The 2018 IHSA Girls Swimming & Diving State Finals are set to take place inside Evanston Township’s William Dobson Burton Aquatic Centeron on Friday and Saturday, November 16-17.

The prelims and finals of every swimming event, and the diving prelims and finals, will be webcast live with full video and audio with a subscription on the NFHS Network, as Skyler King from PrepAquatics.com brings viewers all the action.

King highlights some of the top storylines and student-athletes entering the weekend in the preview below, followed by a review of last year’s champions, top Sectional performers in 2018 and how their marks stack up against the state and national records:

Evanston plays host this weekend to what shapes up as the most exciting state meet in recent memory as we have five teams that all enter with legit trophy hopes, and an individual that could break a very exciting milestone. Rosary is looking for state title number eight and their fourth in a row in Hall of Fame coach Bill Schalz’s swan song state meet. They are certainly the favorite, as they have eight returning scoring swims from names many of you know, but none include star sophomore Jessica Geriane. Linda Licari, Kathryn Mueller (Purdue), Anne Tavierne (South Carolina), Sydney Vanovermeiren (Florida State), Athena Ye (Harvard) would become the second senior class at Rosary to finish off a run of four titles in a row. Neuqua Valley is primed to take advantage of any slip with a team that is back with loads of experience from last year’s meet, including 500 free top seed in sophomore Rachel Stege. St. Charles North, led by Purdue bound senior Mallory Jump (200 IM and 100 Fly), is also in strong position for their third trophy in four years. The North Stars will have to fight off a battle-tested group from Lyons Township led by junior Callahan Dunn (200 IM and 500 Free), and all-time swimming standard bearer New Trier, who has impact freshmen Carly Novelline(50 and 100 Free) and Kaelyn Gridley(100 Breast) as well as their usual diving strength. All these top teams will be looking to claim a spot in the top 6 in all 3 relays and any team that misses will be at a great disadvantage.

The teams looking to crash the party will be Barrington, who has a strong collection of overall talent, plus last year’s runner-up Oswego East led by Junior Grace Cooper who will try and defend her 100 Freestyle title and add the 50 Freestyle crown to her haul this year. There is a talented group trying to stop her, including Metea Valley sophomore McKenna Stone, who also will lead relays in trying to steal top six spots from the top five teams, and former 50 Freestyle champ Natalie Ungaretti who will head to Tennessee next year.

The state’s biggest star is Maine South Junior Annika Wagner who has a great chance to become the first girl in Illinois State Meet history to break 2:00 in the 200 IM. Wagner will also compete in the 500 Freestyle where she will enter as the favorite, although more of a longshot for a record, after passing up other potential event wins in the 200 Freestyle and the 100 Breaststroke.

The junior class is so deep that we may find ourselves with a rare Senior Swimmer of the Year race with no double champion. Seniors Anne Tavierne and Mallory Jump both appear to have a potential win with the 200 Freestyle and 100 Butterfly respectively, but both would have to upset Wagner to claim a second victory, which opens the door for Evanston diver Lucy Hogan as a dark horse candidate.


200-YARD MEDLEY RELAY
Top 2018 Sectional Time: Lyons (1:44.61)
State Record: Fenwick, 2012 Prelims (1:41.68)
2017 Champion: Aurora Rosary (1:43.15)
National Record: Fort Collins (CO), 2018 (1:38.13)

200-YARD FREESTYLE
Top 2018 Sectional Time: Kate Morris, Glenbard West (1:50.29)
State Record: Georgia White, Oswego East, 2018 Finals (1:46.69)
2017 Champions: (tie) Melissa Pish, Normal West (1:47.13) & Georgia White, Oswego East, (1:47.13)
National Record: Dagny Knutson, Minot (ND), 2008 (1:42.81)

200-YARD INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY
Top 2018 Sectional Time: Annila Wagner, Maine South (2:03.01)
State Record: Ema Rajic, Urbana University, 2016 Finals (2:00.27)
2017 Champion: Ema Rajic, Urbana University (2:00.74)
National Record: Dagny Knutson, Minot (ND), 2009 (1:53.82)

50-YARD FREESTYLE
Top 2018 Sectional Time: Grace Cooper, Oswego East Coop (:22.73)
State Record: Olivia Smoliga, Glenbrook South, 2012 Finals (:21.99)
2017 Champion: Grace Ariola, Normal Community (:22.52)
National Record: Abbey Weitzel, Saugus, (CA), 2015 (:21.64)

DIVING
Top 2018 Sectional Score: Lucy Hogan, Evanston (524.35)
State Record: Christina Loukas, Deerfield, 2003 Finals (507.55)
2017 Champion: Jessie Creed, New Trier (479.10)
National Record: N/A

100-YARD BUTTERFLY
Top 2018 Sectional Time: Reed Broaders, Urbana University (54.54)
State Record: Olivia Scott, Aurora Rosary, 2009 Finals (:53.09)
2017 Champion: Emma Theobald, Dunlap (:54.61)
National Record: Kathlryn McLaughlin , Rancho Santa Margarita Catholic, Riverside (CA), 2015 (:51.53)

100-YARD FREESTYLE
Top 2018 Sectional Time: McKenna Stone, Metea Valley (50.40)
State Record: Olivia Smoliga, Glenbrook South, 2011 prelims (48.88)
2017 Champion: Grace Cooper, Oswego East (:49.91)
National Record: Abbey Weitzeil, Saugus, (CA), 2015 (:47.09)

500-YARD FREESTYLE
Top 2018 Sectional Time: Rachel Stege, Neuqua Valley (4:54.28)
State Record: Adrienne Bicek, Downers Grove North, 2008 Prelims (4:46.66)
2017 Champion: Melissa Pish, Normal West (4:49.25)
National Record: Dagny Knutson, Minot (ND), 2008 (4:34.78)

200-YARD FREESTYLE RELAY
Top 2018 Sectional Time: Oswego East Coop, (1:34.80)
State Record: Glenbrook South, 2012 Finals (1:32.98)
2017 Champion: Oswego East (1:33.58)
National Record: Carmel, Indianapolis (IN), 2015 (1:30.72)

100-YARD BACKSTROKE
Top 2018 Sectional Time: Ashley Carollo, Stevenson (55.44)
State Record: Olivia Smoliga, Glenbrook South, 2012 Finals (:51.43)
2017 Champion: Grace Ariola, Normal Community (:53.29)
National Record: Olivia Smoliga, Glenbrook South, 2012 (51.43)

100-YARD BREASTSTROKE
Top 2018 Sectional Time: Kaelyn Gridley, New Trier (1:04.48)
State Record: Ema Rajic, Urbana University, 2016 Finals (1:00.77)
2017 Champion: Ema Rajic, Urbana University (1:01.5)
National Record: Emily Weiss, Yorktown (IN), 2018 (:58.40)

400-YARD FREESTYLE RELAY
Top 2018 Sectional Time: St. Charles North (3:29.01)
State Record: Oswego East Coop, 2017 Finals (3:22.48)
2017 Champion: Oswego East (3:22.48)
National Record: Carmel, Indianapolis (IN), 2015 (3:15.38)

TOURNAMENT HISTORY
44th annual State Series


SITE/HOST
Evanston Township High School
William Dobson Burton Aquatic Center
Directions


SCHEDULE
Friday, November 16
Diving Prelims-9:00 a.m.

Swimming Prelims-3:30 p.m.


Saturday, November 17
Swimming & Diving  Finals-1:00 p.m.

Order of events:
200-Yard Medley Relay
200-Yard Freestyle*
200-Yard Individual Medley
50-Yard Freestyle*
Diving
(15-minute break)
100-Yard Butterfly
100-Yard Freestyle*
500-Yard Freestyle
(15-minute break)
200-Yard Freestyle Relay
100-Yard Backstroke
100-Yard Breaststroke*
400-Yard Freestyle Relay

* Race for athletes with disabilities will be conducted first


WATCH
Prelim swimming & all finals available live on NFHS Network


RESULTS & LIVE STATS
Friday Prelim Results

Saturday Finals Results


TICKETS
Diving Prelims-$10
Swimming Prelims-$10
Diving Finals-$10
Swimming Finals-$10


SOCIAL MEDIA
#IHSA on Twitter
Twitter - @IHSAstate

Instagram - @IHSA_IL

Facebook.com/IHSA.IL

Classic IHSA YouTube Video


OFFICIAL STATE FINAL
Gear from Minerva

Photos from VIP

IHSA Program


STATE SUPPORTERS
Country Financial

Wilson Sporting Goods

Gatorade

MaxPreps

Biaggis

Busey Bank

US Marines

Gift of Hope


STUDENT SAFETY
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HISTORY & RECORDS
2018 State Series Results

Past Individual/Team Champions & Record Book