Local girls swim to state

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Cary-Grove’s Lauren Curtis and Melissa Rose and Dundee-Crown’s Colleen Champa qualified for state at sectional meets Saturday.

Crystal Lake Central had two individuals and a relay team earn trips to state.

Curtis swam a 1:55.68 in the 200-yard freestyle and 53.78 in the 100 freestyle to qualify in both events at the Vernon Hills Sectional. Rose went 1:07.60 in the 100 breaststroke to qualify.

At the Barrington Sectional, Champa won the 200 individual medley in 2:09.64 and was second in the 100 breaststroke (1:06.75) to qualify.

Curtis, a senior, finished the 200 freestyle, turned around to look at the scoreboard and raised her arms in celebration when she saw she was under the state qualifying time for the first time in her high school career.

“I’m very, very happy,” Curtis said.

Because the 200 wasn’t her best event, she said she didn’t focus on it too much. After going out in the first 50 in 26.76 seconds, that changed.

“Because this was a wild-card race for me, I tried not to think too much about it,” Curtis said. “As I kept on going, I got a lot more confident.”

Trojans’ coach Scott Lattyak said he was surprised that Curtis started out so fast in the 200.

“I knew she had it at the 100 mark,” Lattyak said. “It was a little faster than I expected, but I’m glad she took it out that fast.”

In the 100 freestyle, Curtis didn’t start as fast and needed a strong closing 50 to get under the state cut. Lattyak said after seeing Curtis not break 26 in the first 50, he knew that she would need to finish strong.

“She was right there,” Lattyak said. “It’s going to be a gut swim.”

Rose, a freshman, dropped nearly three seconds off of her breaststroke time at the Fox Valley Conference Meet a week earlier. Lattyak said that at conference, he could start to see her stroke look like it should.

“Over the last three weeks her form has finally come together,” Lattyak said. “We were really striving to get that glide in there.”

Having coached Rose on both high school and age group swim teams, Lattyak said he knew Rose was capable of making it to state.

“Everyone wrote her off. I knew she was going to do it,” Lattyak said. “Even she was nervous about it.”

Champa said her success last year created more expectations this year. That was magnified with her training schedule having her peak for state Friday and Saturday and not at sectionals like last year.

Winning the IM under those circumstances buoyed her self assurance.

“Coming into this week I had a lot more pressure,” Champa said. “It’s a confidence booster knowing that not shaved and tapered I can still go 2:09.”

While Champa was feeling the pressure, she said her coaches were already looking past sectionals at state.

“I had my doubts coming into this week,” Champa said. “My coaches were already planning for next week.”

Chargers’ coach Laura Wayman said she gave Champa an ultimatum before sectionals.

“I told Colleen not to get out of the pool until she accomplished what she came here to do,” Wayman said. “I think after that IM she felt in her gut she could do it in the breaststroke.”

At St. Charles East, Crystal Lake Central's Marisa Barton qualified for state in the 50 freestyle (1st, 23.73) and 100 free (1st, 52.20). Teammate Nikayla Dahl also qualified in the 50 free (2nd, 24.45).

Central's 200-yard free relay (3rd, 1:39.06) also earned a trip to state.

The Tigers finished fourth with 133 points, and St. Charles East won the sectional with 286.