MONROE - For several Monroe Area Swim Team swimmers getting back into the shape they had at the end of the Green County Golden Gators swimming season might be a tall order.
Grace Keith, 9, finished first in the 9- to 10-year-old 50-meter backstroke and in the 50 butterfly (:54.97) Saturday in a dual meet against Platteville. Platteville handed MAST its first loss of the season 738-619 at Recreation Park.
"I just want to swim some fast times and just have fun," Keith said. "My Gators times are much faster."
Keith said she always enjoys swimming the backstroke.
"You just get to breathe as much as you want," she said.
Samantha Ellefson won the 100 freestyle (1:34.20) just ahead of Keith (1:35.04). Keith and Ellefson teamed with Sydney Mathiason and Emily Meritt to win the 200 medley relay with a time of 3:44.07.
The same quartet of swimmers won the 10-and-under 200 freestyle relay with a time of 3:16.60.
Mathiason added a first place result in the 50 breastsroke (1:00.84) and Ally Einbeck won the 50 freestyle (:49.84).
Hannah Swenson, 8, won three individual events including the 50 freestyle (:48.73), the 25 backstroke (:24.52) and the 25 butterfly (:28.91).
Joseph Wyss, 8, won three individual races in the boys 8-and-under division. Wyss won the 25 freestyle (:24.44), the 50 freestyle (:55.75) and the 25 backstroke (:31.72).
Mitch Keith, 11, finished first in three individual races including the 50 freestyle (:36.53), 100 freestyle (1:27.57) and the 50 backstroke (:46.59).
"I just want to get faster times. This is just to keep up and stay in shape," Mitch Keith said, of the summer so he is ready for the Gators season. "That's the time where there is more competition. There are more counties involved."
In the girls 11- to 12-year-old division, Anna Meritt, 11, won the 50 breaststroke and the 50 butterfly (:45.43), which was ahead of Brooke Rowe (:50.26). Rowe won the 100 freestyle (1:31.18), which was less than a second ahead of Platteville's Madeline Carroll. Rowe also took second in the 50 breaststroke (1:04.03).
Marissa Berg, 13, who will be a freshman at Monticello in the fall, finished first in three events, the 100 freestyle (1:06.37), 50 backstroke (:37.03) and 50 butterfly (:32.57).
Monticello does not have a swimming team. Berg said she considered attending Monroe High School in the fall so she could swim on the high school swimming team. Berg plans on playing volleyball, basketball and softball in high school.
"I like playing some other sports too," Berg said. "I decided to stay at Monticello. I will still swim with Gators a little bit too."
Berg said it's hard trying to swim the same times she swam in Gators right away in the summer.
"It's really hard getting back into shape," she said.
However, Berg said the freestyle is the one event that is like riding a bike and easy to get back into.
Grant Keith, 14, took first in the boys 13- to 14-year-old backstroke (:39.01) and the 50 butterfly (:33.21). Taylor Teasdale, 14, won the 50 freestyle (:37.73), which was less than a second ahead of teammate Mitchell Einbeck (:38.34).
Spencer Keith, 16, won the open 50 freestyle (:33.03) and the open 50 backstroke (:39.84).
Leanna Schwartzlow had a hand in winning five events. She won the girls open 50 freestyle (:31.71), the 50 backstroke (:37.13) and the 50 breastsroke (:39.71). Sara Heitkamp, 18, won the 50 butterfly (:39.77).
Schwartzlow teamed with Rachel Wellnitz, Heitkamp and Berg to win the open 200 freestyle relay (2:14.32). In the open 200 medley relay, Schwartzlow teamed with Wellnitz, Nichole Lattin and Berg to take first with a time of 2:37.34, which was more than 41 seconds ahead of Platteville.
Lattin finished second in the open 200 individual medley (3:16.46) and second in the open 200 freestyle (2:52.13).
Grace Keith, 9, finished first in the 9- to 10-year-old 50-meter backstroke and in the 50 butterfly (:54.97) Saturday in a dual meet against Platteville. Platteville handed MAST its first loss of the season 738-619 at Recreation Park.
"I just want to swim some fast times and just have fun," Keith said. "My Gators times are much faster."
Keith said she always enjoys swimming the backstroke.
"You just get to breathe as much as you want," she said.
Samantha Ellefson won the 100 freestyle (1:34.20) just ahead of Keith (1:35.04). Keith and Ellefson teamed with Sydney Mathiason and Emily Meritt to win the 200 medley relay with a time of 3:44.07.
The same quartet of swimmers won the 10-and-under 200 freestyle relay with a time of 3:16.60.
Mathiason added a first place result in the 50 breastsroke (1:00.84) and Ally Einbeck won the 50 freestyle (:49.84).
Hannah Swenson, 8, won three individual events including the 50 freestyle (:48.73), the 25 backstroke (:24.52) and the 25 butterfly (:28.91).
Joseph Wyss, 8, won three individual races in the boys 8-and-under division. Wyss won the 25 freestyle (:24.44), the 50 freestyle (:55.75) and the 25 backstroke (:31.72).
Mitch Keith, 11, finished first in three individual races including the 50 freestyle (:36.53), 100 freestyle (1:27.57) and the 50 backstroke (:46.59).
"I just want to get faster times. This is just to keep up and stay in shape," Mitch Keith said, of the summer so he is ready for the Gators season. "That's the time where there is more competition. There are more counties involved."
In the girls 11- to 12-year-old division, Anna Meritt, 11, won the 50 breaststroke and the 50 butterfly (:45.43), which was ahead of Brooke Rowe (:50.26). Rowe won the 100 freestyle (1:31.18), which was less than a second ahead of Platteville's Madeline Carroll. Rowe also took second in the 50 breaststroke (1:04.03).
Marissa Berg, 13, who will be a freshman at Monticello in the fall, finished first in three events, the 100 freestyle (1:06.37), 50 backstroke (:37.03) and 50 butterfly (:32.57).
Monticello does not have a swimming team. Berg said she considered attending Monroe High School in the fall so she could swim on the high school swimming team. Berg plans on playing volleyball, basketball and softball in high school.
"I like playing some other sports too," Berg said. "I decided to stay at Monticello. I will still swim with Gators a little bit too."
Berg said it's hard trying to swim the same times she swam in Gators right away in the summer.
"It's really hard getting back into shape," she said.
However, Berg said the freestyle is the one event that is like riding a bike and easy to get back into.
Grant Keith, 14, took first in the boys 13- to 14-year-old backstroke (:39.01) and the 50 butterfly (:33.21). Taylor Teasdale, 14, won the 50 freestyle (:37.73), which was less than a second ahead of teammate Mitchell Einbeck (:38.34).
Spencer Keith, 16, won the open 50 freestyle (:33.03) and the open 50 backstroke (:39.84).
Leanna Schwartzlow had a hand in winning five events. She won the girls open 50 freestyle (:31.71), the 50 backstroke (:37.13) and the 50 breastsroke (:39.71). Sara Heitkamp, 18, won the 50 butterfly (:39.77).
Schwartzlow teamed with Rachel Wellnitz, Heitkamp and Berg to win the open 200 freestyle relay (2:14.32). In the open 200 medley relay, Schwartzlow teamed with Wellnitz, Nichole Lattin and Berg to take first with a time of 2:37.34, which was more than 41 seconds ahead of Platteville.
Lattin finished second in the open 200 individual medley (3:16.46) and second in the open 200 freestyle (2:52.13).
