New Trier nets 14th team title
New Trier rarely gets upstaged in its own pool, but it almost happened on Saturday.
The Trevians won their fourth consecutive state championship but had to hold off Downers Grove North to do it. In one of the closest team races ever, New Trier won its record 14th title with 160.5 points. Downers North, which captured the most events, secured its first trophy with 157 points. Fenwick was third with 126.
“It was a tough race but in the end our depth really powered through and we were able to win with only one person winning an event,” New Trier senior Kara Lucenti said.
Lucenti was the lone individual champion for New Trier as she claimed the 200-yard individual medley in 2:02.27.
“It’s really amazing to know that I got to leave with a bang,” Lucenti said. “I’m going to remember these memories forever and so will the other girls.”
They aren’t the only ones. Senior twins Gabby and Maddy Sims capped their careers in style by taking Downers North to new heights.
“You’ve got to tip your hat to Downers North,” New Trier coach Mac Guy said. “The Sims girls have got some outstanding talent, but what they did in the last few weeks, they had so many other girls step up and become players.”
Gabby Sims, a Harvard recruit, won championships in all four of her races, giving her five individual and three relay state titles among her school-record 16 medals.
She began the day by teaming with her sister, Gabriele Serniute and Emily Albrecht to win the 200 medley relay in a pool-record 1:42.22 and ended it by anchoring Albrecht, Lindsay Mathys and Maddy to victory in the 400 freestyle relay in 3:25.16. She also cap- tured the 100 backstroke (50.93) and the 100 freestyle (50.12), each for the second time.
“It’s amazing and totally unexpected,” Gabby Sims said. “I’m so proud of my team. I couldn’t have done it without them. It’s the perfect way to end my high school career.’’
Fenwick senior Mimi Schneider became the first double state champion in school history by winning the 50 free (22.87) and 100 butterfly (53.86).
“Winning both of them was a dream,’’ Schneider said. ‘‘Dreams come true and hard work and a great team helped get me here.”
The Friars also got a victory from Paulina Kaminski in the 100 breaststroke.
Barrington sophomore Kirsten Jacobsen repeated as champion in the 500 free in 4:46.93, missing the state record by .27, but surprisingly broke the state record in the 200 free, timing 1:46.98 to break Naperville Central’s Kelly McNichols’ mark of 1:47.17. Mundelein’s Erin Falconer was second in 1:47.21.
Naperville Central sophomore Sydney Dusel won the diving with 450.55 points and Mundelein took the 200 free relay in 1:34.58.