The start of November means the beginning of the end for fall sports as we’re at the Neuqua Valley IHSA Girls Swimming Sectional. Twelve schools compete not only for the sectional crown but to see which of their swimmers advance to the state finals. All five local DVC Schools along with Benet Academy are competing in today’s event as well as Rosary, and Oswego Co-Op among others. This highlight is sponsored by BMO.
Neuqua Valley starts the day with a win
We start in the 200-yard medley relay, as the host school Neuqua Valley gets off to a great start. The relay team of Natalie Sierzanowski, Ruhee Chetan, Emily Wu, and Sophia Labarre help the Wildcats strike first and win with an overall time of 1:43.37.
Next, we have the first individual match of the day, with the 200-yard freestyle. Rosary would take the battle to Neuqua, as Becky Rentz is able to outswim Crystal Yu by almost three seconds, winning with a time of 1:52.
Oswego Co-Op’s Chole Diner sets a new pool record
Up next in the 200-yard IM, as things are getting interesting towards the top of the leaderboard. Benet Academy’s Imogen Duffy secures third place, while the Oswego Co-Op swimmers of Chloe Diner and Katie Gresik put together a 1-2 finish. Diner sets a new pool record with a time of 2:00.83, shattering the previous record by almost four seconds.
Let’s now dive into the 50-yard freestyle. The Wildcats look to get themselves back on top and they do, as Labarre claims her second overall win of the day with a time of 23.91. Neuqua leads the team scoring going into the break.
Competition resumes with the 100-yard butterfly race, and Rosary keeps the fight between them and Neuqua going. Ariyana Nieckula and Rentz score a 1-2 finish as Nieckula wins with a 55.42 time. Waubonsie Valley’s Bella Plude, Metea Valley’s Emily Schalk and Naperville Central’s Lauren Eschmeyer finish just under three seconds behind the top spot.
Chole Chen gets on the Podium for Naperville North
The next race would be another 100-yard competition, the 100-yard freestyle race. Naperville North is able to get a podium finish with Chole Chen getting in third, but Rosary continues its steady run as Olivia Moore outlasts Plainfield North’s Mia Ceballos. She wins with a time of 52.14 for the second consecutive Royals win.
The longest match of the day is the 500-yard freestyle race. Oswego would make their presence felt once again, as Gresik blisters the competition by almost ten seconds. She takes first with a time of 4:54.49 to give the Co-Op another win.
Back to the relay races with the 200-yard freestyle. Rosary and Neuqua Valley would continue to duke it out for the top spot. The Royals’ top team of Moore, Rentz, Nieckula, and Bella Wojtowicz pull ahead with an overall time of 1:34.28.
Following that, the sectional returns to individual competition with the 100-yard backstroke race. The first event after the 2/3 distance break is another Wildcat vs Royals affair but the Royals are crowned race winner again as Lauren O’Connor edges Sierzanowski by .08 seconds with a winning time of 56.58.
Diner ties a pool record
The last individual race of the competition is the 100-yard breaststroke event. Diner is in the lineup and is hungry for another huge win. It comes down to the wire between her and Elizabeth Nawrocki, but Diner edges Narowcki by .03 tying the pool record time at 1:02.26.
The last race of the day is the 400-yard freestyle relay and Waubonsie’s team of Anna Honcharuk, Calin Ball, Malini Madiman, and Ruby Meier take third. Rosary enters the race just eight points ahead of Neuqua needing a good finish to clinch. The team of Rentz, Moore, Nieckula, and Annabelle Nawrocki can deliver that, winning the race by over 3 seconds ahead of Neuqua.
Rosary edges past Neuqua Valley
The Rosary Royals claim the Neuqua Valley girls swimming sectional title with a score of 273.5. Neuqua Valley takes second, Oswego Co-Op in third, while Waubonsie Valley and Naperville North round out the top 5. All five DVC schools and Benet Academy will be sending multiple swimmers to the state meet, next weekend.
For more prep sports highlights, visit the Naperville Sports Weekly page!
