Lyons Township High School senior Lindsay Forebaugh could barely talk following the girls swimming and diving state meet Saturday.
“Just yelling. Just this meet,” said the hoarse Forebaugh.
Success will do that. And the Lions amassed plenty again, taking sixth (131 points) at the FMC Natatorium in Westmont Saturday with five all-state performances in the championship finals (1st through 8th) and seven more for ninth through 16th.
The strong senior class of Maeve Collins, Forebaugh, Dylan Jorgensen, Anna Pansing and Kylie Thompson led the way as the only ones among the Lions’ 14 state competitors with previous experience. Collins and Pansing both competed in the maximum four finals. There was additional fuel from numerous LTHS teammates and fans who filled the upstairs stands right behind the starting blocks.
“It was an awesome experience doing it with these girls and our team up in the stands,” Pansing said. “We had a great team culture so it was really fun this year. When we were behind the blocks, we could just feel the energy and it definitely motivates you.”
Top-eight finishers in Friday’s preliminaries swam for the state title Saturday. Those that finished ninth through 16th competed for ninth Saturday. The 200-yard medley relay of freshman Sydney Kail (backstroke), Jorgensen (breast stroke), Collins (butterfly) and junior Claire Crimmins (freestyle) finished second (1:43.17) – the Lions’ highest state finish ever in the relay after taking third five times before, including 2024.
In 100 fly, Collins was fourth (55.22) and Forebaugh eighth (57.07). Collins once again broke her school record in prelims (54.74). The 200 free relay of Crimmins, Pansing, Collins and Jorgensen (1:35.15) and 400 free relay of Pansing, sophomore Olivia Chavez, Collins and Thompson (3:25.74) both were seventh.
In Saturday’s B finals, Pansing (100 free in 52.02) and sophomore Livia Joern (100 breast in 1:05.74) were 11th, Pansing (1:52.03) and Thompson (1:56.00) were 12th and 16th in the 200 free, Forebaugh (5:00.97) and Thompson (5:08.00) were 12th and 16th in the 500 free and junior diver Brynn Krantz was 15th (419.95 points for 11 dives).
This was the first season for LTHS coach Brendan Weibel, a former swimmer for the LTHS boys under longtime coach Scott Walker, who retired following last year’s fifth-place state finish and seven school records for the season.
All 14 Lions who competed at sectionals qualified for state, gaining 20 out of a possible 21 state berths. Many who did not advance to Saturday also delivered season bests.
“That’s what we talked about all season, we’re fast Friday [to advance] and they were really fast. I think they came back and fought hard [Saturday] and did a really, really good job,” Weibel said.
“Across the team, everybody played their role really well and did their job. The seniors did such a great job showing the younger kids how it’s done and I think they’re hopefully going to grow from this.”
Collins finishes with 10 all-state medals for second through seventh in three state meets. She was injured as a freshman. In the 100 fly, Collins comfortably broke her 55.04 school record from last year’s state prelims en route to finishing fifth (55.34). Another 54.74 in Saturday’s finals still would have finished fourth.
“It’s hard to come back and swim faster Saturday. I think the entire meet got slower overall,” Collins said. “I’m really happy about (another record). I had the best team around me, pushing me and supporting me this whole season.”
The 200 medley relay had the fastest time Friday (season-best 1:43.01) but even the school-record 1:42.90 would have been second to St. Charles North (1:42.89) in the finals. Collins was the only returnee from last year’s third-place state relay.
“We’ve all swam it this whole season so getting to go out with a bang and start off the meet with a second-place finish, that’s a really, really great experience,” Jorgensen said. “I would not have asked for anything more.”
The two A finals were the first for Jorgensen, previously all-state with two B relays. Forebaugh, twice 10th in the 100 fly, reached her first A final in the event. Thompson reached her first individual finals.
They fittingly got to race with each other one last time in the 500 free.
“We’ve always been 500 buddies since freshman year. It was really nice for sure to have a full-circle moment,” Thompson said.
Also fittingly, the Lions’ team place came down to the 400 free relay and Hinsdale Central. With LTHS ahead by two points before the race, the Red Devils’ second-place finish moved them into fifth place overall (141) with Fremd (94) seventh.
“It’s a big rivalry but we’re all friends and it’s just fun to see who comes out on top every year,” said Thompson, the relay’s anchor. “Just finishing that last race against Hinsdale was super-fun, super-competitive and just energetic.”
Collins (California-Santa Barbara), Forebaugh (Dartmouth), Pansing (Brown) and Thompson (Bowling Green) plan to swim collegiately.
“We’re all proud of each other and it’s great to be able to do it one last time with your friends,” Forebaugh said. “We might not have done as well as we wanted but the state is very competitive. We know everyone above us is amazing and has worked just as hard.”
Among Friday’s other entries, Jorgensen (2:06.16) and freshman Molly Forebaugh (2:10.09) were 17th and 36th in the 200 individual medley, Kail (56.84) and freshman Anna Fagans (57.99) were 19th and 31st in the 100 back, sophomore Abby Thompson was 20th in the 100 breast (1:06.25), Crimmins was 21st in the 50 free (23.99), Chavez was 29th in the 100 free (52.94) and sophomore diver Abby Rehor was 32nd (193.70 for 5 dives).