica Qi. Sophomore Ayanna Dairyko and seniors Tori Hall and Zoe Schwartz are the returning divers.
Lundgren said there are seven freshmen on the varsity this season: Carolina Cides, Elizabeth Cook, Catriona Kelly, Brigid McDonnell, Aphra Morales, Amelia Preissner, and Aria Ricchetti.
“They all bring a wide variety of gifts and talents,” he said. “It will be interesting to see how our sectional lineup will flesh out.”
OPRF competed in the season-opening Kendall Pickering Invitational at Hinsdale Central, Aug. 29. Miller swam a personal-best time of 25.44 seconds in the 50 freestyle, finishing 13th, while Cides led off the 200 freestyle relay with a personal-best 28.03.
“Our girls swam well,” Lundgren said. “Some of the returning girls swam a bit faster in that meet than they had in years past, so that was super-encouraging. We are highly optimistic about the rest of the season, especially considering the freshmen that are coming in.”
Fenwick
First-year head coach Bryan Lee, who was an assistant last season, inherits a solid nucleus of four state qualifiers: seniors Maggie Raniere and Maeve Ryan, along with juniors Audrey Munley and Samantha Stowe.
“With this being my first year as head coach, there has been an adjustment period, but I think we’re continuing to move in the right direction,” Lee said. “One thing that has really stood out so far is the team’s strong work ethic. The girls have been willing to work hard, learn, and continue to push themselves every day.”
Fenwick has started well, with a dual-meet victory over Glenbrook South – Lee’s alma mater – and second to St. Ignatius in a triangular meet with Chicago U-High.
Both Raniere and Ryan swim the 50 and 100 freestyle events. Munley swims the 200 and 500 freestyle, while Stowe swims the 100 freestyle and 100 backstroke.
Senior Valencia Ptak returns to lead the diving unit. A newcomer to keep an eye on is freshman Gracie Federico.
“Gracie has been a strong addition to our varsity lineup and gives us additional depth in the butterfly events,” Lee said.
Fenwick hosts its annual Friar Invitational, Sept. 12, and Lee is interested to see how his team fares not just there, but in all the meets leading up to the Metro Catholic Aquatic Conference championships and the IHSA state series.
“Our biggest goal is to establish a strong foundation for the program. We want our athletes to understand that results come from consistently doing the little things well,” he said. “I’m excited to see how much we can grow between now and the end of the season.”
Trinity
Trinity graduate Cailey Mazur (Class of 2009) returns to take over the swimming program. And she’s excited about the opportunity to coach the Blazers.
“Coming back to lead the program that helped shape me is an incredible honor,” Mazur said. “But I’m also coming back with high expectations. Trinity is an all-girls school built around developing strong, confident young women, and I want our swim program to reflect that same standard.”
Trinity’s top returning swimmers are senior captains Erin Basney, Frida Morales, Theresa Olson, and Aniya Suggs, and Mazur has high expectations for them.
“They’re embody exactly what we want Trinity athletes to become: confident, competitive, resilient, and unafraid to lead,” she said. “They’re not simply leading this year’s team, they’re helping define what it will mean to swim for Trinity going forward.
Others expected to contribute to the Blazers are juniors Diana Fedorovicz and Kaylee Lopez along with sophomores Olivia Maldonado, Sofia Vargas, and Sophia Wikell.
“They bring different strengths and levels of experience to the pool, but they share something even more important: they are coachable, competitive, willing to work, and hungry to improve,” said Mazur, adding that Trinity is using this season to build a foundation, one that will support the program standards she’s hoping to raise.
“Be the Blaze” captures exactly what we’re building. A blaze creates energy. It grows. It draws attention. Once it has momentum, it’s difficult to contain,” Mazur said. “We want that same energy surrounding Trinity swimming.
“Ultimately, we’re not building for one season. We’re establishing an identity, raising expectations, and creating a standard that will outlast all of us. The goal is not simply to have a successful season; it is to change what people expect when Trinity walks onto a pool deck.”