Girls Swimming: Hinsdale Central second, St. Charles North third at state

WESTMONT – There’s nothing like ending your high school career with a state championship.

Welcome to the world of Caroline Kramer and Kit Schneider.

The Hinsdale Central seniors capped impressive high school careers by each winning an individual title at the IHSA girls swimming and diving championships Nov. 12 at FMC Natatorium in Westmont.

Schneider easily won the 50-yard freestyle in 22.59 seconds, besting her Friday preliminary time of 22.86.

Kramer took home the title in the last individual event of the day, the 100 breaststroke, in 1:02.30. She edged New Trier’s Charlize Escape by .17 of a second.

“I really didn’t think I was going to do that. I was so shocked,” Kramer said. “I was very nervous. We were all within one second of each other, so that was anyone’s race.”

Kramer and Schneider also swam the first two legs of the 200 medley relay that opened the meet. The Red Devils were second in 1:42.16.

Hinsdale Central coach Bob Barber, whose team finished second with 131 points behind champion New Trier (149.5), couldn’t help but beam about his two stars. Schneider will swim in college at Wisconsin and Kramer will swim at Arizona.

“We grow really tight bonds and it’s hard to let them go, but you have to,” Barber said.

St. Charles North was third with 128 points and got a big lift into that position with a championship in the 400 freestyle relay to end the meet. Freshman Tessalina Stavropoulos, seniors Enya Linson and Elizabeth Bawolek and sophomore Isabelle Beu swam for the North Stars, who won in 3:25.19.

Beu, who joined forces with Linson, Stavropoulos and sophomore Jenna Williams to take fourth in the 200 medley relay (1:43.05), had to quickly get ready for the 200 individual medley two events later. That’s tough to pull off, but she did it, taking second in 2:00.38, just .10 behind winner Julieta Tracy of St. Ignatius.

“I saw her on that freestyle, put my head down and tried not to breathe. I touched out, but it’s OK, I’ll come back next year,” Beu said.

North Stars coach Rob Rooney said of the final relay: “I wouldn’t want it any other way. I thought on all sides the speed was a good contest between four schools.”

Rosary finished sixth with 92 points and was led by sophomore Becky Rentz, who finished second in the 100 butterfly (54.12) to Deerfield’s Annika Parkhe, who set the state record with a 52.12.

Junior Katie Gresik’s runner-up finish in the 500 freestyle (4:57.64) propelled Oswego co-op to eighth place with 58 points. How did she mentally prepare herself for what amounted to swimming’s version of a marathon?

“I had a really good time yesterday, so I think it was just seeing if I could do better today,” she said. “Behind the blocks I was listening to music to get myself ready and zone out. I tried not to get nervous.”