MONROE - With a fever pitch reminiscent of a sectional swim meet, Monroe and Stoughton duked it out in a dual meet that came down to the wire.
With Monroe clinging to a 79-77 lead heading into the final event - the 400-meter freestyle relay, emotion built. One of the Cheesemakers' 400 freestyle relay teams was disqualified and the Vikings squeaked out an 87-83 win in the Cheesemakers' Badger South Conference opener Tuesday night at the Green County YMCA. Monroe would have had second and third place finishes in the event with two relay teams, but an official ruled a swimmer left early.
"I thought we could do it," Monroe senior Kendell Niffenegger said. "They (Stoughton) are a good team and good competition. We all swam our hearts out. We left it in the pool."
The Cheesemakers' 400 freestyle relay team of Jolene DeNure, Rachel Wellnitz, Nichole Lattin and Jess Moehn took second with a time of 4 minutes, 54.20 seconds. The Vikings sealed the win by taking first and third in the event.
"It was a close meet," Monroe coach Linda Moser said. "It was nip and tuck and we came up a little short."
The Cheesemakers turned in some thrilling races that shouldn't be lost despite a tough break at the finish.
Niffenegger won the 100 butterfly with a time of 1:18.43. Monroe junior Leanna Schwartzlow turned in an amazing performance and beat out Stoughton senior Meghan Carmichael to win the 100 breaststroke in 1:20.09. Schwartzlow added a second place finish in the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:36.31.
Freshman Rachel Root won the 100 backstroke (1:10.76) and took second in the 200 freestyle (2:21.93).
The Cheesemakers' 200 medley relay team of senior Randi Robertson, Schwartzlow, Niffenegger and Root took first with a time of 2:14.73.
"That set the pace for the meet," Moser said.
A swimming team must have good depth to compete in dual meets, she said. For most of the meet, the Cheesemakers, which have 16 swimmers, show they have depth. The Cheesemakers had seven second place finishes out of 11 events.
Robertson took second in the 50 freestyle (:30.77) and second in the 100 freestyle (1:07.37). Monroe sophomore Cat Weeden finished second in the 400 freestyle (5:15.27). The Cheesemakers' 200 freestyle relay team of Robertson, Kind, senior Sara Heitkamp and Schwartzlow took second with a time of 2:04.76.
The Cheesemakers' 200 medley relay team of Weeden, Lattin, Kind and Heitkamp took third (2:26.77). Lattin added a third place finish in the 400 freestyle (5:31.60) and Heitkamp was third in the 100 backstroke (1:20.13).
The 200 freestyle relay team of DeNure, Wellnitz, Cassie Coffey and Moehn added a third place finish with a time of 2:16.67. DeNure also placed third in the 100 butterfly (1:22.12).
Moser knows that there are a more conference dual meets ahead, the conference and sectional.
"There is a long road ahead," she said. "There are girls on this team who can make it to state. You don't have to win every conference meet to go to state."
The Monroe junior varsity swim team clipped Stoughton, 46-45.
With Monroe clinging to a 79-77 lead heading into the final event - the 400-meter freestyle relay, emotion built. One of the Cheesemakers' 400 freestyle relay teams was disqualified and the Vikings squeaked out an 87-83 win in the Cheesemakers' Badger South Conference opener Tuesday night at the Green County YMCA. Monroe would have had second and third place finishes in the event with two relay teams, but an official ruled a swimmer left early.
"I thought we could do it," Monroe senior Kendell Niffenegger said. "They (Stoughton) are a good team and good competition. We all swam our hearts out. We left it in the pool."
The Cheesemakers' 400 freestyle relay team of Jolene DeNure, Rachel Wellnitz, Nichole Lattin and Jess Moehn took second with a time of 4 minutes, 54.20 seconds. The Vikings sealed the win by taking first and third in the event.
"It was a close meet," Monroe coach Linda Moser said. "It was nip and tuck and we came up a little short."
The Cheesemakers turned in some thrilling races that shouldn't be lost despite a tough break at the finish.
Niffenegger won the 100 butterfly with a time of 1:18.43. Monroe junior Leanna Schwartzlow turned in an amazing performance and beat out Stoughton senior Meghan Carmichael to win the 100 breaststroke in 1:20.09. Schwartzlow added a second place finish in the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:36.31.
Freshman Rachel Root won the 100 backstroke (1:10.76) and took second in the 200 freestyle (2:21.93).
The Cheesemakers' 200 medley relay team of senior Randi Robertson, Schwartzlow, Niffenegger and Root took first with a time of 2:14.73.
"That set the pace for the meet," Moser said.
A swimming team must have good depth to compete in dual meets, she said. For most of the meet, the Cheesemakers, which have 16 swimmers, show they have depth. The Cheesemakers had seven second place finishes out of 11 events.
Robertson took second in the 50 freestyle (:30.77) and second in the 100 freestyle (1:07.37). Monroe sophomore Cat Weeden finished second in the 400 freestyle (5:15.27). The Cheesemakers' 200 freestyle relay team of Robertson, Kind, senior Sara Heitkamp and Schwartzlow took second with a time of 2:04.76.
The Cheesemakers' 200 medley relay team of Weeden, Lattin, Kind and Heitkamp took third (2:26.77). Lattin added a third place finish in the 400 freestyle (5:31.60) and Heitkamp was third in the 100 backstroke (1:20.13).
The 200 freestyle relay team of DeNure, Wellnitz, Cassie Coffey and Moehn added a third place finish with a time of 2:16.67. DeNure also placed third in the 100 butterfly (1:22.12).
Moser knows that there are a more conference dual meets ahead, the conference and sectional.
"There is a long road ahead," she said. "There are girls on this team who can make it to state. You don't have to win every conference meet to go to state."
The Monroe junior varsity swim team clipped Stoughton, 46-45.
