York Girls Swim and Dive Take Second at York Invite Sept. 28

By Alan Brinkmeier

Elmhurst, IL - Strong and fast.  That sums up the Homecoming weekend performance at York by the Girls Swim and Dive Team.  The Dukes gave St. Ignatius (Chicago) all it could handle and topped several other high quality area opponents at York Aquatic Center Saturday.

The Dukes varsity finished second to St. Ignatius, a squad that finished in the top eight again last year in the IHSA state meet.  In the nine-team meet the Wolfpack won by a score of 399 to the Dukes' 305. Prior Champ Deerfield HS from 2011 Invite took the diving competition but was a distant third overall with 165.5. Other schools rounding out the field at the Invite in order of finish were Addison Trail-Willowbrook 153, Latin School (Chicago)  93, Maine West 90, Hinsdale South 84.5, Riverside Brookfield, 63 and Crystal Lake 42.

At the York Invite, the top individual event York results were:

200 freestyle: Alison Brodt 3rd - 2:02.31 , Lydia Faber 6th, Maddie Kliebhan 8th

200 medley: Hannah Nolte 2nd – 2:15.16 Paula Nolte 3rd, Kirsten Rasnic 10th

50 freestyle: Jessica Woolfe 2nd – 25.13, Maggie Schlect 6th, Perri Brinkmeier 7th

Diving: sophomore Leah Young 4th – 282.75, Katie Fischer 6th, Anna Kirschbaum 8th

100 butterfly: Sam Marlott 7th - 1:05.48, Sarina Kao 12th

100 freestyle: Woolfe 4th - 55.41, Schlecht 6th, Paige Jaeger 12th

500 freestyle: Brodt 6th - 5:31.21, Faber 7th

100 backstroke: Nolte 3rd– 1:00.95, Brinkmeier 10th

100 breaststroke: Paula Nolte 1st -  1:10.13, Juliana Reinhofer 3rd, Kirsten Rasnic 10th

York’s relay teams were equally impressive:

York’s 200 freestyle relay finished third at 1:46.25. Jaeger, Schlect, P. Nolte and Kleibahn; and York also took 8th – Lauren Tamm, Marlott, Kao and Faber

York’s relay teams got the home Invite off to an impressive start with a second place time 1:53.84 in the 200 medley relay by Woolfe (28.53), P. Nolte (31.30), Marlott (28.89) and H. Nolte (25.12).

York also placed 9th in the 200 medley relay: Brinkmeier, Rasnic, Kao and Jaeger.

The meet ended with a 400 freestyle relay team coming in third behind St. Ignatius: Woolfe (55.22), Schlect (56.69), Brinkmeier (56.59) and H. Nolte (54.89) 3:43.39; and York 7th: Kleibhan, Brodt, Tamm, and Jaeger.

Diving Coach Larry Barcheski was particularly pleased in the three York divers’ second place overall finish.  York was just edged out by Deerfield in the dive competition.  “Leah Young finished with her own career best today at 282.75.  And Katie Fischer in 6th and Anna Kirschbaum in 8th showed these three divers are really on the upswing.”

Thursday this week the team hosted last year’s fifth place IHSA state team Downers Grove North in a dual meet and was handled 112 – 74.

York continues West Suburban Conference Silver action Thursday and will host Glenbard West.

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