The WIAA Division 2 state swimming and diving meet will fill the University of Wisconsin Natatorium Friday afternoon and evening with intense competition.
Who looks to fare well?
Chilton/Brillion/Valders’ swimmer Parker Sonnabend is the favorite in the 100-yard breaststroke with the fastest seed teim at :57.20. Additionally, Sonnabend is seeded second in the 200-yard medley.
Jackson Hodek of Ashwaubenon is the number four seed in the 500-yard freestyle while Jacob Nortin of the Sturgeon Bay Co-op team is seeded sixth in the 100-yard breaststroke.
Other competitors from the area include: Charlie Tanouye of Kiel/Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah in diving, Alec Nicholson of Plymouth in diving, the Ashwaubenon, Sturgeon Bay Co-op, Berlin/Green Lake and Plymouth 200-yard medley relay teams, David Suttner of Chilton/Brillion/Valders and Ashwaubenon’s Hodek in the 200-yard freestyle, Brock Aune of Sturgeon Bay Co-op in the 50-yard freestyle, Joe Steffel of Ashwaubenon in teh 100-yard butterfly, Forest Olsen and Jack Steinhardt both of Plymouth in the 100-yard freestyle, the Ashwaubenon, Sturgeon Bay Co-op, Plymouth and Berlin/Green Lake 200-yard freestyle relay teams, Nick Messamore of Ashwaubenon, Brock Aune, Drew Rass and Norton of Sturgeon Bay Co-op in the 100-yard breaststroke and Plymouth in the 400-yard freestyle relay.
Here’s what you need to know about Friday’s meet.
The diving competition begins Friday at 2:30 p.m., and the swimming finals will follow at 6:30 p.m. Here is the order of events (all events in yards):
Order of Events
1. Diving
2. 200 Medley Relay
3. 200 Freestyle
4. 200 Individual Medley
5. 50 Freestyle
6. 100 Butterfly
7. 100 Freestyle
8. 500 Freestyle
9. 200 Freestyle Relay
10. 100 Backstroke
11. 100 Breaststroke
12. 400 Freestyle Relay
LAST YEAR: In Division 2, Edgewood won the team championship with 289 points, and Monona Grove placed second with 184 points.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES-DIVISION 2: Three of last year’s individual events feature the return of its champion, and three relays return in an attempt to win back-to-back titles.
Junior Ben Stitgen of Edgewood has won the diving title the last two seasons. He appears poised to win his third title, entering the championships this week with the top qualifying performance at sectionals with a score of 471.15.
Senior Truman teDuits of Edgewood is the likely favorite to win his second straight title in the 200 individual medley with a qualifying time of 1:51.30, which is more than four seconds faster than the next-best qualifier. He also finished runner-up in the event in 2018 and fourth in 2017.
In the 100 butterfly, teDuits has recorded the fastest seed time at 49.86. He will be challenged by, among others, senior Hunter Johnson of Elkhorn, who finished third last season and comes into the meet with the fourth-fastest time.
Edgewood’s Nate Frucht, a senior, attempts to win the 200 freestyle for the second consecutive season. His qualifying time of 1:43.56 leads all other qualifiers in the event. Frucht also returns to the 500 freestyle as the top returning finisher in last year’s race. His qualifying time of 4:52.53 this year ranks fifth in the event.
Freshman Evan Schmidt of Stoughton possesses the top seed time in the 500 freestyle at 4:48.43.
Senior Travis Phillips of Tomahawk is the top seed in the 50 freestyle with a time of 21.33.
The event promises to be one of the more competitive races with five of the top nine finishers from last season returning, including junior Liam Hogan of Lakeland, who finished runner-up. He is seeded third with a time of 21.82.
Senior Aidan Lohr of Baraboo is the fastest qualifier in the 100 freestyle with a time of 46.67. He will need to contend with Hogan, who is the second-fastest qualifier at 47.81, and senior Lucas Koepke of Elkhorn, who is the top returning finisher in the event after placing fourth a year ago. Lohr is also the swiftest qualifier in the 100 backstroke with a time of 49.74 after he earned the silver medal last year. He also placed third in the event in 2018 and ninth in 2017.
Senior Parker Sonnabend of the Chilton/Brillion/Valders Co-op has clocked in with the top qualifying time in the 100 breaststroke with a sectional time of 57.20 after placing fifth last year.
Senior Brock Aune of the Sturgeon Bay/Gibraltar/ Sevastopol/Southern Door Co-op is the top returning swimmer in the 100 breaststroke after finishing runner-up the last two seasons. He comes into the meet with the third-fastest seed time of 58.32.
The Edgewood 200 medley and 400 freestyle relays are in pursuit of their second straight titles.
The Crusaders’ 200 medley relay is the fastest qualifying quartet with a time of 1:36.88, and their 400 freestyle relay ranks second with a time of 3:14.83, which is slightly behind Elkhorn’s time of 3:13.32. Rhinelander returns to defend its title in the 200 freestyle.
The Hodags are the third-fastest qualifiers in the event this season with a time of 1:29.98. Elkhorn is the top seed with a time of 1:27.00.
