MONROE — The Monroe-New Glarus Cheese Knights fell to the McFarland Spartans 121-45. Despite facing a talented McFarland team with twice the roster size of Monroe-New Glarus, the Cheese Knights continued to demonstrate determination and resilience in the pool, earning multiple season-best and lifetime-best performances.
The meet also marked a special evening for the program as the team celebrated Senior Night, honoring six seniors for their contributions to the team: Lauryn Arnett, Bella Houston, Damaris Jimenez Lara, Chloe White, Emma Funk, and Hadleigh Shunk. These seniors have played an important role in the program, and the team was excited to recognize them and celebrate their accomplishments.
Hadleigh Shunk led MNG with two individual event victories, taking first place in both the 50-freestyle and 100-backstroke. The team also earned several second- and third-place finishes throughout the meet.
The 200-medley relay team of Kennedy Sysko, Lauryn Arnett, Hadleigh Shunk, and Chloe White finished second. Lauren Zentner earned second place in the 100-freestyle, while the 400- freestyle relay team of Lauren Zentner, Hadleigh Shunk, Kennedy Sysko, and Lauryn Arnett also captured second place.
The Cheese Knights added four third-place finishes. Maggie Donohue placed third in the 100-butterfly, Lauryn Arnett finished third in the 400-freestyle, and the 200-freestyle relay team of Chloe White, Kennedy Shunk, Maggie Donohue, and Lauren Zentner earned third place. Kennedy Shunk also took third in the 100-backstroke.
Personal bests highlighted the evening, with swimmers continuing to make progress as the season moves forward. Season-best performances included Hadleigh Shunk and Lauryn Arnett in the 50-freestyle, Lauryn Arnett’s 50-breaststroke relay split, and Kennedy Sysko’s 50-backstroke relay split and 100-individual freestyle. Chloe White recorded a season-best 50- freestyle relay split, breaking the 30-second mark in a converted time, and dropped two seconds in the 100 freestyle. Lauren Zentner also took two seconds off her 200-freestyle season-best time, while Maggie Donohue recorded a season-best in the same event.
The team also celebrated several lifetime-best swims. Maggie Donohue dropped two seconds in the 100-butterfly, while Emma Funk achieved lifetime bests in both the 50- and 100-freestyle. Anneliese Ramirez recorded lifetime bests in the 50-freestyle, dropping one second, and the 400-freestyle, dropping three seconds. Audrey Collier took two seconds off her lifetime best in the 100-freestyle, and Kennedy Shunk made an impressive seven-second improvement in the 200-individual medley.
