Girls swimming: LC survives close Highland Invite
By Josh Lichtenfeld Post-Tribune correspondent January 5, 2013 9:44PM
Lake Central's Liz Markiewicz (middle) and Alaina Willis (right ) celebrate with teamates after winning the Highalnd girls swimming invite held at Highland High School on Saturday January 5, 2013. | Charles Mitchell~For Sun-Times Media
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Updated: February 7, 2013 6:51AM
For three of the top girls swimming programs in the region, something remained evident after Saturday’s Highland Invite.
Breathing room will be dense when sectionals come around.
“It’s very competitive,” Lake Central coach Todd Smolinski said following his team’s narrow 388-378 win over the defending invite champ Munster. “Looking at today’s results it’s very competitive with our region teams.”
Especially in regards to the upcoming Lake County-based sectional later this winter, the meet is foreshadowing of much to come. Finishing in the top three spots, the Indians, Seahorses and third-place finisher Crown Point (315) were immersed in a dogfight through the final races.
In addition to contributing as legs on the winning 200 medley and 400 free relay teams, the Bulldogs’ talented trio of Aly Tetzloff (200 free, 1:52.47 and 100 fly, 55.98), Racheal Bukowski (50 free, 23.98 and the 100 free, 52.83) and Holly Schuster (100 back, 59.27 and the 200 IM, 2:08.80) fueled Crown Point’s staying power with multiple wins. Off nine firsts, including diver Charlie Wayne’s 368.80 points to capture that event’s top spot, the Bulldogs chased the depth of Lake Central and Munster.
“All three teams are kind of dead-locked through the 100 freestyle,” Seahorses coach Matt Pavlovich said of the first seven events. “(Crown Point’s wins) that really kind of puts the pressure on Lake Central and us.”
Traci Muszalski helped the Indians break onto the board with her win in the 500 free and her contribution to the successful 200 free relay effort.
“Depth was key, just going out and grabbing those points,” Smolinski said. “Just looking at this meet, depth was going to be the big factor here. Who could move up from those seed times?”
Before the postseason, Lake Central and Munster will face off in a non-conference dual in the next couple of weeks.
“From here, we just keep building on this,” Smolinski said. “We’re going to stay motivated.”
