Jacobs uses its depth to win D-C triangular

Jacobs’ Erin Jameson finishes in third in the 200 individual medley in 2:44.43 during Wednesday’s triangular meet against Huntley and Dundee-Crown in Carpentersville. Jacobs won the meet with 131 points. (Sarah Nader – snader@shawmedia.com)

E-mail this story

Print this story

Share

CARPENTERSVILLE – Jacobs displayed its team strength at the Dundee-Crown girls swimming triangular by defeating Huntley and the host Chargers.

The Golden Eagles won with 131 points. Dundee-Crown was second with 90, and Huntley had 77.

Jacobs coach Michael Slowik said his team is successful simply because they have good swimmers in every event. In six of the eight individual events, the Golden Eagles placed two swimmers in the top three.

“Every single event we have someone in it who can do something for us,” Slowik said. “We’re just deep everywhere.”

Freshman Nicole Sanchez won the 50-meter freestyle (28.97 seconds) for the Golden Eagles and anchored the winning 200 freestyle relay team with Brittany Podczerwinski, Keeley Quinlan and Courtney Podczerwinski.

Sanchez said the biggest surprise in swimming high school versus club is how little time the meets take.

“I thought it would be a little slower,” Sanchez said. “[High school meets] go so much faster.”

Sanchez also swam the anchor leg of the 400 freestyle relay. In the most exciting race of the triangular, Sanchez began the final leg just behind Dundee-Crown’s Colleen Champa. Sanchez knew what Champa was capable of but stayed with her stroke for stroke before losing by less than a second.

“She was intimidating,” Sanchez said of Champa. “I was excited because she’s on my [club] team and we’re friends. I thought it would be an interesting race.”

Also winning for the Golden Eagles were Keeley Quinlan in the 100 freestyle (1:05.65) and Erin Jameson in the 100 breaststroke (1:22.69).

The Chargers dominated individually, winning five of eight events. Champa won the 100 butterfly (1:10.42) and the 100 backstroke (1:12.88). She qualified for state last year in the individual medley and breaststroke but said swimming other events is good for her.

“I definitely swim the backstroke to practice my backstroke in the IM,” Champa said.

Champa swam near the state qualifying time in the breaststroke at the Buffalo Grove Invitational on Saturday and said she improved her IM time by two seconds from last year at that meet. She said she also was ill Saturday which made the times even more impressive.

“I’m definitely ahead of where I was last year,” Champa said. “Knowing that when I was weak [that] I could go that fast was definitely a confidence booster.”

Chargers coach Laura Wayman said that Champa’s improved times at this stage of the season should pay dividends at sectionals and state.

“That set a precedence for where she is now and where she can be in November,” Wayman said.

Also winning for the Chargers were Emily Champa in the 200 freestyle (2:21.83) and 400 freestyle (4:53.22) and Rachel Skoog in the 200 IM (2:41.27).

Amanda Cazel finished second in the 200 freestyle to lead the Red Raiders. In their second season with a girls swimming team, Huntley coach Megan Wheeler said she is encouraged by the improvement of her swimmers, particularly on the junior varsity level.

“I thought we swam really good,” Wheeler said. “It’s nice to build on what we had last year.”