Merrill Varsity Girls Swim Team: On the road to State

Tournament season is here. The Merrill Varsity Girls Swim Team started on the road to State with a trip to Wisconsin Rapids on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024, for the Wisconsin Valley Conference meet.
“As a team, they finished fourth place behind Stevens Point, DC Everest, and Wausau West,” said Merrill Varsity Girls Swim Team Head Coach Kristie Winter. “The ladies kicked the meet off with a season-best, All Conference Honorable Mention third place finish in the 200 yard medley relay with a time of 1:58.20. The relay was swam by Addison Jirovec, Olivia Pajtash, Marissa Miles, and Claire Jirovec.”
“Emily Winter followed up in the next event with a podium sixth place finish in the 200 yard freestyle cutting 3 seconds from her seed time with a 2:14.56,” she said. “In the 200 yard individual medley, Addison Jirovec was back on the podium finishing seventh for the team in 2:29.99. Then her sister Claire swam her way to an All Conference Second Team swim in the 50 yard freestyle with a time of 26.27.”
“After the break, Marissa Miles continued the momentum with a season-best race, finishing third for an All Conference Honorable Mention in the 100 yard butterfly with a time of 1:02.22.”
“In the 100 yard freestyle, both Claire Jirovec and Miles were back in the top 8 with a fourth place finish for Miles [58.04] and fifth place finish for Jirovec [58.97],” Winter said.

“Next up was the distance 500 yard freestyle. Pajtash finished in fourth place with a 5:40.19, followed by Winter in eighth place with a 5:57.24. In the 200 yard freestyle relay, the team of Claire Jirovec, Brenna Jirovec, Winter, and Miles finished a solid fifth place with a time of 1:49.56,” she said.
“Addison Jirovec then also received All Conference Honorable Mention for her third place finish in the 100 yard backstroke with a time of 1:06.28.”
“In the 100 yard breaststroke, Pajtash finished in sixth place with a 1:16.66 ,and the 400 yard freestyle relay of Pajtash, Caroline Durbine, Winter, and Addison Jirovec finished the meet off with a season-best eighth place finish in the 400 yard freestyle relay with a time of 4:13.53.”
“In all, the Lady Jays had 13 top-8 finishes during the 11-event meet,” Winter said. “With the entire team posting season-best times.”

WIAA DII Sectionals

“After a quick week of rest, the team was on the road again to WIAA DII Sectionals in Menomonie on Saturday, Nov. 9, with high hopes of qualifying for the State Meet in Waukesha Nov. 15,” Winter said.
“The 200 yard medley relay of Addison Jirovec, Pajtash, Miles, and Claire Jirovec finished in fourth place, cutting additional time to 1:57.45, and punched their return ticket to State,” she said. “The foursome had also qualified last year, making it the fourth consecutive season Merrill has sent a 200 yard medley relay and eighth consecutive year the team will be represented at the State Meet.”
“Miles then finished in sixth place in the 100 yard butterfly with a time of 1:02.23, earning her first individual State qualification,” Winter said.
“In the 500 yard freestyle, Pajtash was Sectional Champion with a time of 5:34.95, earning her a second individual trip to State,” she said. “Pajtash had qualified last year in the same event, finishing 15th in 2023.”
“Overall the team finished in fifth place of the 14 teams attending the Sectional Meet,” Winter said. “Additional point earners were Winter finishing tenth in both the 200 and 500 yard freestyle events. Addison Jirovec finished top 8 in the 200 yard individual medley and ninth in the 100 yard backstroke. Claire Jirovec finished eighth in the 50 yard free and ninth in the 100 yard freestyle. Pajtash also finished fifth in the 100 yard breaststroke with Brenna Jirovec finishing a strong 12th place.”

“The team also had a couple of 16th place finishes rounding out the individual events. Caroline Durbine finished 16th in the 200 IM, and Deylah Schultz finished 16th in the 200 freestyle,” she said. “Both freestyle relays swam well with season-best times. The 200 freestyle relay composed of Claire Jirovec, Brenna Jirovec, Winter, and Miles finished seventh with a time of 1:48.68. Merrill finished the meet off with an eighth place finish in the 400 yard freestyle relay, led off by Pajtash, Durbine, Winter, and Addison Jirovec with a new season-best time of 4:12.79.”

Heading to State, Bluejay proud

Four Merrill swimmers will compete at State this Friday evening: Addison Jirovec, Olivia Pajtash, Marissa Miles, and Claire Jirovec will compete as a team in the 200 yard medley relay. Miles will also compete individually in the 100 yard butterfly, and Pajtash will compete individually in the 500 yard freestyle.
All of their teammates will attend to cheer them on.
Merrill High School (MHS) will celebrate their State-bound swimmers with a parade through the hallways Friday morning beginning at 9:15 a.m.

The bus transporting the team to Waukesha will leave MHS at 10 a.m. with a Merrill Police Department and Merrill Fire Department escort, taking the team past both Washington Elementary School and Prairie River Middle School where young Bluejay-proud Bluejays will line the sidewalk to cheer for the team and celebrate their trip to State, and then sending them on their way at the city limits ... on the road to State.