Senczyszyn-led Grafton makes most of its numbers against larger teams in meet
Numbers haven’t favored the Grafton girls’ swimming and diving squad very often this season.
Talent is another matter.
Despite having significantly fewer team members than most of their foes, the Black Hawks more than held their own in two meets last week by maximizing their point production.
After defeating Nicolet in a North Shore Conference dual meet on Sept. 27, Grafton posted a solid fourth-place effort at the Bulldog Invitational in Cedarburg Saturday.
The Hawks had nine top-four finishes and scored 336 points, close behind runner-up New Berlin Eisenhower (358) and third-place Divine Savior Holy Angels (355).
Cedarburg rolled to the meet title with 567 points. Rounding out the eight-team field were Racine Case (289) in fifth, followed by Kiel (171), Brown Deer/University School (129) and West Bend East (109).
Sophomore Sam Senczyszyn continued to shine for Grafton by winning the 50-yard freestyle (24.44 seconds) and 100 breaststroke (1:05.35).
The Hawks’ other top-four finishes were seconds by Stephanie Haebig in the 100 backstroke (1:02.42) and the 200 medley relay of Haebig, Senczyszyn, Rachel Hauer and Kaitlyn Brooks (1:52.96) and fourths by Gabby Kraus in diving (a personal-best 314.2 points), Haebig in the 200 freestyle (2:03.41), Hauer in the 100 butterfly (1:04.57), the 200 freestyle relay of Brooks, Katherine Bordetskaya, Katelyn Gallun and Ally Sandoval (1:50.41) and the 400 freestyle relay of Haebig, Senczyszyn, Hauer and Bordetskaya (3:50.39).
“We did pretty well. We tried to get as many girls in the top six as we could,” Grafton coach John Douglass said.
Based on the quality of the competition and his team’s smaller lineup, Douglass was pleased with the Hawks’ finish.
“I was kind of thinking fourth place, but halfway through the meet we were in second,” he said. “We just had fewer numbers in the second half.”
Grafton was without freshman standout Natalie Keshemberg due to illness.
The Hawks’ other finishes included a fifth by Paige Schommer in diving (306.15 points); sixths by Hauer in the 200 individual medley (2:21.87), Bordetskaya in the butterfly (1:06.64) and Brooks in the 100 freestyle (59.3); and a seventh by Bordetskaya in the individual medley (2:26.01).
Grafton 105, Nicolet 81
The host Hawks had eight first-place finishes against a much larger team Sept. 27.
“Nicolet has 45 to 50 kids, and we have 18,” Douglass said.
Grafton’s individual firsts came from Senczyszyn in the butterfly (59.83) and backstroke (1:00.62), Haebig in the individual medley (2:20.68), Kraus in diving (194.7 points) and Hauer in the breaststroke (1:10.75).
The Hawks got relay wins from the medley team of Haebig, Hauer, Bordetskaya and Gallun (1:58.95); the 200 freestyle team of Gallun, Senczyszyn, Brooks and
Hauer (1:45.74); and the 400 freestyle team of Bordetskaya, Senczyszyn, Haebig and Brooks (3:51.76).
This week, Grafton faced Whitefish Bay in a conference meet Tuesday. The Hawks will continue NSC competition with a 6 p.m. meet at Milwaukee Lutheran on Oct. 9.
Pirates fall in dual meets
The Port Washington girls’ swimming and diving team had trouble keeping pace with strong foes in a pair of home meets last week.
After losing to Kohler, 107-66, on Sept. 25, the Pirates were dunked by Whitefish Bay, 135-44, two days later.
Against Kohler, the Pirates received first-place finishes from Kelsey Zeman in the 200 individual medley (2:34.08), Kelsey Brockman in the 100 backstroke (1:13.08), Hayley Seitz in diving (201.7 points) and the 400 freestyle relay team of Brockman, Madeline Binsfeld, Elise Anderson and Zeman (4:36.92).
“It was a pretty good meet. Kohler had a few more girls than us, which made the difference,” said Port coach Melissa Hoogester, who noted that her squad was missing three girls for the nonconference meet due to illness.
The Pirates faced a tougher challenge against Bay, a perennial power, in a North Shore Conference outing.
“We let the girls choose their own event. It was a fun meet,” Hoogester said.
Port’s lone first-place finish came from Seitz in diving (191 points).
Taking second were Zeman in the 100 freestyle (1:01.12) and Brockman in the 100 breaststroke (1:28.19).
This week, the Pirates faced Germantown on Tuesday. Their next meet will be Oct. 9, when they host Cedarburg at 6 p.m.
Image Information: KAITLYN BROOKS was a member of Grafton’s winning 200 and 400-yard freestyle relays in a North Shore Conference meet against Nicolet. Photo by Sam Arendt
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