Sauk Prairie swimmers headed to state

Sauk Prairie’s girls swimming season reaches the finish line Friday evening when the Eagles compete at the WIAA Division 2 state meet at the University of Wisconsin Natatorium. Once again, it will be a team-like atmosphere at the mecca for state swimming. The Eagles qualified six swimmers in three relays and one individual event for the state meet. Continuing a tradition, Sauk Prairie coach Melani Guentherman confirmed the remaining 14 swimmers on the squad, who didn’t qualify for state, will have an opportunity to serve as timers. “They sure will be ready to go,” Guentherman said. “It gives the whole team a lift. They were very excited they get to be down on the deck and help out again. “It’s the best seat in the house. Our girls who are competing, they like having their teammates nearby. Even though timers can’t cheer, they like having them down there.” Defending state champion Madison Edgewood won nine of 12 events, including all three relays, and scored 353 points to win the 13-team Baraboo Sectional. McFarland, last year’s state runner-up, finished second with 297 points. DeForest (238), Baraboo (200) and Edgerton (181) rounded out the top five. Sauk Prairie was seventh with 174.5 points. The Eagles extended their season one more week when they qualified all three relays. Sophomore Kassandra Miller, who qualified in the 200-yard freestyle and 400 freestyle relays, also qualified individually in the 200-yard freestyle. “The girls swam really well,” Guentherman said. “There were a lot of personal bests. There were a lot of really good swims. We were happy with that.” Sauk Prairie got the meet off to a stellar start when it qualified its 200 medley relay of senior Alexa Judd, sophomore Amelia Hunter, freshman Riley Talmage and junior Cora Dunnum. That quartet finished sixth in 1 minute, 53.23 seconds. Edgewood won the event in 1:48.27. The Eagles’ 200 freestyle relay posted the team’s best finish of the meet when the quartet of Dunnum, sophomore Ashley Pape, Miller and Judd took third in 1:41.84. Edgewood finished first in 1:38.51. “It was a nice move up for us,” Guentherman said. “Those girls all swam together very well. They had some really big time drops.” Sauk Prairie made it three-for-three in qualifying its relays for state when the Eagles’ 400 freestyle relay of Miller, Pape, Talmage and Judd placed fifth in 3:42.62. Edgewood placed first in 3:34.49. All three relays are seeded in the second heats at state with both the 200 and 400 freestyle relays seeded 10th and the 200 medley relay seeded 14th. “Ashley Pape swam awesome,” Guentherman said. “Her time drops in the 50 and 100 freestyle in the two relays (200 and 400 freestyle) were instrumental in getting us to state. Across the board, all four girls showed up and did great.” Guentherman was pleased that Dunnum capped a successful comeback from a pre-season shoulder injury to earn a return trip to state. “Her times were good and she didn’t miss state by much in the individual 50 freestyle either, finishing 19th,” Guentherman said. “Considering her short season, she had a very successful end so far. She did very, very good.” Sauk Prairie followed up the sectional meet with its annual trip to the Blue Spoon restaurant in Prairie du Sac to await the results from the WIAA. The winner of each event in the four sectionals received an automatic qualifier, while the next 12-best overall performances also earned state berths. “It was some team bonding, waiting and seeing and hoping for the best,” Guentherman said. “We were pretty confident in the relays after the meet. “But when we found about Kas (Miller), that was awesome. It was a huge goal of hers, to try to make it to state individually this year. It was an incredibly pleasant surprise.” Miller, who qualified for state in the 200 freestyle relay a year ago, placed sixth at sectionals in the 200 freestyle in 2:00.51. She is seeded 13th at state. “Our sectional is always very competitive,” Guentherman said. “I was actually surprised to see Kas make it in the 200 free. I was very, very happy when I saw that result.” Guentherman said it promises to be a fun final week of the season. “This season has been a really good team season,” she said. “This team has really clicked as a group. It’s been pretty impressive watching them up to the end of the season and how the varsity swimmers have supported the JV swimmers and vice versa. They’re just having a lot of fun together. “(Assistant coach) Todd (Wuerger) and I have really enjoyed coaching this group of girls. We get to enjoy another week.” • On deck: Sauk Prairie competes at the WIAA Division 2 state swimming and diving meet on Friday beginning at 6 p.m. at the University of Wisconsin Natatorium. Madison Edgewood won its fourth straight title a year ago, finishing with 328.5 points. Sauk Prairie tied for 11th with 74 points. Sauk Prairie was fourth in the 200-yard freestyle relay last year and returns Dunnum and Miller from that foursome. The Eagles’ 400 freestyle relay just missed a spot on the awards podium, finishing eighth, and returns Judd. Sauk Prairie also placed 10th in the 200 medley relay and returns Judd, Dunnum and possibly senior Giulia Brickl. “We don’t have the lineup totally set yet as far as the breaststroke in the 200 medley relay,” Guentherman said. “That will be either Amelia Hunter or Giulia Brickl. Giulia has been battling an injury this year, which unfortunately has limited her training quite a bit. She has done really well all things considered. We qualified the relay, but we can change personnel if we want to.” WIAA Division 2 Baraboo Sectional Nov. 9 Team scores — 1, Madison Edgewood 353; 2, McFarland 297; 3, DeForest 238; 4, Baraboo 200; 5, Edgerton 181; 6, Stoughton 179.5; 7, Sauk Prairie 174.5; 8, Monroe/New Glarus 167; 9, Lodi/Wisconsin Heights 93; 10, River Valley/Richland Center 84; 11, Portage 58; 12, Black River Falls/Blair-Taylor 56; 13, Platteville/Lancaster 47. State qualifiers Diving — 1, Caroll, ME, 331.55 points. 200-yard medley relay — 1, Madison Edgewood (teDuits, Reid, Enz, O’Driscoll), 1:48.27; 2, McFarland, 1:48.64; 3, Baraboo, 1:48.81; 4, Edgerton, 1:51.11; 5, Monroe/New Glarus, 1:52.64; 6, Sauk Prairie (Alexa Judd, Amelia Hunter, Riley Talmage, Cora Dunnum), 1:53.23. 200 freestyle — 1, Enz, ME, 1:53.24; 2, Bormett, St, 1:54.93; 3, Miller, Por, 1:57.81; 4, de Moya-Cotter, Edg, 1:59.81; 5, Presney, L/WH, 2:00.33; 6, Kassandra Miller, SP, 2:00.51. Other Sauk Prairie finishers: 11, Lauryn Drager, 2:04.54; 16, Abbey McCumber, 2:07.57; 17, Summer Acker, 2:07.65. 200 individual medley — 1, teDuits, ME, 2:13.11; 2, Schmitt, Edg, 2:13.34; 3, Willis, D, 2:13.98; 4, Gneiser, Bar, 2:14.27; 5, Hammer, M/NG, 2:14.39; 6, Vega, ME, 2:16.03; 7, Nickels, McF, 2:16.89. Other Sauk Prairie finishers: 9, Talmage, 2:18.80; 13, Hunter, 2:24.24. 50 freestyle — 1, O’Driscoll, ME, :24.13; 2, Reid, ME, :24.43; 3, Boehning, D, :24.61; 4, Borroughs, Sto, :25.01; 5, Reed, ME, :25.07; 6, Balfanz, Bar, :25.29. Other Sauk Prairie finishers: 9, Dunnum, :25.38; 12, Ashley Pape, :25.80. 100 butterfly — 1, Enz, ME, :58.53; 2, Steien, BRF, :58.65; 3, Landwehr, McF, :58.74; 4, Lohr, Bar, :58.89; 5, Albert-Nelson, P/L, :59.07; 6, de Moya-Cotter, Edg, :59.72; 7, Letendre, Bar, 1:00.30; 8, Presny, L/WH, 1:00.40. Other Sauk Prairie finishers: 10, Miller, 1:01.24; 14, Talmage, 1:01.88; 17, Grace Orr, 1:05.60. 100 freestyle — 1, O’Driscoll, ME, :52.52; 2, Freeman, McF, :52.71; 3, Reid, ME, :52.96; 4, Bormett, Sto, :53.37; 5, Oosterhof, D, :53.99; 6, Reed, ME, :54.07; 7, Harper, RV/RC, :54.29; 8, Boehning, D, :54.38. Other Sauk Prairie finishers: 10, tie, Pape, :55.98; 13, Judd, :56.07. 500 freestyle — 1, Erstad, M/NG, 5:14.01; 2, Schieldt, Edg, 5:22.99; 3, Miller, Por, 5:25.18; 4, Weaver, McF, 5:26.69; 5, Willis, D, 5:28.54. Other Sauk Prairie finisher: McCumber, 5:50.43. 200 freestyle relay — 1, Madison Edgewood (O’Driscoll, Vega, Reed, Reid), 1:38.51; 2, DeForest, 1:40.13; 3, Sauk Prairie (Dunnum, Pape, Miller, Judd), 1:41.84; 4, Stoughton, 1:42.20. 100 backstroke — 1, Freeman, McF, :56.26; 2, teDuits, ME, :57.85; 3, Gorski, Edg, :59.14; 4, Sweeney, ME, :59.62; 5, Erstad, MNG, :59.64; 6, Harrington, McF, 1:00.64; 7, Oosterhof, D, 1:00.90. Other Sauk Prairie finisher: 15, Acker, 1:04.77. 100 breaststroke — 1, Lohr, Bar, 1:06.07; 2, Landwehr, McF, 1:07.10; 3, Willis, D, 1:07.20; 4, Steien, BRF, 1:07.40; 5, Weaver, McF, 1:07.94; 6, Billmann, McF, 1:09.06; 7, Schmitt, Edg, 1:09.76. Other Sauk Prairie finisher: 9, Brickl, 1:11.17; 11, Hunter, 1:12.01; 13, Drager, 1:12.25. 400 freestyle relay — 1, Madison Edgewood (teDuits, Sweeney, Reed, Enz), 3:34.49; 2, DeForest, 3:39.31; 3, McFarland, 3:41.63; 4, Edgerton, 3:42.06; 5, Sauk Prairie (Miller, Pape, Talmage, Judd), 3:42.62; 6, Baraboo, 3:43.71; 7, Stoughton, 3:44.24; 8, Monroe/New Glarus, 3:45.45.