Eagles make a splash at state

The divers started the fun. The swimmers did their part. And Sauk Prairie’s trip to the WIAA Division 2 state swimming and diving meet went — well, swimmingly. The Eagles got terrific performances up and down the lineup and finished in 11th place at the meet held last Friday at Waukesha South High School. Whitefish Bay ran away with the team title, scoring 360 points. Madison Edgewood was second with 270 points, while Rhinelander (251), Kohler (148) and Wittenberg-Birnamwood (122) rounded out the top five. Sauk Prairie finished with 72 points. The Eagles fielded a diving team this season for the first time in more than four decades and that group provided quite a lift. The divers competed four hours before the swimmers and got Sauk Prairie off to a terrific start. Senior Claire Hartman finished eighth at state with 340.30 points, while senior McKenna Breunig was 15th (280.25). “Claire broke both school diving records (6-dive and 11-dive) this season that were set in the 1980s,” Sauk Prairie coach Todd Wuerger said. “I wish she had discovered diving sooner. “McKenna’s a gifted all-around athlete that shared her time between diving and soccer. She taught me the term, ‘going for the dub (the win).’ ” The swimmers then shined, as well. Senior Kaylee Oleson made the podium after finishing sixth in both the 100-yard freestyle (54.07) and the 100-yard breaststroke (1:07.82). “We weren’t sure if she could keep swimming after finding out she had a fractured vertebrae in her back going into her sophomore year,” Wuerger said. “Breaststroke was her worst event, yet she got better at it and broke the school record in the 100 breaststroke her junior and senior year.” Freshman Alyssa Himebauch was 14th in the 50-yard freestyle (25.51) and 15th in the 100-yard freestyle (56.52). “She qualified for four events at state, which is very difficult to do as a freshman,” Wuerger said. “She, along with Natalie Klein, will be the two returning members of next year’s team with state meet experience.” Sauk Prairie’s 200-yard freestyle relay team of Oleson, senior Kate Himebauch, senior Ava Flanagan and Alyssa Himebauch was ninth (1:43.06).  “Kate tore her ACL playing soccer in the spring of 2024 and didn’t think she would be able to compete this year,” Wuerger said. “Yet she pushed her recovery and competed in the 200 freestyle relay with her sister, Alyssa. “This was Ava’s third year in a row qualifying for state. She earned the “Coaches’ Award” for going above and beyond expectations in the pool and the weight room.” And the Eagles’ 400-yard freestyle relay team of Alyssa Himebauch, freshman Natalie Klein, Flanagan and Oleson was 11th (3:47.98). For Klein, it was a terrific ending to an outstanding first year in the program. “It’s hard to qualify for state as a freshman,” Wuerger said of Klein. “Despite missing a lot of the season due to illness and injury, she found a way to finish the season strong.  We’re looking forward to having Natalie full-time next year.”