By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Erstad shines at Platteville; M-NG readies for conference
Sizzling freshman breaks team record in 500-yd freestyle
Morgan Erstad
Monroe’s Morgan Erstad, middle, leads the pack in the first leg of the 200-meter freestyle against Stoughton Sept. 18 at the Green County YMCA in Monroe. Erstad would go on to finish second in the race, but the Cheesemakers won the meet. - photo by Adam Krebs

PLATTEVILLE — The Monroe-New Glarus swim team finished second at the Hillmen Invite at Platteville Oct. 20, the best finish the team had ever done at the annual meet, according to head coach Linda Moser.

“The girls have been battling the flu and colds all week so even though their times were a little off they still swam with determination and confidence,” Moser said. Sauk Prairie won the nine-team meet with 442 points, followed by Monroe (393), Whitewater (282) and La Crosse Logan-Central (268). 

The biggest highlight of the meet for Monroe-New Glarus was Morgan Erstad’s record-breaking swim in the 500-yard freestyle, which also gave her a first-place finish. Her time of 5 minutes, 30.45 seconds broke the previous team record held by teammate Nina Schiro (5:33.25). Erstad also won the 200 freestyle with a time of 2:02.99.

Mekenzie Hammer won the 100 backstroke for the Cheesemakers with a time of 1:00.17 and was second in the 200 individual medley (2:20.21) to Whitewater’s Ella Houwers (2:14.84).

Monroe-New Glarus freshman Alyssa Roelli was sixth in the 100 individual medley (1:09.61), with Whitewater’s Sophia Fanshaw taking first (1:07.85). Roelli was fifth in the 100 butterfly (1:07.08), with Platteville-Lancaster’s Madison Albert-Nelson taking first (1:02.65). 

Francesca Schiro was third in the 50 freestyle (26.74), less than a second behind champion Grace Williams of Sauk Prairie (25.94). Francesca Schiro was also fourth in the 100 freestyle (57.41), with Jefferson-Cambridge’s Megan Duffy taking first overall (56.05).

In the 100 breaststroke, Karley Michels of the Cheesemakers finished second (1:14.64) to Houwers (1:09.23).

The Cheesemakers team of Hammer, Erstad, Nina and Francesca Schiro won the 400 freestyle relay with 3:49.41. Hammer, Michels, Roelli and Cammi Ganshert teamed up to take third in the 200 medley relay (1:58.45), less than two seconds behind Whitewater (1:56.80). Monroe’s team of Ganshert, Kendra Wenger, Erstad and Francesca Schiro finished sixth in the 200 freestyle relay (1:48.73), less than four seconds behind champion Jefferson-Cambridge (1:45.18).

“We have a lot of work ahead of us this week as we prepare for the Badger South Conference meet,” said Moser. The meet is scheduled for Oct. 21 at Stoughton.