Highlanders capture swimming conference crown

Sure, the talented swimmers like Maiya Hilliard and Kayla Dlugopolski are the ones who draw the headlines and get the state medals at the end of the year.

But for the 10-time North Shore Conference champion Homestead girls swim team, the league title Saturday was secured for and by names like Rachel Thomas, Madeline Happ, Emily Zall, Maddy Richter, Rachel Kesseler, Meaghan McLean, Paige Kittilstad and Sara Silver.

"It's the end of their seasons and it's important for them to go out on a positive note, which is something they did," Highlanders coach Mark Gwidt said of the group. "We were a little flat today, but we really came through in the breaststroke (five of the first six places) and that really finished things off well. To win our 10th in a row was very exciting."

The Highlanders scored 475 points to win the meet held at Nicolet as a short-handed Whitefish Bay squad still held on for second (336) despite having top sprinter Maggie Smith out ill and Nicolet, paced by the spectacular personal best victory of freshman diver Calli Head, was a competitive fifth (250).

Hilliard led that 100-yard breaststroke charge, taking first in 1:09.48, while Maggie Stolz was third (1:12.76), Mary Gabe fourth (1:12.98), Monique Ma fifth (1:14.08) and Kesseler sixth (1:15.53).

The only other victory for Homestead came in the 200 free relay (1:43.85).

Other top three performances included the following: 200 medley relay: third (1:55.95); 200 individual medley: Hillard, third (2:19.34); 100 butterfly: Eva Schulteis, second (1:01.56); 500 free: Dlugopolski, second (5:14.07); 100 backstroke: Schulteis, third (1:03.01); 400 free relay: second (3:45.88).

Gwidt said that every one of the Highlanders' 36 entries placed in the top 16.

Bay's depth helps

Bay coach Jim Davis was very pleased with his team's flexibility, as he only discovered Saturday morning that Smith, a favorite in both the 50 and 100 freestyles, had come down with a nasty 24-hour bug and would not be available for the meet.

"I didn't have my cell on me and the kids said 'Did you hear? Did you hear?" he said, "And I didn't get her (Smith's message) until later. Boy, did we have to move people around fast after that."

The Blue Dukes didn't take any firsts, but had enough depth to overcome the loss. Freshman Annelise Sprau was one of a number of people who stepped up, he said. Sprau was second in the 50 free (25.85) and third in the 100 butterfly (1:02.27).

Other top efforts for Bay included the following: 200 medley relay: Lissy Maercklein, Annie Maercklein, Sprau and Claire Riordan, second (1:54.34); 200 individual medley: Annie Maercklein, fourth (2:19.36); 100 free: Lissy Maercklein, third (57.7); and Claire Riordan, fourth (57.86); 500 free: Lauren Van Loon, fifth (5:29.73); 100 breaststroke: Annie Maercklein, second (1:09.77); 400 free relay: Van Loon, Maercklein, Maercklein and Sprau, third (3:49.65).

"We just went in there like we always did," Davis said. "I told them to just enjoy the day and hope for the best."

Diver leads Nicolet

For Nicolet, Head dominated the diving competition by 43 points with an impressive 452.5 score. She got help with Leah Fischer in fifth (348.1).

Other good showings for the Knights included the following: 200 free: Yvonne Hangsterfer, second (best time 1:59.65); 100 fly: Sasha Rasansky, fifth (1:07.23); 500 free: Taylor Winter, sixth (5:30.83); 100 backstroke: Hangsterfer, second (1:02.64).

WIAA sectionals

• Homestead and Nicolet at Division I Cedarburg (diving at 6 p.m. Friday, swimming at 12 p.m. Saturday).

• Whitefish Bay at Division 2 Plymouth (diving at 5 p.m. Friday, swimming at 2 p.m. Saturday).

QUALIFYING: In Division 1, the winner of each event plus the next 18 best statewide advance to the WIAA State Meet at the UW-Natatorium on Nov. 14. For division 2, the winner of each event plus the next 12 best advance to the state meet at the Natatorium on Nov. 13.