By Chris Bennett
Correspondent
Paige Murphy won the Freshman Division and helped the Elkhorn Area High School girls swimming team to a fourth-place finish Sept. 20 at the Hononegah Invite at Hononegah High School in Hononegah, Ill.
The Elks scored 244 points. Host Hononegah won the meet with 409 points.
Competitors raced against fellow classmates in the invite. Murphy won three events and finished second in a fourth.
“I think she’s a really versatile swimmer,” Elks coach Jamie Richardson said. “In this meet, you have to show your versatility. Being able to swim four of the five events, she showcased that very well.”
Each class contested five events – the 100-yard butterfly, 100 backstroke, 100 breaststroke, 100 freestyle and 50 freestyle.
Murphy won the 100 backstroke in 1 minute, 1.43 seconds. She won the 50 freestyle (26.76) and 100 freestyle (58.18). She finished second in the 100 butterfly (1:06.64).
“It was her first time swimming the 50 free in an open event, and she swam that one really well,” Richardson said. “It was good to see her swim some different strokes.”
Murphy won the Freshman Division with 345 points. Her closest competition, Victoria Dolan of Boylan Catholic High School in Rockford, Ill., finished second with 263 points.
Gabby Pinnow finished fourth for the Elks’ best finish in the Junior Division and Sarah Broga finished seventh for the Elks’ best finish in the Sophomore Division. Audrey Earle finished 11th for the Elks’ best finish in the Senior Division.
Junior Rachel Larson finished second in the 100 breaststroke (1:21.20).
Pinnow finished third in the 100 backstroke (1:08.98), fourth in the 100 butterfly (1:12.32) and sixth in the 50 freestyle (28.62) and in the 100 freestyle (1:01.97).
Richardson said Pinnow dropped “a ton of time” in her 100 butterfly and 50 freestyle.
Broga finished third in the 50 freestyle (28.59), fourth in the 100 breaststroke (1:23.90) and sixth in the 100 butterfly (1:15.89) and 100 freestyle (1:02.66).
“She’s a hard worker, and swam in the top six in all of her races,” Richardson said. “That’s a good place to be.”
Anna Holte in the Junior Division dropped 11.156 seconds in the backstroke and 14.48 seconds in the 100 freestyle.
Richardson said a passing swimmer noticed Holte’s pace, and questioned if Holte was in the proper heat.
“She had dropped so much time that she made the rest of the field look slow,” Richardson said.
Holte finished 23rd in the 100 freestyle (1:10.42) and 24th in the 100 backstroke (1:27.05). Holte finished seventh in the 100 breaststroke (1:26.99).
Freshman Abby Partington finished seventh in the 100 butterfly (1:18.50) and sophomore Allison Schopf finished seventh in the 100 butterfly (1:17.41). Sophomore Cailin Jacobs finished eighth in the 100 backstroke (1:17.69).
Earle finished ninth in the 100 backstroke (1:14.75) and 10th in the 100 butterfly (1:18.71).
Murphy finished first in the 100 backstroke (1:02.72) and Burlington Co-op won 10 of 11 events Sept. 15 in a Southern Lakes Conference dual meet at Burlington. The Demons outscored the Elks 108-54.
Elkhorn competes Sept. 29 in a SLC dual meet at Edgerton.
