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sports
THe North shore weekend
11/16 – 11/17/13
Wingin' it: Sophia Livney of the Giants races to a fourth-place finish in the 200 IM at the CSL North meet.
photography by george pfoertner
It’s coming together HP is hitting its stride … LF’s Nelson is on in ‘off ’ event ■ by bill mclean
sports@northshoreweekend.com AJ Block coached her first girls swimming and diving team at Highland Park High School in 2010. She therefore is nearing the end of her “senior” season this fall. “I was told, by many coaches, it would take about four years to get a program in stride,” Block said. After her Giants competed at the Central Suburban League North Meet at Glenbrook North on Nov. 9, the state of HP’s swimming and diving program could be summed up in three words: full stride ahead. HP finished runner-up — its best finish at the division meet since 2001. Block’s Giants scored 296 points. The host school overwhelmed the six-team field with a 423-point effort. Deerfield placed third (268). “I tapered everybody for this meet,” said a thrilled Block, whose crew edged rival Deerfield by a point in a dual meet on Oct. 18. “It truly was a ‘team’ meet for us. We don’t have a superstar. What we did today is a great sign, very promising. “I’m very optimistic.” Her varsity is very young. Exhibit 1: At the CSL North Meet, freshmen Julia Solem and Caroline Kane and sophomores Sam Lask and Danni Cole pooled legs to clock a runner-up time of 1:56.93 in the 200-yard medley relay. Exhibit 2: Emma Gelberg, another sophomore, touched third in the 200 IM in 2:19.37. In addition to its head-turning youth, the program boasts a vigorously exuberant coach. Block’s energy at meets isn’t just
contagious; it could easily fuel a hangar full of airplanes. “Without her, we wouldn’t be the kind of team we are,” said Giants senior co-captain Maddie Gelberg. “She knows what she’s doing.” Added senior co-captain Maddie Cavanaugh: “[Block] is dedicated, an amazing motivator and an amazing coach. We’re all one team under her. We’re not divided into varsity, JV and diving teams.” Giants junior Erin Cullather captured runner-up honors in diving in the morning session of the CSL North Meet, tallying 327.9 points. She continued a positive trend. Cullather finished fourth at the meet a year ago, after finishing eighth at the gathering as a freshman. “I focused on the basics,” said Cullather, whose most difficult plunge on her 11-dive list is a full-twisting one-and-a-half. “I didn’t want to over-think. I wanted to get in a zone. “I did OK.” Glenbrook North senior Sari Grad topped the diving field with a 339.8-point total. HP sophomore Avery Spitz took fifth (292.7), one spot ahead of classmate Kendall Robbins (271.7). The Giants’ three divers combined for a meet-best 32 points. Deerfield was in second place (30) in the team standings after the diving segment. HP’s other top-six results: Lask (third, 100 breaststroke, 1:11.03); sophomore Natalie Gelberg (fourth, 200 freestyle, 2:03.32; fourth, 500 free, 5:31.21); sophomore Sophia Livney (fourth, 200 IM, 2:20.26; fourth, 100 breast, 1:112.03); freshman Molly Solem (fifth, 200 free, 2:06.42);
Kane (fifth, 100 butterfly, 1:03.02); Julia Solem (sixth, 200 IM, 2:22.19; sixth, 100 backstroke, 1:04.06); 200 free relay (sixth, 1:47.54 — Julia Solem, Lask, Molly Solem, Natalie Gelberg); and 400 free relay (sixth, 3:56.22 — Cole, Cavanaugh, Kane, Hannah Chonkan-Urow). “The team is close-knit … it’s like a big sisterhood,” Block said. “And nobody wants the season to end.” The Giants vie for state berths at the Glenbrook South Sectional on Nov. 16. Notable: Emma Gelberg (2:24:15, 200 IM), Cullather (202.5, diving) and Lask (1:12.02, 100 breast) each won an event in HP’s 111-75 loss to Glenbrook North on Nov. 1. … Senior breaststroker Franny Marchiafava served as the Giants’ JV captain this fall. She organized a canned food drive and often decorated teammates’ hallway lockers with inspirational quotes before big meets. “She’s so positive, so team-oriented,” Block said. … Michael Weiss and Mitch Madden are Block’s assistants. HP’s diving coach is Adam Hanhart. … Cullather no longer plays soccer, but she has volunteered for Buddy Soccer, a program for kids with special needs. Her sister, Maggie (HPHS, ’12), dives at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York.
Lake Forest She set a pool record. And a school record. Lake Forest High School sophomore Haley Nelson accomplished both feats simultaneously when she zipped to a 56.95 in the 100 backstroke at the North Suburban Conference girls swimming and diving meet at Stevenson on Nov. 9.
But that wasn’t the remarkable news. It was this: The 100 back is an “off event” for Nelson, a distance freestyler. She won’t swim the 100 back again until … next season. “Our plan all season was to have her swim the 200 and 500 free events [during the state series],” Scouts coach Carolyn Grevers said. “We’re staying with that plan. We’re excited about what she’s capable of doing in those races.” Lisa Hamming had set the previous school mark (57.99) in the 100 back in 2000. She finished runner-up at state in the event twice (’00 and ’01). Lake Forest’s ’13 crew finished runner-up to Stevenson at last weekend’s conference meet. The Patriots topped the Scouts 338311 — after trailing the Scouts by five points before the last event, the 400 freestyle relay. Stevenson’s foursome won it; LF’s quartet got disqualified. “I don’t think that is discouraging,” Grevers said. “We had some glimmers of what makes LFHS special throughout the meet. “[The NSC Meet] is not the place to show fireworks,” she added, looking ahead to the state series. Grevers also received top-notch results from freshman Daria Pyshnenko (first place, 50 free, 23.92), senior Margaret Carney (first, 100 fly, 58.05) and the 200 free relay of Pyshnenko, Eleanor Meeks, Maddie Smith and Reilly Lanigan (first, 1:38.09). Lake Forest’s other top-three finishes: Meeks (second, 100 fly, 58.38); Carmen White (third, diving, 351.2 points); and the 200 medley relay (third, 1:50.05 — Hillary Rancap, Kayla Smith, Carney and Meeks). The Scouts vie for state berths at the Vernon Hills Sectional on Nov. 16. ■