TINA L. SCOTT
EDITOR
The 52nd Annual Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) Girls Swimming and Diving Championships were held Friday and Saturday, Nov. 12-13, at the Waukesha South High School Natatorium. Four Merrill Girls qualified for the State competition: Amber Winter, Bailee Sommer, Grace Schultz, and Claire Schultz. The Merrill Girls competed on Friday in Division 2.
In Division 2, each event winner and the next 12 fastest times or scores from all the 4 sectionals combined qualified to compete at the State level.
According to the WIAA, the WIAA began girls swimming and diving championships in 1970 and moved to a two-division format in 1992.
The 200 Yard Medley Relay team of Amber Winter, Bailee Sommer, Grace Schultz, and Claire Schultz took eighth place at State and set another new school record with a time of 1:50.11 [after just setting a new school record during Sectionals with a time of 1:51.12].
The same team of four girls also took seventh place in the 200 Yard Freestyle Relay at State with a time of 1:40.52, beating their time at Sectionals by more than two seconds.
Senior Grace Schultz took seventh place at State in the 100 Yard Backstroke with a time of 57:41, beating her Sectional time by more than two seconds, and setting a new school record.
Senior Claire Schultz came in eighth place at State in the 50 Yard Freestyle with a time of 24.38, improving on her time at Sectionals, which was 24.70, and also set a new school record.
Grace Schultz also came in 10th place at State in the 200 Yard IM and set a new school record with a time of 2:09.76 [after just setting a new school record during Sectionals with a time of 2:12.15], beating her Sectioal time by more than two seconds. Junior Amber Winter competed in the same event and beat her own qualifying time at Sectionals with a time of 2:15.94 at State, putting her in 15th place at the finish. [Her time at Sectionals was 2:16.41.]
Amber Winter came in 11th place at State in the 100 Yard Breaststroke with a time of 1:08.15.
Merrill Girls Varsity Swimmers, as a team, came in 13th place out of 33 teams with a total score of 84, representing the total score the Lady Jays racked up in their individual and team events. In first place and 2021 State Champions, Edgewood High School Girls racked up 394 points to take the title.
“The State Swim Meet is always a high energy fast-paced meet with amazing talent from around the state,” said Merrill Girls Varsity Swim Coach Kristie Winter. “The girls stepped up to the challenge and swam great, even after a very long day and quick turnaround between their events.”
“As a team, we finished in 13th place, 5 spots ahead of Rice Lake who got us at Sectionals,” she added. “The girls really swam well at their last meet of the season.”