Tigers post solid effort in Southern Illinois meet, appear ready for post-season
EDWARDSVILLE – Edwardsville's girls swimming team won all but two events Thursday evening en route to a dominating victory in the Southern Illinois High School Girls Championship at Chuck Fruit Aquatic Center.
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The Tigers amassed 343 points to easily outdistance second-place Granite City, who put up 184 points; following the Warriors were Belleville Althoff (168), Belleville East (82), Collinsville (66), Marquette Catholic and Highland (29 each) and Triad (eight).
Edwardsville coach Christian Rhoten said there are multiple positive reasons to have the Southern Illinois High School Girls Championship Meet.
“One of the reasons we have the meet is for our girls who can’t compete at the sectional level,” he said. “It gives them a chance to swim an invitational style final meet. It also gives teams around here another chance to get times for sectionals. Granite City and Althoff get a chance to enter a meet and get a time with a relay or something like that. The final reason is to give us one last chance to see where we are at before the sectional meet.”
Bailey Grinter and Josie Bushell won twice in individual events, Grinter in the 50 freestyle and 100 backstroke and Bushell in the 200 and 100 freestyle.
Grinter was first in the 50 free (24.02) and the 100 backstroke (57.47). Bushell won the 100 free (56.21) and 200 free (2:01.70). Emily Webb won the 200 IM (2:21.23, followed by Marquette Catholic’s Ginny Schranck (2:23.34). Hannah Benson won the 100 butterfly (1:06.96) and was second in the 500 free (5:49.86). Sierra Brannan was second in the 100 fly (1:09.83); Victoria Brady was second in the 100 free (58.95) and third in the 50 free (27.11); Hope Roderick was second in the 200 free (2:14.10); Webb was second in the 100 back (1:04.16). Marquette’s Schranck was second in the 100 breast (1:12.25).
The 200 medley relay team of Roderick, Callista Poiter, Brannan and Maggie Grieve kicked off the events with a win (2:08.13); the team of Grinter, Bushell, Webb and Benson won the 200 free relay (1:45.34). The Tigers team of Bushell, Webb, Benson and Grinter won the 400 freestyle relay (3:58.55).
Granite City's Emma Cox won the 500 freestyle (5:38.13) and Highland's Victoria Thomae took the 100 breaststroke (1:07.96). Thomae was also second in the 50 free (25.03).
As usual, the Tigers' divers shined. Taylor Seilheimer captured first in diving with 238.57 points, followed by the Tigers' Lydia Hemings with 195.30 and Taylor Jennings (191.05).
Freshman Bushell continues her remarkable season, Rhoten said, with her 2:01.70 for first in the 200 free and 56.21 for first in the 100 free. “This was the only time she has done the 200 and I think she may be better at that than the 50 free,” Rhoten added.
Tiger sensation Grinter continued to stand out, with a 24.02 in the 50 free and 57.47 in the 100 back, the coach said. Rhoten also pointed out that Victoria Brady recorded a 27.1 clocking in the 50 free despite a knee issue.
Rhoten praised the girls on all three relays that came in first. He said those firsts in relays was a great way to cap off the meet.
The coach said the sectional lineup for his team will be posted today.
“I am happy with everything that happened tonight,” he said.
The Tigers will be at the IHSA Springfield Sectional Nov. 12.
Rhoten said he heard positive feedback from all the coaches about the late-season invitational meet at Chuck Fruit.
“The coaches expressed nothing but gratitude,” he said. “We want to keep doing the meet and it has kept growing.”
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