The season came to a memorable end for five members of Bradley-Bourbonnais’ girls swim team over the weekend.

The 200-yard freestyle relay team of Abby Bonilla, Madeline Folk, Isabelle Trudeau, and Aly Swafford, who also competed individually in the 50-yard freestyle, took to the pool at the IHSA State Championships in Westmont on Friday to cap off what had been a resurgent season for the program.

Although the Boilermaker swimmers did not advance to Saturday’s finals in either event, head coach Ashley Porter said the team’s performances were a rewarding way to end the season.

“That group (at state), and really our entire team, pushed harder than we ever have,” she said. “That group in particular worked really hard, especially together. They wanted to essentially rewrite the record book when it comes to the relays, and they broke the 200 free relay record at state in their very last swim this year.

“They also broke the 400 free relay record earlier in the season, and those were decades-old records.”

That record time in the 200 freestyle relay came after a first-place finish at the Homewood-Flossmoor Sectional in the event, where the team as a whole finished as runners-up to earn the program’s best sectional finish.

The record time in Friday’s state prelims came in at 1:39.40 for juniors Bonilla, Folk and Trudeau and the freshman Swafford. Their school record 400 freestyle relay time sits at 3:40.97.

Along with alternate Mia Ecker, this entire relay group will be back next season to try and build on the success they found this season, and Bonilla said she is excited to make another run at state.

“I learned so much from it and it was just so fun,” Bonilla said. “I love the girls, and it was just a great experience. I can’t wait to go back next year.”

The Boilermakers had strong showing at a competitive Southwest Suburban Conference Meet this season, finishing fourth as a team and earning the conference Sportsmanship Award. Bonilla, Trudeau and Swafford all earned All-Conference nods.

For Swafford, the All-SWSC selection and trip to state in two events were just a couple of milestones she checked off in her debut season.

In addition to breaking school records in the two relays, she also set new program bests in the 50-yard freestyle (24.40) and 100-yard butterfly, where her time of 58.41 came at sectionals and was just 0.03 seconds shy of earning her a trip to state in a third event.

“She’s very cool and calm under pressure, and you don’t normally see that, especially at a state meet, out of a freshman,” Porter said. “As a freshman, being the anchor lead of a relay is not common, because that’s a lot of pressure to put on a freshman. But there’s no one else I would’ve wanted to put in the anchor leg of that relay.”

Porter was also given some recognition this season, earning the program’s first Sectional Coach of the Year award, an award she said typically goes to the coach of the sectional champs.

She said being able to celebrate that with the team was a validating experience.

“It’s just nice to people to recognize what we’re doing down here, because we don’t necessarily get that kind of attention with all those bigger schools up north,” Porter said. “It was incredible to have all my athletes around me when they announced that. It belongs not to me, it belongs to our assistant coaches as well.

“Brian Porter, Kloey Bull and Jana (Sheely) our dive coach. I could not have done anything this season without them as well.”

As seniors Hailey Porter and Jania Deal now move on, the large group of returning swimmers are looking forward to building on the strong foundation that is now in place.

“I think we have so much potential, especially going into next year with everybody back,” Bonilla said. “We’re looking to do even more next year with some higher conference girls gone, so it’s going to be exciting.”