Rosary coach Bill Schalz and his staff came to Saturday’s girls swimming state finals at New Trier wearing team-issued T-shirts with prophetic lyrics from a popular Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars song: “Saturday night we’ll be in the spot.”
Don’t believe them? Just watch.
Rosary started strong with a win in the 200-yard medley relay and led for 10 of the 12 events en route to the fifth state title for the “Beads” and their first since 2009, when they won their fourth straight.
The coaches and their matching shirts ended up in the deep end, along with the state trophy, in what has become a tradition for state champions.
“It was just a total team effort,” Schalz said. “With the youth of our team and the freshman now having that experience, I’m really excited for next year.”
Lake Forest (154 points) finished second after chasing Rosary (192) all afternoon. The Scouts started with a 32-point hole because they did not qualify for the medley relay finals, but they came all the way back to claim a 91-90 lead after the 500 freestyle. Lake Forest senior Reilly Lanigan placed second in the race, the eighth of 12 events.
But Rosary immediately regained a 122-117 lead by winning the 200 free relay, beating second-place Lake Forest 1 minute, 33.72 seconds to 1:34.67. The Beads never trailed after that.
Rosary freshman Athena Ye clinched the team title when she won the 100 backstroke in 54.97 seconds.
Rosary junior Alexis Yager defended her state title in the 200 individual medley by winning in 2:01.58.
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Barrington senior Kirsten Jacobsen won the 500 free (4:47.08) for the fourth consecutive year, becoming the first swimmer to win four straight state titles in any event since Rosary’s Mary Descenza won the 100 butterfly from 1998-2001. No swimmer had ever won the 500 all four years of high school.
She also won the 200 free for the third straight year, in 1:48.15.
“It was really nice this year to have people pushing me,” Jacobsen said. “It was a tough race, but I did the best that I could.”
Lake Forest ended the meet on a happy note by winning the 400 free relay in a meet-record 3:23.58. Daria Pyshnenko swam the opening leg en route to her third title of the day. She beat defending champ Avery Braunecker of Effingham in the 50 (22.59 to 22.81) and 100 (49.77 to 50.18) free.
“We’re surprised and shocked that we could do this,” Pyshnenko said. “I’m just happy right now. I think everyone is.”
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IHSA girls swimming state meet
Top teams: 1. Rosary 192; 2. Lake Forest 154; 3. St. Charles North 122.5; 4. Loyola 105.
Event winners
50 freestyle: Daria Pyshnenko, Lake Forest jr., 22.59.
100 free: Pyshnenko, 49.77.
100 butterfly: Carly Kramer, Plainfield Central sr., 54.53.
100 backstroke: Athena Ye, Rosary fr., 54.97.
100 breaststroke: Valerie Tarazi, Crystal Lake Central so., 1:02.55.
200 free: Kirsten Jacobsen, Barrington sr., 1:48.15.
200 individual medley: Alexis Yager, Rosary jr., 2:01.58.
500 free: Jacobsen, 4:47.08.
Diving: Sydney Dusel, Naperville Central sr., 490.6.
200 relay: Rosary, 1:33.72.
200 medley relay: Rosary, 1:43.69.
400 relay: Lake Forest, 3:23.58.