Muskego advances 12 entries to state

Muskego - The 12 entries sent by the Muskego girls swimming and diving team to this weekend's WIAA Division 1 State Meet represents an even larger number than coach Ed Hallett anticipated.

"I knew we were a better team than last year," Hallett said. "I was confident we would get at least eight qualifiers, six individuals and two relays. To qualify all three relays was really exciting."

Senior Sami Pochowski, who claimed the 100 breaststroke championship at state a year ago and has also qualified for next year's Olympic trials, won a pair of events at Saturday's Waukesha South Sectional Meet.

Pochowski captured the 200 freestyle in 1 minute, 49.61 seconds and the 100 breaststroke in 1:03.24, which was three seconds ahead of the second-place finisher, Lindsay Adamski of Hartland Arrowhead.

Fellow senior Emma Szczupakiewicz, who took home the state championship in the 100 backstroke last season, qualified for state this year in two individual events. She was second in the 100 butterfly at 57.56 seconds and in the 100 backstroke with 57.75.

"They are both set up where they need to be (at state)," Hallett said. "They earned top seeds. I am hoping they can repeat."

Pochowski and Szczupakiewicz both also qualified on two second-place relay teams. They swam with juniors Megan Liebl and Kristen Kaiser on the 200 medley squad (1:47.23) and on the 400 freestyle unit (3:33.37).

The 200 freestyle corps of freshmen Jessica Pollack, Sara Biro and Kari Balson and senior Claire Borland came in third (1:41.74) and Liebl took fourth in the 100 butterfly (58.54).

Kaiser snared fifth in the 500 freestyle (5:09.63) and Balson placed sixth in the 100 breaststroke (1:08.59)

Also qualifying for state were Liebl in the 100 backstroke (seventh, 58.75) and Kaiser in the 200 freestyle (eighth, 1:56.86).

All will compete in the state meet on Saturday at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Natatorium.

Finishing in the top eight but not advancing were Hope Borland in the 200 IM (sixth, 2:16.76) and Balson in the 200 IM (eighth, 2:18.48).

The Warriors tallied 297½ points for third in the 13-team sectional, trailing powers Waukesha South/Mukwonago (396) and Arrowhead (357).