MONROE - Abby Oudinot came a blink of an eye away from adding two more first-place finishes for the Monroe-New Glarus girls swimming team as Monona Grove swam past the Cheesemakers 100-69 in a dual meet Tuesday at the Green County YMCA.
Oudinot, a Monroe senior, swam on the winning 200-meter medley relay and took second in the 50 freestyle and as part of the Cheesemakers' 200 freestyle relay.
"We gave it our all," Oudinot said. "Numbers do come into play in some meets. It was a close one."
Monroe-New Glarus coach Linda Moser was proud to see the team set several personal-record times by midseason.
"We didn't have enough bodies in the end to pull off the dual win," Moser said. "I knew coming in that we could stay close. I think these girls are finally starting to see they can compete with these Badger South teams. They see if they can stay with them it might move them to state. They have to keep their eye on the goal. They are going to practice and swim like they are going to state. That is the framework you need with a smaller team."
As the smallest team in the Badger South Conference, Monroe-New Glarus turned in several exciting performances. New Glarus freshman Maddie Hammer won the 200-meter individual medley with a time of 2 minutes, 38.89 seconds, which was about 17 seconds faster than Monona Grove's Natalie Hamacher. New Glarus junior Anna Wolf finished first in the 100 butterfly (1:15.88).
Hammer teamed with Monroe sophomore Skylar Lassen, Monroe junior Abby Oudinot and Monroe senior MacKenzie Hesgard to win the 200 medley relay (2:17.09), which was less than one second ahead of the Silver Eagles.
There were several nail-biting finishes for the Cheesemakers. Oudinot finished second place in the 50 freestyle (29.77) and was just 0.10 seconds away from Monona Grove's Grace Storms who won the race.
"Abby knows she has to work on less breathing," Moser said. "That is the game in the 50 free. Sometimes it's hard for her to breathe less during that race."
Hammer took second in the 100 breaststroke (1:21.55), which was 0.25 seconds away from beating Storms.
"I think it was really good to push her (Hammer) to the top," Moser said. "Getting a PR in that race is icing on the cake."
Hammer was excited to set a PR.
"I started to get really tired in my legs," Hammer said. "It was my best time and I was happy with it. "As long as I keep working on my starts and the technical things like turns, I will get better."
The Cheesemakers' 200 freestyle relay team of junior Reagan Andersen, junior Grace Moehn, Oudinot and Hammer took second place (2:03.24). It's the first time the quartet swam the 200 freestyle relay together and they were just 0.67 seconds away from winning the race. They still set a personal record time.
"I saw her," Oudinot said. "I knew she was coming. I gave it my all. They (Monona Grove) are good competition. They helped us for later in the future. I did the best I could do. If we really work on all of our turns and dives I think we could take them."
Monroe junior Anna Meritt finished second place in the 100 freestyle with a PR of 1:07.43 and Lassen took second in the 400 freestyle (5:21.78).
Meritt teamed with Wolf, Lassen and Oudinot to finish second in the 400 freestyle relay (4:39.31).
"Anna didn't give up for one second," Moser said of Meritt's swim in the 100 freestyle. "She was swimming against a girl who went to state last year. She continues to come down in time. It's just about midseason. There is still more to come."
Oudinot, a Monroe senior, swam on the winning 200-meter medley relay and took second in the 50 freestyle and as part of the Cheesemakers' 200 freestyle relay.
"We gave it our all," Oudinot said. "Numbers do come into play in some meets. It was a close one."
Monroe-New Glarus coach Linda Moser was proud to see the team set several personal-record times by midseason.
"We didn't have enough bodies in the end to pull off the dual win," Moser said. "I knew coming in that we could stay close. I think these girls are finally starting to see they can compete with these Badger South teams. They see if they can stay with them it might move them to state. They have to keep their eye on the goal. They are going to practice and swim like they are going to state. That is the framework you need with a smaller team."
As the smallest team in the Badger South Conference, Monroe-New Glarus turned in several exciting performances. New Glarus freshman Maddie Hammer won the 200-meter individual medley with a time of 2 minutes, 38.89 seconds, which was about 17 seconds faster than Monona Grove's Natalie Hamacher. New Glarus junior Anna Wolf finished first in the 100 butterfly (1:15.88).
Hammer teamed with Monroe sophomore Skylar Lassen, Monroe junior Abby Oudinot and Monroe senior MacKenzie Hesgard to win the 200 medley relay (2:17.09), which was less than one second ahead of the Silver Eagles.
There were several nail-biting finishes for the Cheesemakers. Oudinot finished second place in the 50 freestyle (29.77) and was just 0.10 seconds away from Monona Grove's Grace Storms who won the race.
"Abby knows she has to work on less breathing," Moser said. "That is the game in the 50 free. Sometimes it's hard for her to breathe less during that race."
Hammer took second in the 100 breaststroke (1:21.55), which was 0.25 seconds away from beating Storms.
"I think it was really good to push her (Hammer) to the top," Moser said. "Getting a PR in that race is icing on the cake."
Hammer was excited to set a PR.
"I started to get really tired in my legs," Hammer said. "It was my best time and I was happy with it. "As long as I keep working on my starts and the technical things like turns, I will get better."
The Cheesemakers' 200 freestyle relay team of junior Reagan Andersen, junior Grace Moehn, Oudinot and Hammer took second place (2:03.24). It's the first time the quartet swam the 200 freestyle relay together and they were just 0.67 seconds away from winning the race. They still set a personal record time.
"I saw her," Oudinot said. "I knew she was coming. I gave it my all. They (Monona Grove) are good competition. They helped us for later in the future. I did the best I could do. If we really work on all of our turns and dives I think we could take them."
Monroe junior Anna Meritt finished second place in the 100 freestyle with a PR of 1:07.43 and Lassen took second in the 400 freestyle (5:21.78).
Meritt teamed with Wolf, Lassen and Oudinot to finish second in the 400 freestyle relay (4:39.31).
"Anna didn't give up for one second," Moser said of Meritt's swim in the 100 freestyle. "She was swimming against a girl who went to state last year. She continues to come down in time. It's just about midseason. There is still more to come."
