By PRESS TIMES SPORTS
For the second straight year, the Ashwaubenon girls’ swim team is headed to the state meet.
The Jaguars, with 367 points, won a WIAA Division 2 sectional on Nov. 5, edging the Kohler Co-op (348) at the Ashwaubenon swimming pool.
Ashwaubenon won five of the 12 events — three individual titles and two relays. Five Jaguar individuals and the two relays advanced to the state meet.
“I am so incredibly proud of the girls that swam on the sectional team,” Ashwaubenon coach Kari Kleczka said. “They knew that there are great teams in our sectionals and we would have to do our very best if we wanted a shot at winning. Every girl brought their best, and we were able to come out on top and advance to the state meet, which is always a great accomplishment.”
Bryanna Bellile won the 50-yard freestyle (24.01 seconds) and broke the pool record in the 100 freestyle (51.29).
Bellile’s teammate Sienna Nitke placed runner-up in the 100 freestyle (51.89) and Liz Witt was fourth (55.6) to both move on to state.
Nitke was tops in the 200 freestyle (1:53.15) to get to state in that event as well.
“They both are great swimmers, tough competitors and are very focused when it comes to the competition,” Kleczka said about Bellile and Nitke. “They know what is ahead of them and we take one day and practice at a time. We remind them that the state meet is going to be tough and anything can
happen, so we need to go out there and do our very best as a team.”
Ashwaubenon’s 200 freestyle relay team of Witt, Berritt Herr, Erin Schuch and Nitke placed first while breaking the school record in time (1:40.15). The team’s 400 freestyle relay of Nitke, Nadia Perez, Witt and Bellile took first (3:38.39).
Schuch took runner-up in the 100 butterfly (1:01.17) as well as the 500 freestyle (5:12.02) to advance to state in both events.
The Jaguars’ 200 medley relay team of Bellile, Herr, Schuch and Perez came in second (1:52.5).
Herr took third place in the 100 breaststroke (1:11.43) and her time was good enough to qualify for state.
Kleczka is optimistic her girls will compete well at state.
“We definitely have our goals set for the state meet,” Kleczka said. “We always try as a team to do our very best and work to swim our fastest races as a team. It would definitely be a great accomplishment to place higher than we are seeded in our events.”
Seymour senior Julia Gawryleski advanced to state in two events, placing second in the 50 freestyle (24.57) and third in the 500 freestyle (5:26.07).
Division 1
In a Division 1 sectional at Neenah on Oct. 5, West De Pere’s Kate Schmoll — fresh off a third-place finish in the state cross country meet — advanced to state swimming in two events.
It’s a remarkable feat for the sophomore. This will be her fifth trip to state in her first two seasons as a high school athlete.
“It is absolutely amazing to make it to both states again,” Schmoll said. “I love both sports and always try to give each sport and each meet my all. So it is really cool to see that be enough to go to state for both swim and cross country.”
Schmoll won the 100 butterfly (58.02) and tied for fifth in the 200 individual medley (2:14.87), which was still a good enough time to move on to state.
Schmoll has the 10th fastest seed time in Division 1 in the butterfly for the state meet.
“The 100 fly was a really fun race,” she said. “I was in the middle of the pool and able to see in my peripherals the swimmers that were by me at the start. I knew that I could just control my race and see how that compared to everyone else.”
Bay Port’s Ellasen Peot won the 50 freestyle (24.37) to punch her individual ticket to state.
In diving, Pulaski’s Taya Schmidt scored a meet-high 461.35 points to win that event.
Green Bay Southwest Co-op’s Ivana Neverman finished in second in the 200 individual medley (2:09.69).
Two Green Bay Southwest relays had good races to get to the state meet. Claire Sieber, Lily Awe, Claire Schlaefer and Neverman won the 400 freestyle relay (3:41.53). In the 200 medley relay, Neverman, Cassandra Ullman, Awe and Sieber took third (1:52.32).
The state swimming and diving meet will take place Nov. 11-12 at the Waukesha South High School Natatorium.