Nearly 15 minutes after finishing second overall out of 16 teams at the 38th annual Trevian Relays on Saturday, Oct. 17, the New Trier girls swimming team huddled in the shallow end of the pool, laughing and celebrating.
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And with good reason. They’d just passed a huge midseason litmus test.
Despite being ranked 10th in the illinoisaquatics.com state rankings, the Trevians finished ahead of five teams ranked higher than them. Twelve of the site’s top 20 teams participated in the event.
New Trier coach Mac Guy applauded his team’s accomplishment.
“I’m thrilled with what I’ve seen from them so far, especially since we’re a little bit younger of a team,” Guy said. “They’ve definitely exceeded my expectations. What they did at this meet today was pretty awesome. No one individual had any record-breaking or earth-shattering times, but collectively, they made a big statement. We’re in the heart of our training schedule, too, so for them to give this kind of effort at this juncture of the season — even when they’re not at their best — tells me a lot.”
Senior Julia Green, a four-year varsity swimmer who qualified for state the last two seasons, thanked her teammates for being so supportive.
“This is such a great group of girls that are always there for each other,” Green said. “Our entire team was behind our [respective] lanes during almost every event, trying to push each other to work harder and go faster. That kind of positive environment makes a huge difference when you’re trying to find that final burst of energy during a race.”
Guy thinks New Trier’s mentality will be what makes the difference if the Trevians are to have success at the end of the season.
“We talk a lot about mental focus,” Guy said. “We talk about really believing we can achieve the impossible. The girls have really taken that attitude on.
“We’ve got a lot of great, open minds on this team. Kids that are open to discovering what they’re capable of. The more we believe in that approach and the more we execute that approach every day, the better position we’re gonna be in. I’m pretty excited to see where it leads us by the end of November.”
Senior Emily George, who along with Green, Lydia O’Connell and Sophia Girgenti, posted a fourth-place time of 1 minute, 38.51 seconds in the 200-yard freestyle medley, added that effort also will play a big part in the team’s fortunes.
“Hard work is going to be the difference between us reaching our goals or failing to reach them,” George said. “The cool part is, everyone is finding a way to have fun while putting that hard work in.”
Rosary (199 points) finished first at the Trevian Relays, while New Trier (169), Lake Forest (152.5), St. Charles North (145), Neuqua Valley (137), Loyola (123.5), Barrington (120), Fenwick (118), Oak Park-River Forest (109) and Lyons (107) rounded out the top 10.
Tim Froehlig is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter: @TFroehlig