BARABOO - Two individuals in three events and one relay squad for the Monroe-New Glarus girls swim team qualified for state based on their performances at the WIAA Division 2 Baraboo sectional Saturday.
The sectional champion in each event earned an automatic state berth. The swimmers for Monroe-New Glarus had to wait to see if their times were within the next 12 fastest from all four sectional meets.
"The wait was well worth it," Monroe-New Glarus coach Linda Moser said in an email. "As I went back and looked at their team goals right before sectionals, so many of them said they wanted to have someone from the team qualify for state and that goal was met. All of them state-bound or not are winners and have worked so hard this season to reach their potential. Saturday was a day of tears of joy and success for them."
New Glarus sophomore Nina Schiro qualified for state in two individual events - the 500 freestyle and 100 backstroke. Schiro finished fifth in the 500 freestyle with a personal-record time of 5 minutes, 33.25 seconds and sixth in the 100-yard backstroke with a PR time of 1:01.90 to qualify for state.
New Glarus junior Maddie Hammer took fourth in the 100 freestyle with a PR time of 56.90 seconds to qualify for state. The Cheesemakers' 400 freestyle relay team of Monroe senior Skylar Lassen, Monroe sophomore Emily Meritt, Schiro and Hammer finished sixth with a PR time of 3:49.24.
Moser said it's the first time the Cheesemakers have broken 3:50 in the 400 freestyle relay in many years.
The Monroe-New Glarus swim team finished sixth out of 13 teams at the Baraboo sectional. Madison Edgewood, the defending Division 2 state champions, won the sectional team title racking up 426 points ahead of No. 2 ranked-McFarland, last year's Division 2 state runner-up, which took second (359).
The Cheesemakers set 16 PR times in their 21 sectional entries.
Lassen set a PR in the 100 freestyle with a time of 56.90 seconds and a PR in the 100 backstroke (1:02.22).
"The expression on her face when she saw her 100 free time was one of the many images that will forever be etched in my brain," Moser said.
Hammer set a PR in the 50 freestyle (25.13) and was just one spot away from qualifying for state in that event.
Monroe sophomore Linnea Tabaka swam to two PRs. She set a PR in the 200 freestyle by four seconds (2:29.37) and took four seconds off her best time in the 100 backstroke (1:15.03). Monroe sophomore Cammi Ganshert set season-best times in the 50 freestyle (27.48) and 100 freestyle (1:00.23). Both Madison Katzenberger and junior Brynn Ritschard set PRs in the 50 freestyle. Katzenberger set a season-best time in the 50 freestyle of 28.21 and Ritschard's PR in the same event was 28.88.
Meritt set a season-best time in the 100 butterfly (1:08.99) and helped all three relays to PR. Meritt teamed with Schiro, Hammer and Lassen to set a season-best time in the 200 medley relay of 1:58.86.
Meritt teamed with Ganshert, Samantha Ellefson and Katzenberger to set a PR in the 200 freestyle relay (1:51.66).
The sectional champion in each event earned an automatic state berth. The swimmers for Monroe-New Glarus had to wait to see if their times were within the next 12 fastest from all four sectional meets.
"The wait was well worth it," Monroe-New Glarus coach Linda Moser said in an email. "As I went back and looked at their team goals right before sectionals, so many of them said they wanted to have someone from the team qualify for state and that goal was met. All of them state-bound or not are winners and have worked so hard this season to reach their potential. Saturday was a day of tears of joy and success for them."
New Glarus sophomore Nina Schiro qualified for state in two individual events - the 500 freestyle and 100 backstroke. Schiro finished fifth in the 500 freestyle with a personal-record time of 5 minutes, 33.25 seconds and sixth in the 100-yard backstroke with a PR time of 1:01.90 to qualify for state.
New Glarus junior Maddie Hammer took fourth in the 100 freestyle with a PR time of 56.90 seconds to qualify for state. The Cheesemakers' 400 freestyle relay team of Monroe senior Skylar Lassen, Monroe sophomore Emily Meritt, Schiro and Hammer finished sixth with a PR time of 3:49.24.
Moser said it's the first time the Cheesemakers have broken 3:50 in the 400 freestyle relay in many years.
The Monroe-New Glarus swim team finished sixth out of 13 teams at the Baraboo sectional. Madison Edgewood, the defending Division 2 state champions, won the sectional team title racking up 426 points ahead of No. 2 ranked-McFarland, last year's Division 2 state runner-up, which took second (359).
The Cheesemakers set 16 PR times in their 21 sectional entries.
Lassen set a PR in the 100 freestyle with a time of 56.90 seconds and a PR in the 100 backstroke (1:02.22).
"The expression on her face when she saw her 100 free time was one of the many images that will forever be etched in my brain," Moser said.
Hammer set a PR in the 50 freestyle (25.13) and was just one spot away from qualifying for state in that event.
Monroe sophomore Linnea Tabaka swam to two PRs. She set a PR in the 200 freestyle by four seconds (2:29.37) and took four seconds off her best time in the 100 backstroke (1:15.03). Monroe sophomore Cammi Ganshert set season-best times in the 50 freestyle (27.48) and 100 freestyle (1:00.23). Both Madison Katzenberger and junior Brynn Ritschard set PRs in the 50 freestyle. Katzenberger set a season-best time in the 50 freestyle of 28.21 and Ritschard's PR in the same event was 28.88.
Meritt set a season-best time in the 100 butterfly (1:08.99) and helped all three relays to PR. Meritt teamed with Schiro, Hammer and Lassen to set a season-best time in the 200 medley relay of 1:58.86.
Meritt teamed with Ganshert, Samantha Ellefson and Katzenberger to set a PR in the 200 freestyle relay (1:51.66).
