Ella Houwers spent the last year developing her skills in the butterfly and backstroke so she could be one of the most well-rounded swimmers in the state. And yet she was persistent in remaining elite in the breaststroke.
On Friday night, all of that added up to the first state championship in Whitewater’s girls program’s history, and Houwers added three other state medals earlier in the night.
The Milton High junior swam the 100-yard backstroke in 56.11 seconds Saturday, finishing fifth in the event and posting the top finish for any area swimmer at the UW-Madison Natatorium.
Houwers won a state title and set a school record in the 100-yard breaststroke, topping a 16-swimmer field in a time of 1 minute, 5.34 seconds to become the Whippets' first girls champion.
The WIAA state girls swim meets are Friday (Division 2) and Saturday (Division 1) in Madison.
WIAA girls swim sectional competitions were Saturday, with the top competitors advancing to the state meet later this week.
Janesville Craig was eighth with 34 points. Janesville Parker/Evansville was 10th with 10 points.
Rylee Coleman, Allison Blank and Sommer Rhodes were part of two winning relays to lead Janesville Craig's girls swim team to a second-place finish Saturday at the Cougar Relays.
Kailee Sitter won the 500-meter freestyle in 5 minutes, 46.47 seconds, while Megan Klinger won the 100-meter breaststroke in 1:18.11 to lead the Vikings.
West Bend West/East easily took the team title with 605.5 points. Host Beloit was second at 375.5, with Badger High third at 346. Edgerton collected 308 points, while Janesville Parker/Evansville was eighth with 239, and Delavan-Darien/Wisconsin School for the Deaf had 84.
Sommer Rhodes and Rylee Coleman combined to win three events Friday as the Janesville Craig girls swim team fell in a Big Eight Conference dual at home against Madison West. Kailee Sitter picked up Janesville Parker/Evansville's only win against Madison Memorial.
The Regents defeated the Vikings 136-34 at Parker High School.
Division 2 powerhouses Baraboo and Madison Edgewood finished first and second with 418.5 and 410 points, respectively. Craig was third with 277 and Milton was fifth with 241.
Sommer Rhodes, Kaylee Oja and Rylee Coleman each secured two individual wins as the Janesville Craig High girls swim team defeated Madison East 117-53; Middleton downed Parker 137-33.
Danielle Cramer is a two-time Division 1 state qualifier in swim, and if the early results are any indication, the Milton High junior should be headed back to the UW Natatorium for a third straight year.
Five notable performances in area high school sports from the past week and five events to watch over the next seven days.
Kailee Sitter won two individual races and contributed to a winning relay as the Janesville Parker/Evansville girls swim team defeated Madison East on Friday.
The Spartans finished with 550 points, with Milton finishing a distant second with 313. Janesville Parker/Evansville was sixth.
The Thunderbirds finished with 376 points, with Bartlett (Ill.) finishing second with 346. Janesville Craig was third with 322 and host Parker/Evansville co-op team was ninth with 242.
Cassidy Carey won the 100-yard backstroke in 1 minute, 0.52 seconds to give the Vikings their only win in a 135-35 loss, while the Cougars fell 124-66 against Verona.
The Cougars (1-1 Big Eight) won the Big Eight Conference dual, 106-64. The Vikings fell to 0-2 in league duals.
Two freshmen topped the list of finishers as Janesville Parker/Evansville began its Big Eight Conference girls swimming season against visiting Verona/Mount Horeb on Friday night. Janesville Craig came up just short in its Big Eight Conference meet at Beloit on Friday night.
The 2018 high school fall sports schedule begins Thursday as Janesville Craig, Janesville Parker and Milton's girls golf teams tee off.
The Janesville Parker/Evansville girls swim team scored 324 points to finish sixth out of eight teams at Saturday’s Beloit Memorial Invite.
Erin Donagan won two individual events in her return to the Janesville Craig swim lineup, but the Cougars fell 110-60 to the visiting Madison West Regents in a Big Eight Conference swim dual Friday night at Craig High.
Division 2 girls swimming powerhouse Madison Edgewood dominated the Fort Atkinson Invitational on Saturday.
Danielle Cramer won two individual events to help lead Milton High’s girls swim team to a third-place finish at the Elks Invite in Elkhorn on Saturday.
Baraboo High’s girls swim team held off Beloit Memorial on Saturday to win the Parker Relays.
Maddie Nelson won two individual events and anchored the winning 400 freestyle relay team to help Janesville Parker/Evansville down Madison East 94-76 in a Big Eight Conference girls swimming meet Thursday.
