It was a good week for Ruby Powell and the Deerfield High School swim team.
The senior signed a letter of intent to attend and swim for Texas Christian University next year and then competed with her teammates at the Skokie sectional championship and qualified for three events at the state championships in Evanston.
“It was a good meet for us and for Ruby,” coach John Sullivan said. “Things are setting up really well for this weekend.”
In her strongest event, Powell set a team record in the 100-yard back stroke, winning the sectional in 56.15 seconds. She also qualified in the 50-yard freestyle, which she finished second overall in 24.05 seconds, falling only to Glenbrook South senior Katie Wells (23.65).
She was also part of Deerfield’s 200-yard freestyle relay, which finished fourth overall in 1:37.37 to qualify for state as well. Powell was joined on the relay team by junior Aana Tsakiris, freshman Lily Kurzydlo and junior Lauren Kurzydlo.
“I was very impressed with how that relay team swam,” Sullivan said. “I think we were expecting to be in the high 1:38s. And instead we go 1:37.3, breaking a school record that was set three years ago. That time would put us in the top 12 in the state last year. I don’t know if it will be able to do that this year with so many teams swimming well. But it was a great performance.”
Also qualifying for the state meet from Deerfield is sophomore diver Lindsay Guare, who finished the sectional fourth overall with 448.90 points.
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“Lindsay is really tough,” Sullivan said. “You have to be tough to be a diver — that’s why most swimmers don’t do it. She’s not interested in (training) with her best dives. She says, ‘Give me the dives I need to get better.’ In just two years she’s become a very strong diver.”
For Powell, this will be her final state meet after four years at Deerfield. Last year, she finished 10th in the state in the 100-yard backstroke, and she’s hoping to improve upon that finish this year.
“Ruby likes the big meets,” Sullivan said. “She’s a very positive person. She’ll say, ‘No worries, we got this.’ I can’t tell you how many times we hear this. … She’s been swimming well, so I expect her to continue to do so.
“To watch her grow from freshman to this year has been very rewarding,” Sullivan said.
Deerfield High finished sixth overall at the sectional meet in Skokie, which was won by Loyola Academy. Highland Park finished 11th, and two of its divers qualified for the state meet — senior Erin Cullather (6th place with 423.30 points) and junior Avery Spitz (8th place with 401.80 points).
“Swimming is the only sport in the state that isn’t separated into divisions,” Sullivan said. “All the schools, no matter what size, are put together. So when you do well there, you know you’re the best in the state. … When you have a small school like ours with 1,600 kids, you really have to band together and work hard. But that’s what they’ve done.”
The state championship will be Friday and Saturday at Evanston Township High School.