By Chris Bennett
Correspondent
The Elkhorn Area High School girls swimming team finished in the top half Nov. 1 at the Southern Lakes Conference swim meet at Lake Geneva Badger High School.
The Elks finished fourth with 270.5 points. Badger won the meet with 534 points.
Burlington Combined finished second (434), Jefferson/Cambridge third (292) and Whitewater fifth (259.5). Platteville/Lancaster finished sixth (216.5), Edgerton/Evansville seventh (109.5) and Delavan-Darien eighth (50).
Elkhorn finished third in the final SLC standings, which take into account the conference meet and dual meet schedule. Elkhorn finished 5-2 in conference dual meets and lost to only Badger and Burlington. Badger won the overall conference title, and Burlington finished second.
The Elks defeated Jefferson/Cambridge 96-74 Sept. 9 in a Southern Lakes Conference meet at Jefferson High School. Elkhorn coach Jamie Richardson said Jefferson/Cambridge might have tapered for the conference meet.
Tapering in swimming is the act of swimming less distance and focusing on technique.
Swimmers taper before the biggest meets of the season. The Elks started tapering this week in preparation for post-season competition.
“I think they were a little surprising, but our hats are off to them,” Richardson said of Jefferson/Cambridge. “They swam well.”
Rachel Anderson finished second in the 100-yard breaststroke for Elkhorn’s best finish. Anderson finished in 1 minute, 13.80 seconds.
“That was really nice to see,” Richardson said. “She really set a goal for herself this season, and it is fun to watch her improve every meet.”
Richardson said Anderson hopes to compete at state in the breaststroke, and finishing strong at the conference meet helps her motivation.
Rachel Larson finished 13th in the 200 individual medley 2:33.56, but dropped three seconds off her previous best.
Avonlea Odling also dropped time. Odling dropped more than a second in the 100 breaststroke and finished fourth (1:16.18) and dropped two seconds in the 100 freestyle and finished 15th (1:03.27).
The top six in each individual event and the top three in each relay earned medals.
Megan Leahy finished fourth in the 50 freestyle (26.31) and Amanda Robers finished fifth in the 100 butterfly (1:07.16).
The Elks swim Saturday in a WIAA Division 2 sectional meet at Cudahy High School.
“There will be some tough competition at the sectional, which is good,” Richardson said. “I think you rise to the occasion. Good teams kind of make you rise to that challenge.”
The winner of each event in the four Division 2 sectionals, plus the next 12 fastest times in each event statewide, advance to the WIAA State Girls Swimming & Diving Championships Nov. 14-15 at the University of Wisconsin Natatorium.
