Neuqua Valley girls swimming and diving welcomes District 204 rival Waubonsie Valley to the pool for a DVC matchup in the water. The Wildcats hope for a second straight head-to-head win after defeating Metea Valley a week ago. The Wildcats get a complete performance across the board to earn the win over the Warriors. This highlight is sponsored by BMO.
Piater twins get Neuqua rolling
In the 200-yard freestyle, Neuqua senior Carolina Piater continues the stellar start to her final year in blue and gold alongside her twin sister, Sofia. The Wildcat cruises past the competition to win the 200 free in 1:53.73. Teammate Taylor Tuch comes in second, just ahead of Madelyn Hartsell of Waubonsie. Carolina goes on to win the 500 freestyle later in the meet.
To the 50-yard freestyle and the sprint down the lanes and back. This time, it’s Sofia Piater, who adds the first-place finish to the Wildcat total with a time of 24.75. She manages to hold off Waubonsie junior Estelle Castaneda, who takes second, with Neuqua junior Bree Pepping in third place.
In the 100-yard butterfly, it’s a three-person race in the hunt for the first-place finish. Neuqua Valley sophomore Sophie Diorio holds a narrow lead over a pair of Warriors, Malika Madiman and Saanvi Khopkar, who swim on either side of the Wildcat. Fresh off a win in the 200 IM, Diorio adds a first-place finish in the butterfly at 58.55 seconds as Neuqua continues to add to the team lead.
Divers impress on the boards
Taking a break for the diving portion with a talented group, filled with multiple state contenders.
Neuqua Valley’s Charlotte Anderson starts strong with a forward 1 ½ somersault pike, earning a 34.85.
Stella Hutchinson from Waubonsie takes her turn at the end of the board. She performs an inward 1 ½ somersault tuck. The Warrior finishes the event in third place.
All-state diver Ella Buchenauer is back for her senior season with Waubonsie. She has several strong dives, including an inward 1 ½ somersault tuck, where she keeps her legs straight with a minimal splash. That earns a 44.00 as Buchenauer finishes in second.
The winner is Neuqua Valley junior Gabriela Ursu. She gets a lot of height on her back somersault tuck, continuing her strong season with a first-place finish.
Estelle Castaneda gets the Warriors in the win column
Back to the swimming, where the girls dive off the blocks for the 100-yard freestyle. It’s a hotly contested race by a pair of Wildcats and one Warrior near the front. Estelle Castaneda gets Waubonsie Valley on the board as she outpaces Taylor Tuch to give the Warriors their first win of the night. Bree Pepping is just behind them in third.
Flipping over to the 100-yard backstroke. Sofia Piater shows that she can win more than the freestyle races as she takes first with a time of 58.20. Teammate Arianna Mintchell is four seconds back while Kamylle Centeno from Waubonsie finishes third.
A wild final 25 yards highlights the 100 breaststroke. Waubonsie senior Aubrey Talaga leads for most of the race down in lane two, but down the home stretch, Neuqua sophomore Rosie Wong is able to surge ahead of Talaga and fellow Warrior Brooklyn Landtiser. Wong takes the narrow win at 1:11.73, just a hair in front of Landtiser. Talaga takes third with Malika Madiman in fourth.
The Wildcats finish the night on a high note
While the team results are well in hand, Neuqua Valley looks to close out a big night with a final victory in the 400 free relay. Carolina Piater starts things off as she builds a big lead that Bree Pepping and Charlotte Lee are able to maintain. Sofia Piater closes out the win at 3:39.82. The Waubonsie group of Kamylle Centeno, Madelyn Hartsell, Malika Madiman and Abbey Brown come in about ten seconds later. Neuqua Valley earns a second straight DVC win by the score of 116-70.
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