The top three divers scored within three points of each other during preliminary qualifying at the Illinois High School Association state swimming and diving meet held the Evanston’s Burton Aquatic Center.
And ETHS sophomore Lucy Hogan is in the thick of that fight for a state championship that will be decided Saturday in her home pool.
Sterling’s Kallie Zuidema and New Trier’s Jessie Creed will wage what should be a three-way dogfight with Hogan over the last 3 dives for each individual on Saturday. After 8 dives on Friday, Zuideman led the pack with 317.90 points, followed closely by Creed (316.20) and Hogan (315.20).
Hogan, who finished 2nd in the State as a freshman, charged past three competitors on her last three dives Friday and moved from 6th to 3rd among Saturday’s qualifiers. The top 12 individuals advanced to the finals.
Hogan was the only Wildkit to reach Saturday’s final day of competition. In the 200-yard individual medley, junior Clio Hancock couldn’t crack the top 12 (consolation and championship heats) and posted the 28th fastest time of 2 minutes, 10.33 seconds.
Evanston’s 200-yard freestyle relay unit of Katy Donati, Mary Claire D’Arrigo, Hanna Forbat and Cassie Tingley also fell short of the qualifying cutoff with a time of 1:38.29 that ranked 23rd overall. D’Arrigo, a senior, recorded the fastest split for the Kits in 24.09.
Dennis Mahoney is sports information director for ETHS.