This season, the John Adams Girls Swim Team has blown us away. On Saturday, February 4, the team went to the IHSAA Girls Swimming Sectionals Finals at Penn High School. They competed alongside seven other high school swim teams from the area. The girls had already competed in the IHSAA Sectional Prelims on Thursday, February 2, where they had many successful swims. Coming fresh off of a week of tapering, the team felt motivated and excited for what they might achieve in finals. Everyone had their own personal goals, whether that was to cut time off of their events or to qualify for the next level of competition: state.

The meet started off with an incredible first race. The 200 Medley Relay, made up of Addy Szakaly, Elisa Nerenberg, Willa Kricheff, and Addison Skube, finished with a time of 1:49.74. Not only did this time qualify them for the state competition, but it also broke the Adams school record from 2015 of 1:52.17. This was huge for the girls, and the excitement was clear as the entire team screamed and cheered for them.

After starting the competition on such a great note, the excitement only grew as the girls began to set personal records and achieve their goals in their individual events. Freshman Addy Szakaly received a state cut in both of her individual events: 200 Individual Medley with a 2:07.21 and 100 Backstroke with a 56.66. Szakaly’s 100 Backstroke time also rebroke the eight year old Adams school record that she had already broken earlier in the season.

Ending off the meet on a great note, the 400 Freestyle Relay, made up of Addy Szakaly, Addison Skube, Willa Kricheff, and Elisa Nerenberg, qualified for state with a time of 3:37.87. This time also broke the Adams school record of 3:41.55 that was set in 2012. Both of the relay state cuts that day were monumental, as the John Adams Girls Swim Team had not had a relay team qualify for state in over a decade. The John Adams Girls Swim Team ended up second overall at the sectionals meet. For most of the swimmers, the incredible season was over just like that.

However, Addy Szakaly, Addison Skube, Willa Kricheff, and Elisa Nerenberg still had another week to go. They practiced the following week leading up to state, and left for Indianapolis the evening of Thursday, February 9th. The girls anxiously and excitedly awaited the prelims of the state competition the next day, Friday, February 10th. When the day came, the girls arrived at the pool and put on their tech suits. They swam their events with everything they had, awaiting their placements for finals.

In prelims, the 200 Medley Relay sadly got disqualified, but this did not discourage the team. Addy Szakaly swam her 200 IM and ended up 17th overall in the state in the 200 IM. She then went on to swim the 100 Backstroke with a time of 56.63. This was a personal record of hers and put her in the A finals of the event, ranking her 8th in the state in 100 Backstroke. It also rebroke the school record for 100 Backstroke that she had already broken multiple times that season. The girls finished off state prelims with the 400 free relay, completing it with a time of 3:38:22 and making it into the B finals.

The next day, Saturday, February 11th, was finals. Addy Szakaly swam her 100 Backstroke and the girls swam their 400 Freestyle Relay and just like that, state was over. These girls exceeded their goals and impressed us all. For Elisa Nerenberg and Addison Skube, this was their final season before they graduate. Going to state was a first for both of them and a phenomenal way to end off their senior year of high school swimming. As for Addy Szakaly and Willa Kricheff, they are both only getting started, just finishing their freshman year of high school swimming. Going to state was an amazing accomplishment for all four of them, and they did amazing. The future of John Adams Girls Swimming is looking extremely bright.