GIRLS STATE SWIM MEET PREVIEW
BASICS What: The 48th annual WIAA state girls swimming and diving championships. When: Friday (diving at 2:30 pm.; swimming at 6:30) and Saturday (diving at 10 a.m. and swimming at 3 p.m.). Where: UW-Natatorium, Madison. Tickets: $6 for individuals age 7 or older;, $1 for children 6 and under. Order of events: Diving, 200-yard medley relay, 200 freestyle, 200 individual medley, 50 freestyle, 100 butterfly, 100 freestyle, 500 freestyle, 200 freestyle relay, 100 backstroke, 100 breaststroke, 400 freestyle relay. Broadcast: Every event will be streamed live on WIAA.TV, a subscription service. 2016 champions: Division 1 – Middleton; Division 2 – Madison Edgewood. LOWDOWN Division 1: Middleton arrives at the meet No. 1 in the state coaches association computer-generated rankings, with Arrowhead ranked No. 2 and Cedarburg No. 3. Arrowhead is going after its sixth straight podium (top two finish).The Warhawks' best seed belongs to sophomore Alyssa Graves, the second seed in the 500 free. The team also has back Wisconsin recruit Abby Cabush, who is a threat in the 100 and 200 free. Cedarburg has a No. 1 seed in diving (senior Adriana Avila) and is the No. 2 seed in the 200 medley and 400 free relays. Division 2: Edgewood is again the team to beat with New Berlin Eisenhower chasing its first podium finish. The second-ranked Lions have one No. 1 seed, UW-Milwaukee recruit Bella Passamani in the 500 free, and top-three seeds in four other events. ATHLETES TO WATCH Division 1 Adriana Avila, sr., Cedarburg: The threetime state qualifier will try to make a big jump in diving this year. She took seventh the past two years but is the top seed this time and her season-best score of 542.40 is the best in the state this year. Abby Cabush, sr., Arrowhead: Cabush is the defending champion in the 200 free and a threat to medal in the 100 free for the third straight season. Alyssa Graves, soph., Arrowhead: After a second-place finish to a graduated senior in the 500 free last season, Graves is one of the swimmers to beat. She owns the best time in the state by almost 3 seconds. Gwen Gustafson, sr., Brookfield Central: The defending champion in the 50 free will go for the title out of lane eight. Her season-best time of 24.06 is the third-best in the field. Isabelle Holbrook, West Bend East/West: This two-time state qualifier is the fourth seed in the 200 free, but her time of 1:52.0 is the best in the state this season. Lillie Hosack, sr., Cedarburg: The Wisconsin recruit is going after her third straight title in the 200 IM. She owns the state’s top time (2:04.92). She also will compete for the 100 backstroke title. Cassie Ketterling, sr., Oak Creek: A fourtime qualifier in the 200 IM, Ketterling is poised for her best showing in the event after posting ninth-place finishes the past two years. This year she is the No. 2 seed. She'll also swim the 100 fly at state for the first time after qualifying in the 500 free the past three seasons. McKenzie Sanchez, jr., Racine Case: The three-time qualifier is the top diver back thanks to her fourth-place showing last year. She is the No. 4 seed and her seasonbest score of 508 ranked third on the state honor roll. Division 2 Dailey Albino, sr., New Berlin West: The Wisconsin pole vault recruit has three top-six finishes at state in diving and each year has improved her score. This year she is expected to battle Monona Grove’s Nikki Benedict for the title. Katie Hayes, jr., Brown Deer/University School: After back-to-back fourth-place finishes in the 200 IM, Hayes opted not to compete in that event this year. Instead she’ll swim the 100 breaststroke, an event she swam at state as a freshman, in addition to the 100 fly, in which she took second last year and is the No. 1 seed (57.05). Bella Passamani, sr., New Berlin Eisenhower: The UW-Milwaukee recruit is the top seed in the 500 free, where she is the defending champion, and the No. 2 seed in the 100 breaststroke.