The girls swim and dive team finished out their season on Saturday, Nov. 14 during the state meet at Waukesha South High School.

The 200-yard freestyle relay team consisted of Payton Rater and Mariah Reynolds, sophomores, and Bella Magee and Michelle Martin, juniors. The team finished first place in their heat and ninth place overall.

“This was my first year swimming varsity. I loved being part of this team and I was so excited we got our relay to state after such an unusual season,” Rater said.

The team competed in heat one against the following schools: Menomonee Falls/Hamilton, West Bend West/East, Hartford Union/Slinger, Pewaukee/Oconomowoc, Brookfield Central, Waukesha West/Catholic Memorial and Burlington Co-op.

Overall, the girls were happy with the outcome of the meet. Magee appreciated the results and the exhilaration that followed.

“We ended up getting first in our heat! It was amazing; a ten out of ten experience. Ending the race and seeing that we placed first is by far one of the best memories I’ve had from swim. All of us just started screaming and laughing together, we were so proud that all of our hard work paid off. It was an unforgettable day, both placing well and having weird regulations due to Covid made it a memorable experience,” Magee said.

The team is delighted with their progress and is anticipating a favorable season for the coming year. All four girls will return to the team next year, bringing experience with them.

“I am super hyped and proud of my relay! It was a great swim and all of us went around the same time. We were super excited and are excited for what we can do next year,” Reynolds said.

The girls’ swim times were consistent, each fluctuating by only a millisecond or so. Rater had the fastest time of 25.17 seconds followed by Magee with a time of 25.23 seconds. Martin was close behind at 25.24 seconds and Reynolds swam 25.31 seconds. The girls plan to improve upon their individual times for next season.

In addition to the 200-yard freestyle relay team, Lauren Van Vooren and Maggie Pokorny, sophomores, dived at state. Van Vooren placed fourth, with a final score of 410.80. Pokorny took 12th place, with a final score of 365.05.

This was Pokorny’s first year diving on the team after being a lifelong gymnast. “It was so much fun being able to compete at state for Homestead with Lauren, not to mention it was a great learning experience being new to the team,” Pokorny said.

Van Vooren attend state for the second year in a row this season and was happy with her placement. “I placed fourth and was very happy with how the meet turned out. My dives were consistent, which helped bring positive results. My teammate and I finished the season really strong and I am super excited for next year,” Van Vooren said.