STOUGHTON - It's been a long time coming for the Monroe-New Glarus swim team to have a sectional champion join Ellie Radke in the swimming history book.
The time has come. Monroe-New Glarus freshman Mekenzie Hammer swam to a sectional championship in the 100-yard backstroke in a school record time of 57.80 seconds Saturday at the WIAA Division 2 Stoughton sectional. It broke the previous record (58.38) set by Rachel Root in 2012. Hammer will enter the state meet as the No. 1 seed in the 100 backstroke.
"It's amazing," Hammer said. "When I looked up at the scoreboard, my mouth just dropped. I was not expecting that time at all. The taper was really working good."
The last time the Cheesemakers had a sectional champion in swimming was when Radke won the 50-yard freestyle sectional title in 2005. The sectional champion earns an automatic state bid. The next 12 fastest times in each event from all the other sectionals combined also earned state berths.
Hammer's previous personal-record time in the 100 backstroke was 59.36 seconds.
"I got a lot of sleep and cut out sugar from my diet more than usual," she said. "I feel like that helped a lot. It's really awesome. I love working really hard. I really hope I can beat that time at state."
It was a banner day for the Cheesemakers. Hammer and her senior sister, Maddie Hammer, qualified for state in two individual events, and Monroe-New Glarus will also send two relays to state - the 200 medley relay and the 400 freestyle relay - and broke three school records.
"It was an amazing day for the Monroe-New Glarus swim team," Monroe-New Glarus coach Linda Moser said. "Not only did the swimmers post PR after PR, they qualified six races for state."
Madison Edgewood captured the sectional team title, racking up 400 points. Monroe-New Glarus took eighth (154 points) out of 14 teams. Edgewood, which is looking to win its third straight Division 2 state championship, set five pool records, including senior Kelly Rodriguez in the 200 freestyle (1 minute, 52.97 seconds) and senior Jenna Silvestri in the 200 individual medley (2:06.10), the 200 medley relay (1:46.09), 200 freestyle relay (1:37.46) and 400 freestyle relay (3:35.18). McFarland's Alexandra Moderski set pool records and won sectional titles in the 50 freestyle (23.47) and 100 freestyle (52.06).
Mekenzie Hammer finished third in the 200 IM with a PR time of 2:13.62 to qualify for state in that race. Her time was just 0.01 second away from the school record. Maddie Hammer took fourth in the 50 freestyle (24.71) to qualify for state. She added a fifth-place finish in the 100 freestyle with a PR time of 53.66 to earn a trip to state in that event too. It's the third time in her career that Maddie Hammer has qualified for state in the 100 freestyle. She won a sixth-place medal at state in the 100 freestyle last year.
The 200 medley relay team of Mekenzie Hammer, Maddie Hammer, senior Grace Keith and junior Cammi Ganshert placed seventh in the sectional with a school record time of 1:53.61 and earned a trip to state as one of the next 12 fastest times based on every sectional.
The Cheesemakers' 400 freestyle relay team of both Hammers, junior Nina Schiro and freshman Francesca Schiro took fifth at the sectional in a school record time of 3:43.23. The quartet's time broke the previous record set last year at the state meet.
Other top finishes that scored points for the Cheesemakers include Nina Schiro taking fifth in the 500 freestyle (5:37.66), the 200 freestyle relay team of Keith, Nina Schiro, Ganshert and Francesca Schiro taking 11th (1:46.49), Francesca finishing 12th in the 50 freestyle (25.73) and 13th in the 100 freestyle (56.52), Kendra Wenger placing 16th in the 200 freestyle (2:16.84) and Keith finishing 16th in the 100 butterfly (1:05.69).
Schiro was just three seconds and four spots away from earning a second straight state berth in the 500 freestyle. She had the 20th best time out of all sectionals, and the top 16 times qualify for state.
"It will be a good motivation for her for next year," Moser said.
The time has come. Monroe-New Glarus freshman Mekenzie Hammer swam to a sectional championship in the 100-yard backstroke in a school record time of 57.80 seconds Saturday at the WIAA Division 2 Stoughton sectional. It broke the previous record (58.38) set by Rachel Root in 2012. Hammer will enter the state meet as the No. 1 seed in the 100 backstroke.
"It's amazing," Hammer said. "When I looked up at the scoreboard, my mouth just dropped. I was not expecting that time at all. The taper was really working good."
The last time the Cheesemakers had a sectional champion in swimming was when Radke won the 50-yard freestyle sectional title in 2005. The sectional champion earns an automatic state bid. The next 12 fastest times in each event from all the other sectionals combined also earned state berths.
Hammer's previous personal-record time in the 100 backstroke was 59.36 seconds.
"I got a lot of sleep and cut out sugar from my diet more than usual," she said. "I feel like that helped a lot. It's really awesome. I love working really hard. I really hope I can beat that time at state."
It was a banner day for the Cheesemakers. Hammer and her senior sister, Maddie Hammer, qualified for state in two individual events, and Monroe-New Glarus will also send two relays to state - the 200 medley relay and the 400 freestyle relay - and broke three school records.
"It was an amazing day for the Monroe-New Glarus swim team," Monroe-New Glarus coach Linda Moser said. "Not only did the swimmers post PR after PR, they qualified six races for state."
Madison Edgewood captured the sectional team title, racking up 400 points. Monroe-New Glarus took eighth (154 points) out of 14 teams. Edgewood, which is looking to win its third straight Division 2 state championship, set five pool records, including senior Kelly Rodriguez in the 200 freestyle (1 minute, 52.97 seconds) and senior Jenna Silvestri in the 200 individual medley (2:06.10), the 200 medley relay (1:46.09), 200 freestyle relay (1:37.46) and 400 freestyle relay (3:35.18). McFarland's Alexandra Moderski set pool records and won sectional titles in the 50 freestyle (23.47) and 100 freestyle (52.06).
Mekenzie Hammer finished third in the 200 IM with a PR time of 2:13.62 to qualify for state in that race. Her time was just 0.01 second away from the school record. Maddie Hammer took fourth in the 50 freestyle (24.71) to qualify for state. She added a fifth-place finish in the 100 freestyle with a PR time of 53.66 to earn a trip to state in that event too. It's the third time in her career that Maddie Hammer has qualified for state in the 100 freestyle. She won a sixth-place medal at state in the 100 freestyle last year.
The 200 medley relay team of Mekenzie Hammer, Maddie Hammer, senior Grace Keith and junior Cammi Ganshert placed seventh in the sectional with a school record time of 1:53.61 and earned a trip to state as one of the next 12 fastest times based on every sectional.
The Cheesemakers' 400 freestyle relay team of both Hammers, junior Nina Schiro and freshman Francesca Schiro took fifth at the sectional in a school record time of 3:43.23. The quartet's time broke the previous record set last year at the state meet.
Other top finishes that scored points for the Cheesemakers include Nina Schiro taking fifth in the 500 freestyle (5:37.66), the 200 freestyle relay team of Keith, Nina Schiro, Ganshert and Francesca Schiro taking 11th (1:46.49), Francesca finishing 12th in the 50 freestyle (25.73) and 13th in the 100 freestyle (56.52), Kendra Wenger placing 16th in the 200 freestyle (2:16.84) and Keith finishing 16th in the 100 butterfly (1:05.69).
Schiro was just three seconds and four spots away from earning a second straight state berth in the 500 freestyle. She had the 20th best time out of all sectionals, and the top 16 times qualify for state.
"It will be a good motivation for her for next year," Moser said.
