MONROE - Rachel Root has swam in a lot of big swimming meets in her career.
The Monroe junior again proved up to the challenge in a dual meet against Madison Edgewood on Tuesday at the Green County YMCA. After the final turn in the 100-meter butterfly, Root was locked in a tight race. She pulled it out winning the butterfly with a time of 1 minute, 9.53 seconds, which was less than two seconds ahead of Madison Edgewood Emma Green. Root also won the 100 backstroke (1:10.59), but the Cheesemakers dropped the Badger South Conference dual meet to the Crusaders 112-58.
"I was really nervous going into that final turn," Root said of the butterfly. "I didn't quite have the turn I wanted. I knew I had to put my head down and get it back with the swim."
Root is looking to qualify for state for the third straight year. She took eighth at state in the backstroke and 12th in the butterfly in 2010.
"I really want to make it back to state," she said. "That's my goal for the season. At the end of the season we will taper and that will help the end result. Pushing each other in practice will help get us better and get you to where you want to be."
The Crusaders won eight of the 11 events and swept the top three spots in the 100 breaststroke and 200 individual medley. Edgewood also took the top two spots in the 100 freestyle and 400 freestyle relay.
Another bright spot for the Cheesemakers was sweeping the top three spots in the 50 freestyle.
"That is something we didn't expect," Monroe coach Linda Moser said.
Monroe junior Sarah Kind finished first in the 50 freestyle (:31.10). Junior Anika Nelson took second (:32.09) and junior Briana Katzenberger was third (:32.17).
"Sarah has consistently improved this year," Moser said. "Tonight she proved to herself that she could be do it."
Root and Kind teamed with Cat Weeden and Katzenberger to take second in the 200 medley relay with a time of 2:17.31, which was about three seconds behind the Crusaders. Monroe sophomore Angie Beaver finished second in the 200 freestyle (2:38.63) and Nelson took second in the freestyle (5:35.55). The Cheesemakers' 200 freestyle relay team of Root, Katzenberger, Weeden and Kind took second with a time of 2:01.04, which was about two seconds behind the Crusaders.
Monroe has a conference dual meet at Milton, the state's No. 1 ranked Division 2 team in the Wisconsin Swimming Coaches Association Poll, Tuesday, Oct. 11 and then the Cheesemakers have the Fort Atkinson Invite Oct. 15. The Cheesemakers host McFarland Tuesday, Oct. 18 and are at the Platteville Invite Oct. 22 before the conference meet Friday, Oct. 28.
"They are all exhausted at this point," Moser said. "We are still working hard in practice to try to get faster. I'm a firm believer that you still have to work on technique of starts, turns and strokes because they know it will make a difference."
The Monroe junior again proved up to the challenge in a dual meet against Madison Edgewood on Tuesday at the Green County YMCA. After the final turn in the 100-meter butterfly, Root was locked in a tight race. She pulled it out winning the butterfly with a time of 1 minute, 9.53 seconds, which was less than two seconds ahead of Madison Edgewood Emma Green. Root also won the 100 backstroke (1:10.59), but the Cheesemakers dropped the Badger South Conference dual meet to the Crusaders 112-58.
"I was really nervous going into that final turn," Root said of the butterfly. "I didn't quite have the turn I wanted. I knew I had to put my head down and get it back with the swim."
Root is looking to qualify for state for the third straight year. She took eighth at state in the backstroke and 12th in the butterfly in 2010.
"I really want to make it back to state," she said. "That's my goal for the season. At the end of the season we will taper and that will help the end result. Pushing each other in practice will help get us better and get you to where you want to be."
The Crusaders won eight of the 11 events and swept the top three spots in the 100 breaststroke and 200 individual medley. Edgewood also took the top two spots in the 100 freestyle and 400 freestyle relay.
Another bright spot for the Cheesemakers was sweeping the top three spots in the 50 freestyle.
"That is something we didn't expect," Monroe coach Linda Moser said.
Monroe junior Sarah Kind finished first in the 50 freestyle (:31.10). Junior Anika Nelson took second (:32.09) and junior Briana Katzenberger was third (:32.17).
"Sarah has consistently improved this year," Moser said. "Tonight she proved to herself that she could be do it."
Root and Kind teamed with Cat Weeden and Katzenberger to take second in the 200 medley relay with a time of 2:17.31, which was about three seconds behind the Crusaders. Monroe sophomore Angie Beaver finished second in the 200 freestyle (2:38.63) and Nelson took second in the freestyle (5:35.55). The Cheesemakers' 200 freestyle relay team of Root, Katzenberger, Weeden and Kind took second with a time of 2:01.04, which was about two seconds behind the Crusaders.
Monroe has a conference dual meet at Milton, the state's No. 1 ranked Division 2 team in the Wisconsin Swimming Coaches Association Poll, Tuesday, Oct. 11 and then the Cheesemakers have the Fort Atkinson Invite Oct. 15. The Cheesemakers host McFarland Tuesday, Oct. 18 and are at the Platteville Invite Oct. 22 before the conference meet Friday, Oct. 28.
"They are all exhausted at this point," Moser said. "We are still working hard in practice to try to get faster. I'm a firm believer that you still have to work on technique of starts, turns and strokes because they know it will make a difference."
