WIAA girls state swim meet preview

Division 2 Diving – 12:30 p.m.

Division 2 Swimming Events – 5:30 p.m.

Division 1 Diving – 9:30 a.m.

Division 1 Swimming Events – 2:30 p.m.

Swimming events will run consecutively following the first event’s starting time on the respective days. Here is the order of events (all events in yards):

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

INDIVIDUAL NOTES-DIVISION 1:  Two individual events and all three relays feature their returning champions. Junior Jane Garlock of Middleton accounts for both those individual event champions. She is reigning champion in the 50- and 100-yard freestyles. The three-time qualifier also finished runner-up in the 100 freestyle in 2024 and third in the 50 freestyle. This season, she is the top qualifier in both events with times of 22.97 in the 50 freestyle and 49.41 in the 100 freestyle. The qualifying field for diving competition features two competitors that placed in the top four in 2026. Sophomore Quinn Mazur of Middleton has the top qualifying performance at 528.90 after finishing runner-up last season. Senior Keira Quigley of Menomonee Falls/Hamilton is seeded second with a qualifying score of 501.80 after placing fourth a year ago. Junior Ava Jewell of Muskego is the top returning competitor in the 200 freestyle after finishing third last year. She enters the meet with the second-best qualifying time of 1:52.40. Senior Brynn Sundell of Middleton possesses the event’s best seed time at 1:48.92. Another Middleton swimmer turned in the best qualifying time in the 200 individual medley. Junior Abigail Frommelt enters the State Meet with a sectional time of 2:02.45. Junior Avery Antoniewski of Waukesha South/Mukwonago is the top returning swimmer to that event with a sixth-place finish last season after placing 12th in 2024. She has the sixth-quickest qualifying time this season at 2:08.53. Frommelt also possesses the fastest qualifying time in the 100 butterfly at 55.30. Senior Rian Jost of Middleton is the next-fastest qualifier in the event with a seed time of 56.35 after she placed ninth last season, which represents the top returning swimmer in the event. Five competitors that placed in the top nine last season in the 500 freestyle return to the event this year, led by Sundell, who was runner-up in 2025 and 2024. The four-time qualifier also placed fifth in 2023. She earned the top seed in the event with her time of 4:55.12 at sectionals last week. Antoniewski has the fastest time among qualifiers in the 100 backstroke at 56.50. She is also the top returning finisher in the event, placing fourth in 2025 after a runner-up finish in 2024. Other contenders for the title are sophomore Lauren Barnes of Appleton North and senior Ally Gordon of Menomonee Falls/Hamilton, who are seeded second and third in the event with qualifying times of 56.33 and 56.55, respectively. The 100 breaststroke is loaded with competitors possessing State Meet experience with five finishers in the top seven a year ago returning to the event. Junior Maddie Loken of Appleton North, who was runner-up last year and fifth in 2024, possesses the fastest qualifying time of 1:02.59. Middleton is the two-time returning champion in all three relays, and they have the quickest qualifying time in them all this year. The Cardinals’ 200 freestyle relay enters the meet with a time of 1:34.24, and the 400 freestyle relay possesses a seed time of 3:26.11. Their 200 medley relay turned in the best qualifying performance of 1:44.00 at sectionals last week.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES-DIVISION 2:  There are four individual events and three relays featuring their returning champions seeking additional gold medals. Junior Maggie Dickinson of Whitefish Bay is the two-time returning champion in a pair of events and she possesses the fastest qualifying times in both those events this season. She won the 50 freestyle and the 100 backstoke in 2024 and 2025, and she is in position to win a third title in each event with seed times of 23.25 and 54.65, respectively. Junior Elsa Nordstrom of Brown Deer/University School of Milwaukee is the defending champion in the diving competition after placing fourth in 2024. She enters the meet with the third-best qualifying performance at sectionals with a score of 405.25. Junior Emily Loest of Kohler/Sheboygan Falls/Sheboygan Lutheran, who has placed ninth the past two seasons, possesses the top qualifying performance of 433.05. Senior Aibhy King of Whitefish Bay is the the two-time returning champion and top qualifier this year in the 100 butterfly with a time of 55.75. There are seven other qualifiers returning in the event that placed in the top 12 last year, but she has more than a two-second advantage over the next-fastest qualifier. Sophomore Amanda Lotz of Port Washington is the top returning performer in the 200 freestyle following her runner-up finish last year. She has the second-best seed time at 1:54.29. She’ll need to contend with junior Katelyn Anderson of Whitefish Bay, who possesses the fastest qualifying time of 1:53.25. In the 500 freestyle, Lotz is the fastest qualifier with a time of 5:08.72. The next-best qualifying time is more than five seconds off Lotz’s pace. Sophomore Lucy Peterson is the top returning finisher back from last year after placing fourth. King, the runner-up in the 200 individual medley  last season, is the second-swiftest qualifier in the event this year with a time of 2:09.94. Junior Holland Tainter of Antigo owns the fastest qualifying time in the event at 2:09.87. In the 100 freestyle, four-time qualifier Vivian Lamers returns with the third-fastest sectional time of 53.27. She is the event’s top returning finisher after placing runner-up in 2025. Lamers also placed fourth in 2024 and fifth in 2023. The top qualifying time of 52.34 in the 100 freestyle belongs to Nola Quinn of Nicolet. Freshman Elena Loomans could also contend for the title with the second-fastest seed time of 52.77. Sophomore Ria Pobric of Brookfield Central has the fastest time among qualifiers in the 100 breaststroke at 1:05.24. She transitions to Division 2 after qualifying in the event in Division 1 in 2025. Senior Ella Heck of Rhinelander finished fifth in the breaststroke in 2024, and placed third last season, which distinguishes her as the top returner to this year’s field. She has the events fifth-fastest seed time this year at 1:06.67. Whitefish Bay is the returning champion in each of the relays. The Blue Dukes have posted the fastest seed times 200 medley relay at 1:45.74 and in the 400 freestyle relay at 3:33.87. Their time of 1:40.30 in the 200 freestyle relay ranks fourth among the qualifiers. Nicolet has the distinction of having the quickest time in the event at 1:38.86.

HOW THEY QUALIFIED:  Winners of each event at the the five sectionals for both divisions qualify for the State Meet. In addition, the next 19 (Division 1 and Division 2) fastest individuals/relay teams/divers (not including sectional winners) from all sectionals qualify in their respective events.