MADISON - Monroe-New Glarus freshman Mekenzie Hammer's heart was pounding on the final stretch of the 100-yard backstroke at the WIAA Division 2 state meet Friday.
Hammer used a rush of adrenaline to out-touch New Berlin Eisenhower junior Maddie Guman by 0.03 of a second to win the state championship in the backstroke with a time of 58.22 seconds at the University of Wisconsin Natatorium in Madison.
"To get first is just incredible," Hammer said. "It was a huge accomplishment. I never expected to win it. My goal was just to podium in that race."
Hammer is the first Monroe-New Glarus swimmer to win a state title since Ellie Radke in won a state championship in the 50 freestyle in 2005.
Hammer said she could feel Guman and Whitnall senior Brooke Miles right next to her during the final 25 meters.
"I knew they were both right next to me, and I was really excited," Hammer said. "I just had to out-kick them and out-touch them in the end. I'm really happy because I worked really hard for this."
Madison Edgewood rolled to its third straight state title, racking up 346 points. New Berlin Eisenhower finished as the state runner-up (202), and McFarland took third (194.5). All six of the events the Monroe-New Glarus swim team competed in at state scored points, and the Cheesemakers finished eighth out of 34 teams with 99 points. Five of the top eight teams at state were from the Badger South and North conferences.
"It's a huge accomplishment," Monroe-New Glarus coach Linda Moser said of taking eighth at state as a team. "We were one of the smaller schools in our conference (Badger South). They were a lot stronger team than a lot of people expected. They have worked a lot and have those dreams to come back again. I think they will be back again next year and will be just as tough."
The Badger South Conference was well represented. Madison Edgewood senior Kelly Rodriguez won state titles in four events. Rodriguez, a University of Kentucky recruit, won the state championship in the 200-yard freestyle for a third straight year, in a state-record time of 1 minute, 48.39 seconds. She also won a state title in the 500 freestyle. Edgewood senior Jenna Silvestri, a UW-Madison recruit, captured state titles in the 200 individual medley (2:04.03) and 100 breaststroke (1:04.13). Rodriguez swam on the Crusaders' state-record breaking 200 freestyle relay (1:35.26). Silvestri swam on the state-record breaking 200 medley relay (1:44.59), and both her and Rodriguez swam on the state champion 400 freestyle relay (3:30.39).
McFarland junior Alexandra Moderski won the state title in the 50 freestyle for the third straight year (22.91) and won the 100 freestyle (50.69) for the second time in the past three years.
Hammer took fifth in the 200 individual medley to win a second medal with a personal-record time of 2:12.88. She entered state seeded sixth in the event and finished fifth.
"I really wanted to hold my spot I was ranked," she said. It definitely boosted my mood with how good I did. It and the medley relay were good races that helped me in the backstroke."
The Cheesemakers' 200 medley relay team of Mekenzie Hammer, senior Maddie Hammer, senior Grace Keith and junior Cammi Ganshert finished eighth in a school-record time of 1:52.92. The Cheesemakers' medley relay entered the state meet seeded 10th but placed eighth.
"I wasn't surprised," Moser said of the 200 medley relay setting a new school record and finishing better than their seed. "They have come together and worked really hard with each other to be the best team they could. They were very determined to break into the top eight."
Maddie Hammer took seventh in the 50 freestyle with a season-best time of 24.46 seconds, which was 0.03 seconds away from taking sixth and bringing home a medal. She also placed ninth in the 100 freestyle (53.78).
"I know Maddie was very disappointed," Moser said. "It was hard because it was her senior year. It's very hard to swallow being 0.03 of a second away from a medal. She wanted to get back on the podium and medal one more time. She battled some illness this week and still swam her best times. It's hard because it was her dream and now it's gone. She got the best split she has ever gotten in the freestyle relay."
The Cheesemakers' 400 freestyle relay team of both Hammers, junior Nina Schiro and freshman Francesca Schiro took eighth in a school-record time of 3:41.68. It was faster than the previous school record the quartet set at the Stoughton sectional.
"I'm so proud of all the girls," Mekenzie Hammer said. "We all PR'd. Even though we didn't medal, we still broke our school record and went even faster."
She credited Moser and her club swim coach, Emily Pisula with the Green County Golden Gators.
"I really want to thank Linda for being an amazing coach and my club coach Emily because without them, I would not be able to swim as fast as I did," Hammer said.
Mekenzie Hammer will now compete in club swimming and attend various USA meets. She will swim in Beloit in a USA meet Saturday and Sunday.
"It's my last year swimming 13-14 for club, so I want to get as many best times as I can and make it to (USA) state in as many events as I can," she said. "I really want to work on my fly, breaststroke and freestyle, because that will help me in the IM (individual medley)."
Hammer used a rush of adrenaline to out-touch New Berlin Eisenhower junior Maddie Guman by 0.03 of a second to win the state championship in the backstroke with a time of 58.22 seconds at the University of Wisconsin Natatorium in Madison.
"To get first is just incredible," Hammer said. "It was a huge accomplishment. I never expected to win it. My goal was just to podium in that race."
Hammer is the first Monroe-New Glarus swimmer to win a state title since Ellie Radke in won a state championship in the 50 freestyle in 2005.
Hammer said she could feel Guman and Whitnall senior Brooke Miles right next to her during the final 25 meters.
"I knew they were both right next to me, and I was really excited," Hammer said. "I just had to out-kick them and out-touch them in the end. I'm really happy because I worked really hard for this."
Madison Edgewood rolled to its third straight state title, racking up 346 points. New Berlin Eisenhower finished as the state runner-up (202), and McFarland took third (194.5). All six of the events the Monroe-New Glarus swim team competed in at state scored points, and the Cheesemakers finished eighth out of 34 teams with 99 points. Five of the top eight teams at state were from the Badger South and North conferences.
"It's a huge accomplishment," Monroe-New Glarus coach Linda Moser said of taking eighth at state as a team. "We were one of the smaller schools in our conference (Badger South). They were a lot stronger team than a lot of people expected. They have worked a lot and have those dreams to come back again. I think they will be back again next year and will be just as tough."
The Badger South Conference was well represented. Madison Edgewood senior Kelly Rodriguez won state titles in four events. Rodriguez, a University of Kentucky recruit, won the state championship in the 200-yard freestyle for a third straight year, in a state-record time of 1 minute, 48.39 seconds. She also won a state title in the 500 freestyle. Edgewood senior Jenna Silvestri, a UW-Madison recruit, captured state titles in the 200 individual medley (2:04.03) and 100 breaststroke (1:04.13). Rodriguez swam on the Crusaders' state-record breaking 200 freestyle relay (1:35.26). Silvestri swam on the state-record breaking 200 medley relay (1:44.59), and both her and Rodriguez swam on the state champion 400 freestyle relay (3:30.39).
McFarland junior Alexandra Moderski won the state title in the 50 freestyle for the third straight year (22.91) and won the 100 freestyle (50.69) for the second time in the past three years.
Hammer took fifth in the 200 individual medley to win a second medal with a personal-record time of 2:12.88. She entered state seeded sixth in the event and finished fifth.
"I really wanted to hold my spot I was ranked," she said. It definitely boosted my mood with how good I did. It and the medley relay were good races that helped me in the backstroke."
The Cheesemakers' 200 medley relay team of Mekenzie Hammer, senior Maddie Hammer, senior Grace Keith and junior Cammi Ganshert finished eighth in a school-record time of 1:52.92. The Cheesemakers' medley relay entered the state meet seeded 10th but placed eighth.
"I wasn't surprised," Moser said of the 200 medley relay setting a new school record and finishing better than their seed. "They have come together and worked really hard with each other to be the best team they could. They were very determined to break into the top eight."
Maddie Hammer took seventh in the 50 freestyle with a season-best time of 24.46 seconds, which was 0.03 seconds away from taking sixth and bringing home a medal. She also placed ninth in the 100 freestyle (53.78).
"I know Maddie was very disappointed," Moser said. "It was hard because it was her senior year. It's very hard to swallow being 0.03 of a second away from a medal. She wanted to get back on the podium and medal one more time. She battled some illness this week and still swam her best times. It's hard because it was her dream and now it's gone. She got the best split she has ever gotten in the freestyle relay."
The Cheesemakers' 400 freestyle relay team of both Hammers, junior Nina Schiro and freshman Francesca Schiro took eighth in a school-record time of 3:41.68. It was faster than the previous school record the quartet set at the Stoughton sectional.
"I'm so proud of all the girls," Mekenzie Hammer said. "We all PR'd. Even though we didn't medal, we still broke our school record and went even faster."
She credited Moser and her club swim coach, Emily Pisula with the Green County Golden Gators.
"I really want to thank Linda for being an amazing coach and my club coach Emily because without them, I would not be able to swim as fast as I did," Hammer said.
Mekenzie Hammer will now compete in club swimming and attend various USA meets. She will swim in Beloit in a USA meet Saturday and Sunday.
"It's my last year swimming 13-14 for club, so I want to get as many best times as I can and make it to (USA) state in as many events as I can," she said. "I really want to work on my fly, breaststroke and freestyle, because that will help me in the IM (individual medley)."
