By Elaine Gu
Gargoyle staff reporter
Posted Saturday, Nov. 25, 2006, The OG, sports

THE UNI GIRLS ended their swim season with a sixth-place finish at the 18-team IHSA sectional meet Nov. 11 at Centennial's Unit 4 Pool. Despite not having anyone on the team advance to state, the girls, this year nicknamed the Stingrays, capped off one of their most successful seasons in recent history.

“We won more meets this year than we have in the past three years, due in a large part to this year's senior class” said senior Liz Reese, the team's top scorer.

Senior Nicole Gong in action this fall (photo by
Natsuki Nakamura) (click to enlarge)

This year's returning seniors were members on the A relays for three years. With this being their final year together, they were closer and faster than ever before.

A talented group of freshmen also made a major contribution to the team by competing at the varsity level.

The result was a series of personal bests and team victories that made for a memorable season.

“It seemed like this year we were really trying to win dual meets with people we're at a comparable level with,” commented senior Krista Olson.

Early in the year, the Stingrays defeated Chicago University High 87-81, Uni's first victory over the Maroons since a JV win in 2003. They also overpowered Stanford-Olympia 128-38, giving them a 2-0 dual-meet record for the year.

This year's triumphs might also have been because of the newly installed two-a-day practices.

The team trained at Kenney Gym instead of Freer because the University of Illinois swim team took over Freer when IMPE closed for renovation.

“The pool's so crowded in the morning that we wanted to have an afternoon practice where we could have half the people in and half the people out,” explained head coach Howard (Howie) Schein.

“Swimming at Kenney was a minor handicap because of the size of the pool, but water is water, so it's fine” said junior Katie Ryan.

In fact, the additional 45 minutes of practice each day made everyone better.

“This amount of improvement would not have happened from just morning practice,” added fellow junior Katie LaPointe.

The team's training focused on strength, conditioning, and technique. If this resulted in wins over other schools, then that would be a bonus, according to Schein.

“Our goal is always for everybody to improve; we don't have goals to beat other teams,” said Schein.

Junior Eunice How said that before each meet, Schein told everyone on the team that they were there to have fun, not to focus on winning.

Freshman Maritza Mestre added: “Howie says that you swim for fun, and if it's not fun anymore, then it's not worth it. Telling someone to go faster won't make them any faster. They have to want it.”

Because the IHSA does not separate swim teams into different classes based on enrollment, the Stingrays had the disadvantage of competing against teams many times their size, but they weren't complaining.

“We're swimming from our hearts,” expressed senior Nicole Gong. “It's all about competing against yourself.”

“We functioned as a team with the goal of both supporting each other and winning meets,” Reese pointed out. “Occasionally, Howie would put people into events that are not their preference to balance the roster and maximize points, but if a swimmer had an objection, Howie would undoubtedly listen and make changes.”

At the sectional meet, nine out of the 12 swimmers who competed swam at least one personal best.

Both the 200-yard freestyle relay and the 200 medley relay of Gong, Ryan, senior Anne Dixon, and Reese swam seasonal best times of 1 minute, 51.06 seconds and 2:05.25, respectively, and medaled by finishing in the top six. The News-Gazette also listed both relays among the area leaders.

Gong and Dixon each ended their high school careers by setting personal records. Gong's time of 1:06.07 earned her a spot as an area leader in the 100 butterfly. Dixon was also listed as an area leader in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:16.92.

As the Stingrays enjoyed a successful season, they also had fun and bonded as a team. As sophomore Lor Sligar described, “We're really close, so it's just like hanging out with my best friends for two hours each day … with a lot more sweat.”

Despite the seniors graduating, the team has faith that next year will be just as good.

“[The juniors and sophomores] are ready to step into the leadership that the seniors are vacating,” said Schein, pointing out the roles that Ryan, How, and fellow junior Aliisa Rantanen will play.

“Aliisa Rantanen has always been in the seniors' shadows, and she is poised to move right into their spots,” he said. “Ryan remains as a rock-solid swimmer, and How should be fully recovered from her knee surgery to step up as a senior.”

The current freshman class will also make an impact next year. As Reese pointed out: “Our freshman class is faster than even this year's seniors were as freshmen. We can expect great things from them in the future.”

2006 VARSITY RESULTS (2-0 in dual meets)

Sept. 2: at Stanford Olympia (vs. Stanford Olympia), W 128-38
Top Uni individual swimmers:

— Liz Reese, 50 free, 1st (:28.56)
— Katie Ryan, 100 free, 1st (1:02.62); 200 free, 1st (2:18.16)
— Deborah Ladd, 500 free, 1st (7:15.34)
— Anne Dixon, 100 breast, 1st (1:19.67)
— Nicole Gong, 100 fly, 1st (1:10.59); 200 IM, 1st (2:43.97)
Top Uni relay swimmers:
— Anne Dixon, Nicole Gong, Liz Reese, Katie Ryan, 200 free, 1st (1:57.64)
— Anne Dixon, Krista Olson, Nicole Gong, Liz Reese, 200 medley, 1st (2:13.19)
— Eunice How, Krista Olson, Katie Ryan, Aliisa Rantanen, 400 free, 1st (4:45.36)

Sept. 9: at the University of Chicago (vs. Chicago University High), W 87-81
Top Uni individual swimmers:

— Liz Reese, 50 free, 1st (:27.93)
— Katie Ryan, 200 free, 1st (2:15.84)
— Liz Reese, 500 free, 1st (6:16.12)
— Anne Dixon, 100 breast, 1st (1:17.62)
Top Uni relay swimmers:
— Katie Ryan, Anne Dixon, Nicole Gong, Liz Reese, 200 free, 1st (1:56.11)
— Anne Dixon, Krista Olson, Nicole Gong, Liz Reese, 200 medley, 1st (2:11.89)

Sept. 16: at Champaign Centennial Unit 4 Pool (Charger Invitational, 15 teams), 14th place (11 pts)
Top Uni individual swimmer:
— Anne Dixon, 100 breast, 1 pt (1:17.92)
Top Uni relay swimmers:
— Katie Ryan, Anne Dixon, Nicole Gong, Liz Reese, 200 medley, 8 pts (2:07.06)
— Elizabeth Allen, Maritza Mestre, Aliisa Rantanen, Erika Belmont, 200 free, 2 pts (2:02.38)

Sept. 23: at Eastern Illinois University (Charleston tri-meet), 2nd place (110 pts)
Top Uni individual swimmers:
— Liz Reese, 14 pts overall
— Anne Dixon, 100 breast, 1st (1:19.57), 12 pts
— Katie Ryan, 10 pts

— Nicole Gong, 9 pts
— Krista Olson, 9 pts

Sept. 26: at Danville High School (Danville tri-meet), 3rd place (79 pts)
Top Uni individual swimmers:
— Katie Ryan, 500 free, 2nd (6:10.75), 9 pts overall
— Anne Dixon, 6 pts
Top Uni relay swimmers:
— Erika Belmont, Nicole Gong, Anne Dixon, Liz Reese, 200 medley, 2nd (2:10.58)
— Nicole Gong, Liz Reese, Anne Dixon, Katie Ryan, 200 free, 3rd (1:54.58)

Sept. 30: at Danville High School (Danville quad meet), 3rd place (306 points)
Top Uni individual swimmers:
— Nicole Gong, 100 fly, 3rd (1:08.19); 200 IM, 3rd (2:37.69)
— Katie Ryan, 200 free, 3rd (2:17.06)
— Anne Dixon, 100 breast, 4th (1:18.48)
Top Uni relay swimmers:
— Anne Dixon, Nicole Gong, Liz Reese, Katie Ryan, 200 free, 2nd (1:54.27)

Oct. 7: at Champaign Centennial Unit 4 Pool (Central Invitational, 5 teams), 4th place (145.5 pts)
Top Uni individual swimmer:
— Anne Dixon, 100 breast, 5th (1:18.5)
Top Uni relay swimmers:
— Katie Ryan, Erika Belmont, Anne Dixon, Nicole Gong, 200 medley (2:06.4 — season best)
— Nicole Gong, Liz Reese, Anne Dixon, Katie Ryan, 200 free (1:52.28 — season best)
— Krista Olson, Elizabeth Allen, Aliisa Rantanen, Liz Reese, 400 free (4:22.25 — season best)

Oct. 14: at Danville (Schlarman pentathlon), no winning team

Oct. 17: at Champaign Centennial Unit 4 Pool (Twin City Meet, 4 teams), 4th place (208 pts)
Top Uni individual swimmer:
— Nicole Gong, 100 butterfly, 5th (1:07.09)

Oct. 28: at Danville YMCA (Schlarman tri-meet), 2nd place (95 pts)
Top Uni individual swimmers:
— Anne Dixon, 100 breast, 1st (1:17.81); 50 free, 3rd (28.75); 11 pts overall
— Nicole Gong, 200 IM, 3rd (2:35.88); 11 pts overall
Top Uni relay swimmers:
— Erika Belmont, Anne Dixon, Nicole Gong, Liz Reese, 200 medley, 2nd (2:07.13)
— Anne Dixon, Nicole Gong, Liz Reese, Katie Ryan, 200 free, 2nd (1:52.24 — new season best)

Nov. 4: at Illinois State University (Normal University High Invite, 9 teams), 4th place (164 pts)
Top Uni relay swimmers:
— Erika Belmont, Anne Dixon, Nicole Gong, Liz Reese, 200 medley, 3rd (2:06.61)
— Anne Dixon, Nicole Gong, Liz Reese, Katie Ryan, 200 free, 3rd (1:53.34)

Nov. 11: at Champaign Centennial Unit 4 Pool (IHSA Sectional Meet, 18 teams), 6th place (62 pts)
Top Uni individual swimmers:
— Anne Dixon, 100 breast, 9th (1:16.92)

— Nicole Gong, 200 IM, 9th (2:34.93)
Top Uni relay swimmers:
— Nicole Gong, Katie Ryan, Anne Dixon, Liz Reese, 200 medley, 6th, medal (2:05.25)
— Nicole Gong, Katie Ryan, Anne Dixon, Liz Reese, 200 free, 6th, medal (1:51.06)