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wilmettebeacon.com SPORTS
the wilmette beacon | November 15, 2018 | 47
Girls swimming and diving
Depth leads New Trier to sectional crown
1st-and-3
22CM FILE PHOTO
Three STARS of the
week
1. Carly Novelline
(above). The New
Trier freshman
girls swimmer
qualified in
four events at
the sectional,
including a win
in the 50-yard
freestyle.
2. Leslie and Alexis
Wendel. The NT
swimming sisters
both qualified in
three events for
the state meet.
Both in the 400-
yard free relay
and 200-yard
free. Alexis also
made it in the
500-yard free and
Leslie in the 100-
yard butterfly.
3. Michael Gavric.
The LA running
back scored the
game-clinching
TD against Maine
South.
David Jaffe
Freelance Reporter
New Trier has a bright
future with a lot of young
talented swimmers.
But those swimmers are
succeeding in the present
as well. The Trevians qualified
at least one swimmer
for the IHSA state meet
in every event during the
Glenbrook North Sectional
Saturday, November
10. Five of the swimmers
who qualified were freshmen
who helped New Trier
win the sectional with 304
points.
Freshman Carly Novelline
qualified in two events
as well as two relays winning
the 50-yard freestyle
in 23.58 seconds.
“For the 50, I was focusing
on the aspects that had
hurt me,” Novelline said.
“I’ve had some disqualifications
in the 50 so I spent
time before the sectional
working on my starts off
the blocks. Once I was
able to overcome that, I
knew what I needed to do.
I got out and was able to
win the race.”
Novelline was also third
in the 100-yard freestyle
(52.37) and was part of
the second place 200-yard
freestyle relay (1:36.99)
and third place 400-yard
freestyle relay (3:33.53).
Some of New Trier’s other
state qualifiers included
freshman Leslie Wendel in
the 200 free and 100-yard
butterfly, freshman Alexis
Wendel in the 200 free
and 500-yard freestyle and
winners were Greta Pelzek
in the butterfly, freshman
Jane Sanderson in the
backstroke and freshman
Kaelyn Gridley in the 100-
yard breaststroke.
Two Trevian divers also
qualified for the state meet
as last year’s state runnerup
Katie Lipsey took second
with 478.65 points
and Erin McNally third
with 459.
Glenbrook South’s
Catherine Devine had
qualified in the 50 free last
season. But this season,
she added the 100 free to
her list of state qualifications.
Devine was fourth in
the 100 (52.42) and felt it
was because she was much
more focused on what she
needed to do to succeed.
“Your mindset is the
number one thing that
can make a difference,”
Devine said. “It can affect
your race based off of
if you’re mentally ready
or not. That was what I
changed as far as the 100
this year. I was much more
focused and able to better
block out any distractions.
This time I was mentally
ready and it showed.”
Devine once again qualified
in the 50 free taking
second (23.71). She was
also part of the Titans’
qualifying third-place 200
free relay and fourth-place
qualifying 400 free relay.
New Trier’s Audrey Richardson swims the 200-yard individual medley Saturday, Nov.
10, in Northbrook Scott Margolin/22nd Century Media
GBS was third (189) overall
as a team.
Alexis Kachkin qualified
in the 50 taking third
and Kate Solem made the
state cut in the 500 finishing
third.
The sectional was the
final meet as GBN’s head
coach for Robin Walker.
Walker has been a swimming
coach for 33 years,
27 of them with the Spartans.
During his tenure at
GBN, he had 12 swimmers
finish top 10 at state,
212 state qualifiers, 132 of
those going on to become
All-State athletes, 20 All-
Americans with a total of
58 All-American swims.
And yet there is more to
what Walker meant to the
program than those accomplishments.
Although GBN was unable
to qualify anyone for
state, you couldn’t tell that
once the sectional was
over. No one on the team
wanted to leave and they
couldn’t stop taking pictures
with him.
“The best part of coaching
hasn’t been these
accomplishments. It’s
been watching these kids
throughout the years
evolve and grow into better
swimmers and good
people,” Walker said.
“Today’s meet was about
transformation and I think
you’ve seen that with
everyone who’s come
through this program.
They’ve grown physically,
mentally and emotionally.
I can’t be grateful enough
about my good fortune
during my time here. We
may not have qualified
anyone today but you look
over there and tell me it
doesn’t look like we had
a great meet. These girls
don’t want it to be over.
The metric I think I’ve
set is about more than just
state qualifications.”
Kamila Nowak just
barely missed qualifying
in the breast finishing
with a time of 1:06.55
which missed by .01 seconds.
The Spartans were
sixth (104).
After graduating two of
its top swimmers in Shannon
Kearney and Margaret
Guanci, Loyola Academy
was a younger team
this year. Ultimately the
Ramblers were unable to
qualify anyone to the state
meet. But coach Mike
Hengelmann saw his team
make a lot of progress during
the sectional.
“Maddy Reed had nice
swims in the fly and back
and leading off our 400 relay,”
Hegelmann said. “A
couple of seniors did well
including Catherine Holecek.
We had a lot of time
drops and personal bests
today. It was a younger
team and different than
what we’ve had recently
but I was happy with what
I saw from them.”
Stephanie Udzielak
swam 59.95 in the back
with the state cut 58.61.
Loyola was seventh (73.5).
Listen Up
“The second touchdown was very important
and after the third (quarter), we felt good.”
John Holecek — Loyola football coach on his team’s
mentality during the second half of its game.
tunE in
What to watch this week
GIRLS SWIMMING: The state’s best teams, including New
Trier, battle it out for the title.
• New Trier travels to Evanston for the state finals Oct.
16-17 at Evanston High School.
Index
42 - This Week In
41 - Athlete of the Week
Fastbreak is compiled by Sports Editor Michael
Wojtychiw, m.wojtychiw@22ndcenturymedia.com.