Greyhound swimmers win both Woodland relays and Nicolet sprints

Shorewood - Even with head coach Rob McCabe out of town for a family wedding and two top performers unavailable, the Shorewood girls swim team could not be slowed down at the Nicolet Sprint Invitational on Friday as the Greyhounds won their second major meet title in three days.

"Winning a nine team meet is terrific, even more tremendous is the fact we were without two of our senior captains (Genevieve Hayes and Ellen Stello) away on official college recruiting visits," McCabe said.

That had been preceded by an astounding effort in the Woodland Relays on Sept. 19 where the Greyhounds set seven meet records en route to dominating the meet.

"… Conference relays is generally a blast of a meet where the girls get so swim some crazy events and we get to the see strengths of our conference opponents," said McCabe. "Relay meets seem to bring out the best in the athletes. Often times we struggle on Wednesday's but not at this meet.

"The girls were white hot throughout the entire meet."

Shorewood accomplished all this despite being in the heart of a difficult training regimen.

The Greyhounds scored 353 points at the Nicolet event, which features no races more than 200 yards and focuses on 50-yard events to emphasize speed. Germantown was second with 324 and Whitefish Bay third with 317.

Kristin Malone and Rachel Munson were both double winners for the Greyhounds. Malone claimed the 100 individual medley (59.49) and the 100 freestyle (52.51) while Munson claimed the 200 IM (2:14.1) and the 50 breast stroke (30.61).

Other good finishes for the Greyhounds included the following: 400 medley relay: Melissa Clausen, Chloe Borut, Rachel Munson, Kristin Malone, Diana Yakshimamedova, Eva Jorn, Lucy Petrick and Anna Mueller, second (3:55.81); 50 free: Clausen, third (25.98); 200 IM: Monica Dix, third (2:28.21); 50 backstroke: Clausen, second (29.21); and 500 free relay: Clausen, Jorn, Mueller, Borut, Yunny Youm, Dix, Petrick, Yakshimamedova, Munson and Malone, second (4:29.06).

At the conference relays, Shorewood needed all that excellence to beat Whitnall, 324-304 for the title.

Among the seven firsts were the following: 200 medley relay: Borut, Munson, Yakshimamedova and Hayes (1:56.57); 400 individual medley relay: Stello, Munson, Borut and Malone (4:09.7, 25 seconds ahead of the runner-up); 500 free relay: Mueller, Borut, Hayes and Malone (4:48.98); 400 medley relay: Clausen, Munson, Stello and Yakshimamedova (4:08.38, 13-second victory); 400 free: Jorn, Hannah Miller, Hayes and Malone (3:50.88); 300 backstroke: Borut, Stello, Petrick and Clausen (3:03.66); and 300 breast stroke: Dix, Munson, Gruber and Malone (3:27.72, 16-second win).

Earning seconds were the 200 free relay team of Jorn, Mueller, Petrick and Clausen (1:47.39); the 300 butterfly team of Yakshimamedova, Jorn, Petrick and Stello (3:04.02) and the 100 free team of Yakshimamedova, Mueller, Hayes and Clausen (51.86).

McCabe noted that the Greyhounds made the meet much more interesting than it had to when their 100 medley relay team was disqualified.

But he couldn't hide his exuberance at the potential this team has for sectional and state competition.

"Not even a mental mistake could slow them down," he said. "… A total of 13 girls were on a record-breaking relays showing our depth and competitiveness. I told the girls coming into the meet that we would be in a good spot to win and set some records but I truly didn't envision seven meet records. Our lowest finish was fourth.

"I don't say this too often but that was pure domination. I think this team sent a bold, bright, neon statement to our competitors in (WIAA state) D2."