By Greg Keim
Northridge senior Jillian Welch and Wawasee sophomore Brittany Robinson grabbed No. 1 seeds in two individual events each Thursday during high school girls swimming sectional preliminaries at Concord.
Welch leads in the 200-yard individual medley (2:15.87) and 100 backstroke (1:02.28); Robinson in the 50 freestyle (24.12) and 100 butterfly (57.63).
Northridge senior Emily Wisolek leads in the 200 free (1:56.06) and the Raiders are No. 1 in the 200 medley and 400 free relays.
Northridge will be seeking its ninth consecutive sectional title Saturday when swimming finals begin at 1 p.m. Diving prelims are Saturday at 9 a.m.
“The girls who needed to swim fast did and the girls who needed to swim for place did,” Northridge coach Joe Keller said. “Some of the girls swam to make the Top Six (championship finals) and others to make the Top 12. For the girls who made the championship finals it doesn’t matter what lane they are in.”
Junior Greta Slabach (sixth in the 50 free in 26.16) and classmate Giuliana Lucchesi (fifth in the 100 free in 56.20) were two swimmers Keller highlighted.
“Slabach hardly ever swims the 50. She is more of a 200 or 500 free swimmer. But she moved herself up to the finals. Lucchesi moved herself up in the 100 free with a lifetime best.”
Goshen senior Mia Miller captured the top spot in the 100 free (53.99) and is second in the 50 free (24.81).
“Mia had a good swim in the 100,” Goshen coach Scott Garvin said. “She got off the blocks. She shut it down at the end. We think she can go even faster Saturday.”
Goshen junior Kayla Hussey is second in the 500 free (5:15.01).
“She did not have her best time, but looked strong and should be ready to go Saturday,” Garvin said.
Robinson is defending champion in her two events.
“She wanted to be No. 1 in those two,” Wawasee coach Julie Robinson said. “She likes to be a position where she can see what the swimmers on each side of her are doing.”
Concord sophomore Audra Burtch is No. 1 in the 500 free (5:05.68). Her time broke the sectional record.
“I’ve got to believe she can go faster Saturday,” Concord coach Tom Johnson said. “We are looking at getting her to state.”
Concord has the top three seeds in the 100 breaststroke. Junior Abigail Linn is first (1:09.83), senior Jennifer Dawson second (1:11.05) and sophomore Kylie Little third (1:12.37).
“The breaststroke is one of our better events,” Johnson said. “The three of them talked about going 1-2-3 in the sectional earlier in the season, like they did in the Northern Lakes Conference meet.
“In a way we are a little lucky to have three good breaststroke swimmers, but it’s also the fact they are competitive and push each other every day in practice.”
Concord also leads in the 200 free relay.
“We didn’t help ourselves like we could have in some events,” Johnson said. “We have some work to do on Saturday.”
