MONROE - For seniors Maddie Hammer and Grace Keith, two of the swimmers on the inaugural Monroe-New Glarus co-op team four years ago, the final home swim meet against McFarland was an emotional roller-coaster.
For Keith, the final home meet was a chance to shine after a knee injury robbed her of most of the swim season last year. For Hammer, the final meet was a chance to swim with her sister one more time in their home pool. The Cheesemakers won two of the 11 events, but McFarland, ranked seventh in the Wisconsin Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association Division 2 state poll, rolled to a 113-57 win over Monroe-New Glarus at the Green County Family YMCA.
"It was definitely a great honor," Hammer said of being honored on Senior Night. "There are a lot of people who look up to us. It's not all about the seniors. We all look up to each other. I definitely think we are continuing our season by staying positive. We want to keep going hard and keep going."
McFarland won nine events, set two pool records and swept the top two spots in the 50 freestyle, 100 butterfly and 100 breaststroke. With the loss, Monroe-New Glarus drops to 7-2 overall and 5-2 in the Badger South. The Cheesemakers will swim at the Fort Atkinson Invitational Saturday and then in the final regular season conference dual at Milton Oct. 17.
McFarland junior Alex Moderski, who was the Division 2 state champion in the 50 freestyle and state runner-up in the 100 freestyle last year, won the 50 freestyle with a pool-record time of 26.49 seconds. Moderski broke the previous record set by Monroe's Ellie Radke in 2005. The Spartans' 200 medley relay team finished first with a pool-record time of 2 minutes, 2.97 seconds, smashing the previous record set by a Spartans' team that also featured Moederski.
"Our goal as a team was to stay as close as we could," Monroe-New Glarus coach Linda Moser said. "When you look at the score it looks like a big difference. When you look at the meet and how they got off the blocks, made their turns and finished they made a positive step. I think that (starts, turns and finishes) will make or break us. I was proud to see the improvement in those areas. They didn't give up for one minute. If they were behind one-half, one or two body lengths they stuck with it and gutted it out. That is the sign a sign of a solid team."
Hammer won the 200-meter individual medley with a time of 2 minutes, 33.47 seconds just ahead of her freshman sister, Mekenzie Hammer, who took second (2:33.85).
"I definitely didn't know who they (McFarland) would have swim in that," Hammer said. "I love swimming against Mekenzie. I know I can out-touch her. I knew it would be close. The freestyle is my stroke and not so much hers."
The other top finish for the Cheesemakers came from freshman Francesca Schiro, who won the 200 freestyle by 0.36 seconds with a time of 2:20.02.
The Monroe-New Glarus 200 medley relay team of Mekenzie Hammer, Maddie Hammer, Keith and Francesca Schiro took second (2:09.14). Keith teamed with freshman Anna Newcomer, freshman Megan Benzschawel and junior Cammi Ganshert to take second in the 200 freestyle relay (2:02.62). The Cheesemakers' 400 freestyle relay team of the Hammer and Schiro sisters finished second (4:18.15, which was about three seconds away from the Spartans.
"I wanted them to see who they were up against," Moser said of the Cheesemakers' relay teams. "They know in their head, but it's different to see it and feel it in the water. I thought it was important to put together some strong relays."
Mekenzie Hammer finished second in the 100 backstroke (1:07.51), which was 0.23 seconds away from overtaking McFarland senior Emily Hanson who won the backstroke. Moderski won the 100 freestyle (57.16 seconds) and Maddie Hammer took second (1:00.85). Nina Schiro finished second in the 400 freestyle (5:07.06).
Moser gave credit to her three seniors for their commitment and leadership.
"I can't believe their senior year is here," she said. "It's emotional. We still have a few meets left. The really tough one is the sectional because that is the end."
For Keith, the final home meet was a chance to shine after a knee injury robbed her of most of the swim season last year. For Hammer, the final meet was a chance to swim with her sister one more time in their home pool. The Cheesemakers won two of the 11 events, but McFarland, ranked seventh in the Wisconsin Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association Division 2 state poll, rolled to a 113-57 win over Monroe-New Glarus at the Green County Family YMCA.
"It was definitely a great honor," Hammer said of being honored on Senior Night. "There are a lot of people who look up to us. It's not all about the seniors. We all look up to each other. I definitely think we are continuing our season by staying positive. We want to keep going hard and keep going."
McFarland won nine events, set two pool records and swept the top two spots in the 50 freestyle, 100 butterfly and 100 breaststroke. With the loss, Monroe-New Glarus drops to 7-2 overall and 5-2 in the Badger South. The Cheesemakers will swim at the Fort Atkinson Invitational Saturday and then in the final regular season conference dual at Milton Oct. 17.
McFarland junior Alex Moderski, who was the Division 2 state champion in the 50 freestyle and state runner-up in the 100 freestyle last year, won the 50 freestyle with a pool-record time of 26.49 seconds. Moderski broke the previous record set by Monroe's Ellie Radke in 2005. The Spartans' 200 medley relay team finished first with a pool-record time of 2 minutes, 2.97 seconds, smashing the previous record set by a Spartans' team that also featured Moederski.
"Our goal as a team was to stay as close as we could," Monroe-New Glarus coach Linda Moser said. "When you look at the score it looks like a big difference. When you look at the meet and how they got off the blocks, made their turns and finished they made a positive step. I think that (starts, turns and finishes) will make or break us. I was proud to see the improvement in those areas. They didn't give up for one minute. If they were behind one-half, one or two body lengths they stuck with it and gutted it out. That is the sign a sign of a solid team."
Hammer won the 200-meter individual medley with a time of 2 minutes, 33.47 seconds just ahead of her freshman sister, Mekenzie Hammer, who took second (2:33.85).
"I definitely didn't know who they (McFarland) would have swim in that," Hammer said. "I love swimming against Mekenzie. I know I can out-touch her. I knew it would be close. The freestyle is my stroke and not so much hers."
The other top finish for the Cheesemakers came from freshman Francesca Schiro, who won the 200 freestyle by 0.36 seconds with a time of 2:20.02.
The Monroe-New Glarus 200 medley relay team of Mekenzie Hammer, Maddie Hammer, Keith and Francesca Schiro took second (2:09.14). Keith teamed with freshman Anna Newcomer, freshman Megan Benzschawel and junior Cammi Ganshert to take second in the 200 freestyle relay (2:02.62). The Cheesemakers' 400 freestyle relay team of the Hammer and Schiro sisters finished second (4:18.15, which was about three seconds away from the Spartans.
"I wanted them to see who they were up against," Moser said of the Cheesemakers' relay teams. "They know in their head, but it's different to see it and feel it in the water. I thought it was important to put together some strong relays."
Mekenzie Hammer finished second in the 100 backstroke (1:07.51), which was 0.23 seconds away from overtaking McFarland senior Emily Hanson who won the backstroke. Moderski won the 100 freestyle (57.16 seconds) and Maddie Hammer took second (1:00.85). Nina Schiro finished second in the 400 freestyle (5:07.06).
Moser gave credit to her three seniors for their commitment and leadership.
"I can't believe their senior year is here," she said. "It's emotional. We still have a few meets left. The really tough one is the sectional because that is the end."
