Port quintet qualifies for state swim meet

It had been well more than a decade since Port Washington High School qualified a relay for the state girls’ swim meet, and now the Pirates are sending two of the four-member squads.

The same quartet swam both, and they’re all underclassmen. Juniors Edynn Strube, Lily Kerbel, Anna Nisiewicz and freshman Amanda Lotz punched their tickets on Saturday, and Lotz qualified in two individual events.

The 200-yard freestyle relay finished in 1 minute, 44.69 seconds and the 400 freestyle relay in 3:51.24, both taking third at the Whitefish Bay Division 2 sectional on Saturday. Aside from the four sectional champions, those were among the fastest 12 times in Division 2, which sends the Pirates to Friday’s state meet at Waukesha South.

The 200 freestyle missed Port’s school record by 0.18 seconds. Lotz told coach Dani Peiffer “We’ll get it next week.”

“It’s quite amazing to think back to the beginning of the season when we set the goal of making it to state in the 400 free relay,” Peiffer said. “Not only did we make it in the 400, we made it in the 200 and by much bigger margins than anticipated.”

The Pirates swam to individual records in 16 events, and all three of its relays had their best swims.

 “The girls delivered strong performances in their individual events this season, but their relay efforts were outstanding,” Peiffer said. “They consistently showed up for one another, and it was inspiring to witness their teamwork and camaraderie in action.”

Lotz was second to her club team training partner in the 200 freestyle and 100 backstroke. She swam the 200 free in 1:53.96 and the 100 backstroke in 57.55 seconds. Whitefish Bay’s Anne Dickinson won the 200 freestyle in 1:48.13 and the 100 backstroke in 54.27 seconds.

“Lotz once again proved her ability to perform at big meets,” Peiffer said.

Port’s freshman diver Chloe Barber qualified by finishing fifth of seven divers with 325 points, a personal-best by five points.

“Chloe has had an amazing season. She has learned so much and has gained lots of confidence in her diving skills,” coach Dennis Hubert said.

“Her qualifying score would have had her qualify for the last seven state meets. This meet will add to her experience and spark even more determination and higher future goals. She has a bright future in diving.”

The Pirates scored 228 points and finished one point behind third-place Wauwatosa West in the 14-team meet. Whitefish Bay won with 436, followed by Shorewood’s 337 and Wauwatosa West’s 229.

Grafton’s small team of 10 still managed to score 108 points and finish eighth.

Senior Kylee Grimm is returning to state in the 100 freestyle. She was fifth in 56.64 seconds.

She was fourth in the 50 freestyle in 25.67 seconds, barely missing a qualifying time.

“Both races were really fun to watch. I hadn’t seen her go that fast in a long while,” coach Jack O’Connor said. “Even more impressive was the fact that she had an injury that took her out of the pool for about three weeks. I’m super stoked for her to be going to state.”

Senior Hannah Gompper couldn’t quite make it three straight trips to state in the 500 freestyle. She was sixth in 5:46.92.

“That’s the brutality of swimming. An entire season boils down into a five-and-a-half-minute race that determines if you remain a swimmer or make the transition to swammer,” O’Connor said. “Even if she had gone a best time by less than a second she still wouldn’t have made it to state.”

Gompper swam a personal-record in the 100 backstroke, finishing eighth in 1:03.54.

“Her 100 back was the fastest I’ve ever seen her go in that event. I think she was happy about that,” O’Connor said.

O’Connor said he has enjoyed coaching the two seniors, Grimm for four years and Gompper for six.

“It’s been an incredible journey watching them go through high school and navigate all the good and bad times,” he said. “It’s been the pleasure of a lifetime to get to be their coach. They’re both incredible people who are going to leave a massive Hannah and Kylee-shaped hole in the team next year.”

For Port, seniors Nora Richmond and Teagan Zuraw finished their careers on a high note, Peiffer said.

Zuraw helped the 200 medley relay to seventh in 2:05.31. The order was freshman Sophia Schicker, Zuraw and juniors Amanda Crass and Sophia Panek.

Zuraw also was eighth in the 500 freestyle in a personal-record 6:00.32 and 12th in the 100 breaststroke in 1:18.97.

Richmond was 13th in the 200 freestyle in a personal-record 2:25.46.

Freshman Sophia Schicker was 10th in the 100 backstroke in a personal-record 1:06.76, moving her to fifth-fastest in school history in the event.

Other top finishers for Port were: Harper Walber-Yoshioka, 200 individual medley, eighth, 2:30.82 (personal record); Anna Nisiewicz, 200 individual medley, ninth, 2:31.92 (PR), and 100 butterfly, 10th, 1:09.08; Lily Kerbel, 50 freestyle, 10th, 27.0 (PR); Panek, 50 freestyle, 11th, 27.15 (PR); Strube, 50 freestyle, 12th 27.43, and 100 freestyle, 10th, 59.51; Amanda Crass, 100 butterfly, 11th, 1:13.61 (PR); and Kerbel, 100 freestyle, 12th, 59.83.

Other top Grafton finishers were: 200 medley relay of Grace Nolte, Ruby Adams, Leila Coppersmith and Grimm, eighth, 2:18.03; Coppersmith, 100 butterfly, 13th, 1:20.53; 200 freestyle relay of Laine Walton, Grace Uttke, Libbie Coleman and Adams, 12th, 2:14.19; and the 400 freestyle relay of Nolte, Walton, Uttke and Coppersmith, 4:39.43.