Versatile Taylor helps Neuqua to title
Sophomore Courtney Taylor can swim wherever she's needed in the Neuqua Valley lineup.
At Saturday's Neuqua Valley Invitational, Taylor proved that she's proficient at every stroke by winning the 200 IM in 2:13.82 to help lead the host Wildcats to a team championship with 348 points.
Waubonsie Valley was second with 223 and St. Charles North was third with 193.
"We didn't do well at state last year," Taylor said. "This year we want to place higher. Today was a huge indicator that we can beat a lot of good teams. I'm excited about this season."
Taylor's individual goals are to qualify for state in both the 100 backstroke and the 200 IM and swim on two relays.
While Neuqua Valley first-year coach Mac Guy hasn't decided each swimmer's role on the sectional team, he was pleased with his team's showing.
"Courtney is just one of many of our swimmers who showed their potential today," Guy said. "Maggie Maxstadt, Amanda Childs were among the girls, along with our divers who did a great job of scoring points for us today."
Maxstadt won the 50 freestyle in 25.24 and diver Lauren Mikulecky won the diving competition with 388.35 to 386.55 points for her former teammate Taylor Eggenberger, who transferred to Waubonsie Valley. Two other Neuqua divers, Dana Lukens and Kara Pradzinski, finished seventh and eighth.
The Wildcats' 200 medley relay team of April Niccolai, Hanna Soltys, Brooke Bedford and Maxstadt, was also victorious.
"This meet is a building block for us for the rest of the year," Maxstadt said. "I'm very excited with the way our team swam today."
Childs finished second in the 500 freestyle, while Neuqua's Riley Schroedter and Hannah Soltys were second and third in the 100 freestyle.
The Wildcats' 200 freestyle relay team of Maxstadt, Schroedter, Lauren Pierce and Childs was also second.
Waubonsie Valley was led by freshman Gia Dalesandro's win in the 100 freestyle.
"Gia is swimming really well and we're excited to see what she can do further down the road," said Waubonsie Valley first-year coach Katie Peterson. "She has a really quick turnover. Her starts and her walls really help her. She also has a great underwater kick that gets her out further than most girls."
Megan Sellers of Metea Valley won the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:07.89 and the Mustangs' Lizzy Hollopeter was second in the 50 free.
Sellers finished fourth in the breaststroke at state last year as a freshman at Waubonsie Valley.
Rebecca Stoughton of Peoria Notre Dame broke both the meet and pool records with a time of 4:53.24 in the 500 freestyle and also broke the meet record with a 1:52.23 in the 200 freestyle.
Another meet record-breaker was Downers Grove North's Haley Sims, who swam a 57.04 in the 100 butterfly.