Fenwick High School girls swimming coach Renee Miller knew this was going to be a rebuilding year for the Friars.
A great senior class led by state champions Mimi Schneider and Paulina Kaminski graduated after leading the Friars to third place at the state finals, the program’s third consecutive state trophy.
They left behind a group of inexperienced yet talented girls who set out to make a name for themselves.
On Saturday, the Friars did just that, turning in a dominant effort to win their own sectional with an impressive 324 points. Oak Park and River Forest was second with 298 points and Trinity took ninth in the 10-team field with 49 points.
“We don’t have a superstar like Mimi Schneider or Paulina Kaminski, but these girls had been swimming in the shadows and they learned a lot from those girls and they used that for this year,” Miller said. “We gave them an opportunity to shine and they stepped up and did it.”
Most importantly, the Friars qualified 13 individual swims – three short of the maximum – and all three relays for the state meet next weekend at Evanston. Of the nine girls who advanced, only two – senior Katie Vulich and junior Catie Wallace – had prior sectional experience.
“It’s a cliché, but it really was a team effort,” Miller said. “It was awesome to watch it. They had the goal to get as many swims to state as they could and they did it.”
The Friars qualified the maximum two swimmers in all but three races and had at least one in each event except diving.
Vulich won the 100-yard butterfly (57.57) and 100 backstroke (58.13) while junior Erin Scudder captured the 200 freestyle (1:53.57) and sophomore Ellie Carlson took the 500 free (5:20.61).
Wallace was second in the 200 free and third in the 100 free, while Scudder was runner-up in the butterfly and junior Catherine Clancy the bridesmaid in the 200 individual medley and 100 breaststroke. Fenwick’s other individual qualifiers were freshman Grace Rogoswski in the 50 free (third, 24.43) and 100 free (fourth, 53.04) and freshman Brooke West in the backstroke (second, 58.52).
“It’s amazing that we got [so many] people in,” Miller said. “We got as many swimmers as we did last year with an entirely different team.”
Fenwick also won the 200 medley relay (1:45.48) behind Vulich, Clancy, Scudder and junior Therese Mullen and the 400 free relay (3:30.94) with Wallace, Rogoswski, Scudder and Mullen. The 200 free squad of Wallace, junior Claire Drnek, Rogoswski and Mullen also advanced with a second-place showing (1:36.41).
Miller said before the season that this group would eventually vault the Friars back into the ranks of the elite, though it will take a year or two. The sectional title is a good first step.
“I didn’t want to put limits on them,” Miller said. “I think the biggest thing is they’re really good, hard-working kids.
“We thought [this] could happen, we hoped it would happen but we didn’t know whether it would happen. We’re excited to see them do it.”
Miller was especially pleased to see the two freshmen qualify and to see the improvement made by Scudder.
“[Scudder] went from swimming at conference [but not sectionals] for us last year to qualifying for state in four events,” Miller said. “That’s a pretty big jump.”
The state meet will be a big jump in competition for the Friars, who aren’t expected to contend for a top 10 spot. Only the top 12 finishers in each event Friday advance to Saturday’s finals, where team points are scored.
The Fenwick relays are seeded fifth, fourth and fifth based on sectional times, but that isn’t necessarily predictive of performance because some teams rested for sectionals and others for state. Scudder and Wallace are seeded ninth and 10th, respectively, in the 200 free.
OPRF advances five individual swims, two relays to state
But the area’s best chance for individual glory belongs to OPRF sophomore Hanna Blankemeier, who won the 100 free (51.82) and was second in the 50 free (23.90). She is ranked seventh in the 100 and 14th in the 50.
The Huskies qualified five individual swims and two relays. Junior Genevieve Curry won the 200 I.M. (2:09.37) and the breaststroke (1:07.13), while senior Chloe Guhlstorf got through in the 50 (fifth, 24.56).
Blankemeier, freshman Samantha Neilson, Guhlstorf and Curry teamed up to win the 200 free relay (1:36.12). That same quartet, with Guhlstorf anchoring, advanced in the 200 medley by taking second (1:45.83).
Trinity sets several new team records at sectional
Every swimmer achieved either a personal best and/or set a new team record for the Blazers, including Nora Blasi, Kayli Sayatovic, Kate Perschke, Gabby Magnus, Olivia Blasi, Vanesa Herrera, Kelly Perrino, Emma Havey and Emma Mosbrook.
“With so many swimmers returning next year, hopefully we will build for the future,” said Trinity coach Kathleen Maloney.
During the regular season, Trinity recorded dual meet wins over Maine East, St. Viator, Resurrection and a fourth-place finish at the Latin Invitational.
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