Swim team advances to Division 2 sectional meet
By Chris Bennett
Correspondent
The Elkhorn Area High School girls swimming team continued dropping time and swam strong Saturday at the Southern Lakes Conference Swim Meet at Delavan-Darien High School.
The Elks finished fourth with a team total of 263 points. Badger Co-op won the meet (557 points) for the second consecutive season.
Elks coach Jamie Richardson said conference competition seemed more robust this season than in years past.
“Badger and Burlington were just strong, especially Badger,” Richardson said. “When you have the top three or sometimes top four kids in individual events, it’s tough to compete.
“That’s not all bad for us. Badger and Burlington are Division 1. It makes us have to hang with them and compete.”
The Elks compete in the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association’s Division 2. Badger and Burlington Co-op, which finished second (486) each compete in Division 1.
Paige Murphy finished second in the 100-yard backstroke in 1 minute, .88 seconds for the highest individual finish of any Elk. Murphy finished fourth in the 100 freestyle (57.69).
“She swam well,” Richardson said. “I think her stroke rate was better. I think she was focused and on point and ready to compete, which is awesome.”
Murphy swam with Josie Longhorn, Sarah Broga and Gabby Pinnow on the Elks’ third-place 400 freestyle relay (4:01.26) and with Avonlea Odling, Pinnow and Audrey Earle on the Elks’ third-place 200 medley relay (2:00.90).
Richardson said Earle swam a strong anchor leg and touched-out Badger Co-op’s B relay for third place. Badger Co-op’s B relay finished fourth (2:01.23).
“It came down to the finish at the end,” (Earle’s) finish at the end helped them earn that third-place finish.”
Earle, Rachel Larson, Longhorn and Broga finished seventh in the 200 freestyle relay (1:50.65).
Longhorn finished eighth in the 200 freestyle (2:14.82) and dropped 3.68 seconds from her previous best.
“She’s just been really turning the corner and been doing awesome,” Richardson said. “I see a lot of confidence in her right now. That confidence is great to have.”
Pinnow finished eighth in the 100 backstroke (1:08.60). Odling finished eighth in the 100 breaststroke (1:16.26) and dropped 2.64 seconds from her previous best.
“She just really came out strong and attacked it right away,” Richardson said of Odling. “That’s a huge time drop to have right now.”
Broga finished ninth in the 50 freestyle (26.74) and 100 freestyle (1:00.76). Amanda Papenfus, Abby Partington, Emily Kruse and Cailin Jacobs finished ninth in the 400 freestyle relay (4:22.78).
Allison Schopf finished 13th in the 100 butterfly (1:12.49) and dropped 1.59 seconds from her previous best.
“She’s just been a solid kid for me,” Richardson said. “It’s been fun to watch her all season. She soaks up any knowledge we give her. She’s a listener.”
In the remaining team standings, Jefferson/Cambridge finished third (314), Whitewater fifth (244) and Platteville/Lancaster sixth (154). Edgerton finished seventh (93) and Delavan-Darien eighth (57).
The Elks compete Saturday in a WIAA Division 2 sectional meet at Cudahy High School. The winner of each event at each of four Division 2 sectional meets and the next fastest 12 times statewide advance from the sectional to the state meet.
The WIAA Division2 State Girls Swimming & Diving Championships are Nov. 13 & 14 at the University of Wisconsin Natatorium in Madison.
