MONROE - The red carpet may be rolled out for swimmers from the Green County Golden Gators at the YMCA state swim meet this weekend.
About half of the Green County Golden Gators swimming team qualified for the YMCA state swimming meet. There are 24 Green County Gator swimmers who will leave today for the state meet that runs through Sunday at the Schroeder Aquatic Center in Brown Deer.
The Green County swimming club had 27 total state qualifiers for USA state. The Gators have 10 individual swimmers who enter the YMCA state meet seeded in the top eight in 22 events. The Gators also have five relays seeded in the top eight at state. The top three finishers in each event at state receive a trophy.
"To have so many swimmers seeded in the top eight, it says something about the quality of our program," Gators coach Emily Pisula said.
Mazie Paradis, 7, is making her second state trip. She was the youngest swimmer at the YMCA state meet last year as a 6-year-old. Paradis is seeded No. 1 in the 25-yard butterfly (16.59), No. 1 in the 50-yard butterfly (38.69), No. 2 in the 50 freestyle and third in the 25 freestyle (15.39).
Paradis said she is happy and excited to make it back to state.
"My goal is to get top three in everything," Paradis said.
What is her favorite part of swimming for the Gators?
"The meets and having my mom as a coach," she said. "She has taught me good drills and she tells me if I need to fix something I'm doing wrong."
Paradis said her favorite stroke is the butterfly.
"The butterfly is one of the hardest strokes and I love to do the hardest strokes," she said.
The Gators girls' 8 and younger 100 freestyle relay is seeded sixth (1:08.98) and the 100 medley relay has the sixth-best time entering the state meet.
Jadyn Elgin, 8, is seeded seventh in the 100 freestyle (1:22.72).
Eli Zimmerman, 10, is seeded No. 1 in the 200 freestyle (2:12.11), second in the 100 freestyle (1:01.54), third in the 200 IM (2:38.91) and third in the 100 backstroke (1:08.28).
Zimmerman is making his fourth trip to the YMCA state meet. He has big goals, but he's trying to stay in the moment.
"I'm still always happy just to get there knowing I worked as hard as I could," Zimmerman said.
As a Level 4 swimmer with the Gators, Zimmerman completes the Level 5 swim workouts as much as he can.
"I always try to win and race in practice," he said. "It pushes me."
Morgan Erstad is seeded No. 1 in the girls 9-10 year-old 100 freestyle (1:00.69), No. 1 in the 50 freestyle (28.19) and No. 1 in the 200 freestyle (2:17.48). She also is the No. 2 seed in the 100 backstroke (1:10.88).
Erstad said if she swims to her potential, she will have a chance to win a state championship.
"I want to try to cut time," Erstad said. "In my 200 free, I want to try to get the 11-12 state cut."
At the USA state meet two weeks ago, Erstad's goggles fell off in the 100 backstroke and she finished with a time of 1:10.
"I think I can cut a lot of time off of that," she said.
Channeling the nerves even as Erstad makes her fourth YMCA state appearance is always a challenge.
"I always get really nervous," she said. "I just think of all the other times I have been at swim meets and that calms me down so I'm not so nervous."
Teammate Ellie Eichelkraut, 10, is seeded eighth in the 200 IM. The girls 9-10 year-old medley relay has the seventh-fastest time entering state at 2:24.16.
Mekenzie Hammer, 11, is seeded No. 2 in the 50 backstroke (29.49) and third in the 50 butterfly (29.20). Hammer is seeded fifth in the 100 butterfly (1:06.60) and fifth in the 100 backstroke (1:05.87). Hammer is making her fourth straight trip to state.
"I think it's awesome that I get to go there again and do all the races I love to swim," she said. "My goal is to finish top three in everything because I'm ranked so well."
Hammer will be looking to put a challenge aside; she got disqualified in the 50 butterfly last year due to a false start. It was a learning experience.
"I learned not to give up," Hammer said. "You don't know if you disqualified. If you think about it and it's in your head you might not do good. You still have to try your hardest."
In the boys 8 and younger division, Mason Yaun, 8, is seeded No. 1 in the 50 breaststroke (42.89), No. 2 in the 25-yard breaststroke and No. 2 in the 50 butterfly (41.20) and fourth in the 100 IM (1:25.51).
Brecklyn Thompson, 8, is seeded seventh in the 50 freestyle.
Both the boys 8 and younger 100 medley relay and 100 freestyle relay are seeded in the top eight. The medley relay is seeded fourth (1:22) and the 100 freestyle relay is seeded fifth (1:10.85).
Monroe freshman Maddie Hammer, New Glarus, is seeded No. 1 in the 100 breaststroke (1:08.90) and sixth in the 200 freestyle for the girls 13-14 year-old division. Monroe's Skylar Lassen, 15, is seeded eighth in the 200 backstroke (2:14.98).
Pisula has made some changes to the swim practice schedule that have paid off this year.
"Rather than having them swim two hours for a ton of yardage, we are focused on swimming perfect strokes," Pisula said. "We are focused more on the quality of swimming and not the quantity. They have really bought in to what we are doing this year. It has really paid off."
For the first time, swimmers who qualified for state in one event are allowed to add two more events to swim at state. Those swimmers who qualified in two events are allowed to add one event.
"Over the last several years, there has been only one heat in some of the events because the state cuts were such a high standard," Pisula said.
YMCA state swim officials considered lowering the state cut times, adding the bonus swim policy similar to USA state swimming or adding a preliminary and finals format.
Pisula said in the past, it was a long way for parents and families to drive to watch their children swim if they only qualified in one event.
"It's a great opportunity for them," Pisula said. "It's like they get a couple of free time trials there."
About half of the Green County Golden Gators swimming team qualified for the YMCA state swimming meet. There are 24 Green County Gator swimmers who will leave today for the state meet that runs through Sunday at the Schroeder Aquatic Center in Brown Deer.
The Green County swimming club had 27 total state qualifiers for USA state. The Gators have 10 individual swimmers who enter the YMCA state meet seeded in the top eight in 22 events. The Gators also have five relays seeded in the top eight at state. The top three finishers in each event at state receive a trophy.
"To have so many swimmers seeded in the top eight, it says something about the quality of our program," Gators coach Emily Pisula said.
Mazie Paradis, 7, is making her second state trip. She was the youngest swimmer at the YMCA state meet last year as a 6-year-old. Paradis is seeded No. 1 in the 25-yard butterfly (16.59), No. 1 in the 50-yard butterfly (38.69), No. 2 in the 50 freestyle and third in the 25 freestyle (15.39).
Paradis said she is happy and excited to make it back to state.
"My goal is to get top three in everything," Paradis said.
What is her favorite part of swimming for the Gators?
"The meets and having my mom as a coach," she said. "She has taught me good drills and she tells me if I need to fix something I'm doing wrong."
Paradis said her favorite stroke is the butterfly.
"The butterfly is one of the hardest strokes and I love to do the hardest strokes," she said.
The Gators girls' 8 and younger 100 freestyle relay is seeded sixth (1:08.98) and the 100 medley relay has the sixth-best time entering the state meet.
Jadyn Elgin, 8, is seeded seventh in the 100 freestyle (1:22.72).
Eli Zimmerman, 10, is seeded No. 1 in the 200 freestyle (2:12.11), second in the 100 freestyle (1:01.54), third in the 200 IM (2:38.91) and third in the 100 backstroke (1:08.28).
Zimmerman is making his fourth trip to the YMCA state meet. He has big goals, but he's trying to stay in the moment.
"I'm still always happy just to get there knowing I worked as hard as I could," Zimmerman said.
As a Level 4 swimmer with the Gators, Zimmerman completes the Level 5 swim workouts as much as he can.
"I always try to win and race in practice," he said. "It pushes me."
Morgan Erstad is seeded No. 1 in the girls 9-10 year-old 100 freestyle (1:00.69), No. 1 in the 50 freestyle (28.19) and No. 1 in the 200 freestyle (2:17.48). She also is the No. 2 seed in the 100 backstroke (1:10.88).
Erstad said if she swims to her potential, she will have a chance to win a state championship.
"I want to try to cut time," Erstad said. "In my 200 free, I want to try to get the 11-12 state cut."
At the USA state meet two weeks ago, Erstad's goggles fell off in the 100 backstroke and she finished with a time of 1:10.
"I think I can cut a lot of time off of that," she said.
Channeling the nerves even as Erstad makes her fourth YMCA state appearance is always a challenge.
"I always get really nervous," she said. "I just think of all the other times I have been at swim meets and that calms me down so I'm not so nervous."
Teammate Ellie Eichelkraut, 10, is seeded eighth in the 200 IM. The girls 9-10 year-old medley relay has the seventh-fastest time entering state at 2:24.16.
Mekenzie Hammer, 11, is seeded No. 2 in the 50 backstroke (29.49) and third in the 50 butterfly (29.20). Hammer is seeded fifth in the 100 butterfly (1:06.60) and fifth in the 100 backstroke (1:05.87). Hammer is making her fourth straight trip to state.
"I think it's awesome that I get to go there again and do all the races I love to swim," she said. "My goal is to finish top three in everything because I'm ranked so well."
Hammer will be looking to put a challenge aside; she got disqualified in the 50 butterfly last year due to a false start. It was a learning experience.
"I learned not to give up," Hammer said. "You don't know if you disqualified. If you think about it and it's in your head you might not do good. You still have to try your hardest."
In the boys 8 and younger division, Mason Yaun, 8, is seeded No. 1 in the 50 breaststroke (42.89), No. 2 in the 25-yard breaststroke and No. 2 in the 50 butterfly (41.20) and fourth in the 100 IM (1:25.51).
Brecklyn Thompson, 8, is seeded seventh in the 50 freestyle.
Both the boys 8 and younger 100 medley relay and 100 freestyle relay are seeded in the top eight. The medley relay is seeded fourth (1:22) and the 100 freestyle relay is seeded fifth (1:10.85).
Monroe freshman Maddie Hammer, New Glarus, is seeded No. 1 in the 100 breaststroke (1:08.90) and sixth in the 200 freestyle for the girls 13-14 year-old division. Monroe's Skylar Lassen, 15, is seeded eighth in the 200 backstroke (2:14.98).
Pisula has made some changes to the swim practice schedule that have paid off this year.
"Rather than having them swim two hours for a ton of yardage, we are focused on swimming perfect strokes," Pisula said. "We are focused more on the quality of swimming and not the quantity. They have really bought in to what we are doing this year. It has really paid off."
For the first time, swimmers who qualified for state in one event are allowed to add two more events to swim at state. Those swimmers who qualified in two events are allowed to add one event.
"Over the last several years, there has been only one heat in some of the events because the state cuts were such a high standard," Pisula said.
YMCA state swim officials considered lowering the state cut times, adding the bonus swim policy similar to USA state swimming or adding a preliminary and finals format.
Pisula said in the past, it was a long way for parents and families to drive to watch their children swim if they only qualified in one event.
"It's a great opportunity for them," Pisula said. "It's like they get a couple of free time trials there."
