For senior Hailey Vlcek, the ending of four years of unprecedented Riverside Brookfield High School girls swimming success became a bit longer Saturday. The two-time all-stater in the 200-yard freestyle has returned to consistently competing in the 500 free, the longest high-school event, for the first time since sophomore year.
“I think I’ve gotten a little bit better at swimming that event,” Vlcek said. “My 400 long-course meters was really good over the summer (in club) so I decided to try it out for the high-school season.”
She returns to the state meet in both events after winning them in school-record times at the Hinsdale Central Sectional. State preliminaries are Friday at the FMC Natatorium in Westmont. The top 16 performances advance to Saturday’s finals with the top eight competing for the state championship and earning all-state honors.
Vlcek’s 200 free (1:49.58) broke her school record of 1:50.50 from the 2023 state prelims and Hinsdale Central pool record of 1:51.18 from the 2023 sectional. Her 500 free (5:00.87) broke Megan St. John’s school-record 5:06.46 from 2006. The Bulldogs were fourth (160 points). Unfortunately for them, Vlcek again is their only state qualifier either by winning sectionals or achieving state cuts at the meet.
She is the Bulldogs’ only all-state swimmer. Last year, she was third at state in the 200 free (1:51.05), the highest state finish by any RBHS swimmer or diver, after taking fourth in 2022 (1:52.30).
Also at 2022 state, Vlcek was 17th in the 500 free (5:08.60). She swam a personal-best 5:00.20 in March this past club season for the Academy Bullets, whose coaches include RBHS swim coach Mike Laurich.
“I’m hoping to go under 5:00 in the 500. I was really happy how I did in the 200 (at sectionals) so I’m hoping to just carry that on to state and trying to drop more,” Vlcek said. “I’m just hoping to place top-eight (all-state) in both of those events. It’s my last year so I’m really hoping to go and have fun and race and enjoy my last high-school state meet.”
Junior Maria Ellis’ third-place 2:10.77 in the 200 individual medley just missed the state cut of 2:10.54. Ellis swam 2:10.54 at sectionals in 2023, but that year’s cut was 2:10.26.
“At first, I was kind of in disbelief because I had missed it by the same amount as I had last year,” Ellis said. “It’s all a big learning experience. Nothing in this sport is guaranteed and I wish I had taken that approach and used it this year.”
She still had three events left. She joined Vlcek, sophomore Maggie McCoy and freshman Lizzie Ryan in taking third in the 200 free relay (1:40.16), 1.16 seconds from the cut, and fourth in the 400 free relay (3:38.69). Ellis also was fifth in the 100 butterfly (59.09), just .01 from Vlcek’s school record Sept. 10. McCoy was fifth in the 100 backstroke (1:02.91).
“I’m proud of myself being able to keep my composure (at sectionals) a lot better than last year,” she said. “I was able to hold my head high. I was really happy with my 100 fly and then our relays.”
LTHS swimming and diving
Lyons Township junior Maeve Collins had a breakthrough 2023 state meet in helping the Lions finish fourth (156.5 points).
After four school records and five pool records in winning the Hinsdale Central Sectional Saturday, the Lions have high hopes for what would be just the second top-three state trophy in program history. The Lions were third in 1995.
“Just a lot of individual and relay expectations again (at state), seeing some fast swims,” Collins said. “As a team, we’re always just there to support each other and continuing to have that high team spirit, although the meet is important to all of us.”
The Lions (322 points) won sectionals by 30 points over the host Red Devils.
Senior Lauren Jablonski (100 breast stroke in 1:03.96), the 200 medley relay (junior Kylie Thompson, Jablonski, Collins, senior Audrey Cavaliere in 1:42.90), 200 free relay (Cavaliere, Jablonski, junior Anna Pansing, senior Ella Jean Kelly in 1:33.61) and 400 free relay (Cavaliere, Collins, Pansing, Kelly in 3:25.73) won sectionals with school-record times and set Hinsdale Central pool records along with sophomore diving champion Brynn Krantz (471.40 points for 11 dives).
Collins also won the 100 butterfly (55.65) as she nears her school-record 55.06 that was an all-state seventh in 2023.
At-large state qualifiers were second-place juniors Lindsay Forebaugh (100 fly in 56.79), Dylan Jorgensen (200 IM in 2:08.73), Pansing (200 free in 1:52.00) and Kelly (100 breast in 1:04.78), third-place Kelly (50 free in 23.85), Cavaliere (100 free in 51.54), Forebaugh (500 free in 5:04.71) and freshman diver Maeve Comes (3rd 460.45) and fourth-place Jablonski (50 free in 24.01), Pansing (100 free in 51.91) and Thompson (500 free in 5:09.98).
“We’re just one more step (forward),” retiring LTHS coach Scott Walker said. “I believe that we’ve done everything that we’re supposed to do. We’ve just got to go over there and take care of business.”
At 2023 state, Cavaliere, Kelly, Collins, Jablonski and Thompson contributed to a combined six top-eight, all-state finishes, including all three relays. Cavaliere, Collins and Kelly were part of the second-place 200 free relay (1:33.93).
“Definitely now being in that environment, I kind of know what to expect,” Collins said. “It kind of makes everything going into it easier. Decreases the nerves a little bit and the quick (finals) turnaround from Friday night. I know I’ll be able to handle it.”