Warriors look like ‘lead dog’

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WOODSTOCK – McHenry won the Woodstock Invitational, which featured five of six Fox Valley Conference girls swimming teams, but Warriors coach Mike Shanahan wasn’t ready to declare his team the best the conference has to offer.

“It’s hard to tell how you’re doing this time of year because it’s hard to swim very fast at the same time, so you never know how you’re doing exactly,” Shanahan said. “There’s all kinds of things; people get better, other ones get injured. We‘ll see what happens.”

The Warriors won the meet with 528 points by winning eight events and placing in the top five in 12 of 17 events. Kristen Lenard and Courtney Naughton each won two individual events and were part of the winning 200-yard freestyle relay team that set a meet record of 1:47.36.

Lenard set meet records in her individual wins with times of 2:02.72 in the 200 freestyle and 5:24.95 in the 500 freestyle.

Naughton set a meet record with a time of 1:03.98 in the 100 butterfly and also won the 100 breaststroke.

“Naughton had really good times today,” Shanahan said. “Lenard has been fighting shoulder problems, and her times were solid but not real good, so that’s something to be seen from her.”

Woodstock finished second with 432.5 points behind two individual wins by Becca Ortmann and a win in the frosh/soph 200 freestyle relay. Ortmann broke her own meet record in the 100 freestyle with a time of 56.84 seconds and set another meet record in the 50 freestyle in 25.77.

“Obviously, McHenry is the lead dog – we kind of knew that,” Blue Streaks coach Ian Shanahan said. “It’s going to be competitive. [Woodstock], Jacobs and Crystal Lake are all lumped in the middle. It’s going to be exciting.”

For first-year Jacobs coach Tracy Balla, the meet was a chance to learn the teams and competition she is facing in the conference. The Golden Eagles finished fourth with 420 points, but the team could have a different look when the conference meet rolls around.

“We’re getting to know each other as swimmers, and for our team, it’s about the best lineup that we can put together,” Balla said. “We’re looking to make the strongest team we can make.”