BY RICH PALZEWIC
SPORTS EDITOR
NEENAH – The Bay Port girls’ swimming and diving team won its WIAA Division 1 sectional in Neenah Nov. 3.
The Pirates’ 341 points outdistanced runner-up Neenah by 44 points for the title.
De Pere finished fifth with a 199 total.
The top two placers in each event automatically qualified for the WIAA state meet in Madison Nov. 9-10.
Despite not finishing in the top two spots in their events, several Bay Port and De Pere swimmers still advanced to state based on their times.
Bay Port divers Ella Thibert (370.80) and Sasha Sliwinski (357.40) finished seventh and eighth respectively in the 1-meter competition.
Emma Lasecki continued her stellar season by winning the 200-yard individual medley in a sectional meet and pool-record time of 2:03.81. Lasecki also won the 100 butterfly (56.16) to get the automatic bid for state in that event as well.
Lasecki’s time in the IM is the fastest at state, while her butterfly time is fourth best.
Other state qualifiers for Bay Port include Riley Melendy in the 100 backstroke (first, 56.50) and the 200 IM (third, 2:07.29), the 200 medley relay team of Melendy, Sydney Aird, Lasecki and Lacy Geurts (second, 1:47.92), the 400 freestyle relay team of Melendy, Emily Calaway, Geurts and Lasecki (second, 3:37.54) and Aird in the 100 breaststroke (second, 1:07.82).
Other top swims included Geurts in the 100 freestyle (third, 54.31), Emily Calaway in the 500 freestyle (third, 5:16.75) and Adie Tooley (fifth, 2:12.84) in the 200 IM.
De Pere state qualifiers include Bri Zablocki in the 100 butterfly (second, 56.57) and 200 IM (fourth, 2:08.53), Lauren Finstad in the 100 freestyle (second, 53.62), the 200 freestyle relay team of Lauren Finstad, Bailey Venden, Jenna Finstad and Bri Zablocki (second, 1:41.52) and the 400 freestyle relay team of Lauren Finstad, Danika Zablocki, Jenna Finstad and Bri Zablocki (fourth, 3:39.39).
Lauren Finstad also had a good time in the 200 freestyle (fifth, 1:57.70).