Christianson helps Penn to fifth straight girls swimming sectional crown

Senior Lily Christianson won two individual events and anchored two winning relay teams as Penn won its fifth straight IHSAA Girls Swimming & Diving sectional title Saturday at the South Bend Riley Sectional.

Christianson, who is the defending state champion in the 100 freestyle and a two-time state champ in the 50 freestyle, won both of those events, taking the 100 in 49.92 and the 50 in 22.66.

Penn won eight events overall to beat out South Bend Adams for the team title, 564-307. SB Saint Jospeh was third with a 276 score.

Christianson anchored Penn's winning 200 medley relay (1:42.79) and 200 freestyle (1:35.02). The 200 IM team included Lauren McGrath, Anika Guenter and Alayna Riggins while the 200 free team included Kaia Podlin, Riggins and Molly Barnes. Barnes also won the 200 freestyle (1:54.47), Riggins won the 100 butterfly (54.46), Guenther won the 100 breaststroke (1:04.57) while the team of McGrath, Emmi Richards, Avery Woods and Barnes) won in a time of 3:33.22.

It's five sectional titles in a row for the Penn program.

"It's nice to continue the winning streak," Penn coach Jess Preston said. "It's one of the best teams, if not the best team we've ever had. We've got a lot more left in the tank. We had a good day, but I think we can be even better and we'll be better next week. I'm confident we will be."

Adams had a double winner in sophomore Addy Szakaly, who claimed the 200 individual medley (2:05.65) and the 100 backstroke (56.29). The medley win came in a dramatic finish, with Szakaly winning by 0.2 seconds.

"I know that (Penn swimmers) Annika (Guenther) and Lauren (McGrath) are great racers, and I knew they'd be coming for me in the last 25 yards," Szakaly said. "I just tried to step up a little bit more, hold my breath and press my chest down. I snuck a look at over them while I was breathing and I just felt like I could really win."

Others winners were Mishawaka's Lilly Deeds in diving (387.30) and Saint Joseph's Claire Dobrydney in the 500 freestyle (5:08.96)

Riley Sectional results

Team scores: 1. Penn 564, 2. SB Adams 307, 3. SB Saint Joseph 276, 4. SB Riley 258, 5. New Prairie 229, 6. Bremen 173, 7. Mishawaka 163, 8. Mishawaka Marian 112.

Advancement: First place sectional winners in each event qualify for the state finals plus any contestant who equals or betters the state time standard in their respective event in the consolation finals or championship finals of the sectional qualifies for the state finals. For diving, First through fourth place sectional winners will qualify for the diving regional.

200 medley relay: 1. Penn (Lauren McGrath, Anika Guenter, Alayna Riggins, Lily Christianson) 1:42.79; 2. New Prairie (Alaina Brison, Olivia Reffo, Ava Lux, Emma Tulacz) 1:54.17; 3. SB Saint Joseph (Anna Pruitt, Isabella Shula, Anapaula Valecillos, Claire Dobrydney) 1:54.59.

200 freestyle: 1. Molly Barnes (Penn) 1:51.59, x-2. Claire Dobrydney (Saint Joseph) 1:53.39, 3. Willia Kricheff (Adams) 1:57.47;

200 individual medley: 1. Addy Szakaly (Adams) 2:05.65, x-2. Lauren McGrath (Penn) 2:05.85; 3. Anika Guenther (Penn) 2:09.98

50 freestyle: 1. Lily Christianson (Penn) 22.66, x-2. Kaia Podlin (Penn) 23.31, x-3. Emma Tulacz (New Prairie) 23.79, x-4. Alayna Riggins (Penn) 23.93

Diving: 1. Lilly Deeds (Mishawaka) 387.30, 2. Kailey Corban (Adams) 381.10, 3. Giselle Guenther (Penn) 373.10.

100 butterfly: 1. Alayna Riggins (Penn) 54.46, x-2. Kaia Podlin (Penn) 55.75, 3. Avery Woods (Penn) 57.25.

100 freestyle: 1. Lily Christianson (Penn) 49.92, x-2. Molly Barnes (Penn) 52.29, 3. Willa Kricheff (Adams) 54.04

500 freestyle: 1. Claire Dobrydney (Saint Joseph) 5:08.96, 2. Brianna Skalski (Penn) 5:18.96, 3. Audrey Wandling (Mishawaka) 5:26.49.

200 freestyle relay: 1. Penn (Kaia Podlin, Alayna Riggins, Molly Barnes, Lily Christianson) 1:35.02; 2. Adams (Addy Szakaly, Sofia Clark, Adelyn Rabbitt, Willa Kricheff) 1:41.51; 3. New Prairie (Cadence Platz, Alaina Brison, Ava Lux, Emma Tulacz) 1:42.36.

100 backstroke: 1. Addy Szakaly (Adams) 56.29, 2. Lauren McGrath (Penn) 58.58; 3. Elizabeth Marion (Penn) 59.30

100 breastroke: 1. Anika Guenther (Penn) 1:04.57, 2. Molly Schuman (Penn) 1:07.87, 3. Emma Hayes (Penn) 1:08.12.

400 freestyle relay: 1. Penn (Lauren McGrath, Emmi Richards, Avery Wood, Molly Barnes) 3:33.22, 2. SB Adams (Addy Szakaly, Sofia Clark, Adelyn Rabbitt, Willa Kricheff) 3:44.89; 3. SB Saint Joseph (Anapaula Valecillos, Anna Pruitt, Emma Morris, Claire Dobrydney) 3:54.19.

x-qualifies for state by cut time

Concord wins at Northridge

Sophomore Catie Brenneman won two events and swam a leg of a winning relay team to lead Concord to the Northridge Sectional title.

Brenneman won the 200 freestyle (1:50.27), the 100 freestyle (51.20) and anchored the winning 200 freestyle relay (1:39.63). Her teammates on that relay squad are Mady Oiler, Megan Posthauer and Gia Sponseller. Other winners for the Minutemen are Kalia Starzyk in diving (347.60) and Mya Ernsberger in the 100 butterfly (59.36).

Northridge Sectional results

Team scores: 1. Concord 468, 2. Northridge 349, 3. Wawasee 324, 4. Angola 212, 5. Goshen 202.5, 6. Elkhart 201.5, 7. NorthWood 153, 8. East Noble 133, 9. Eastside 53, 10. Jimtown 29, 11. DeKalb 28.

200 medley relay: 1. Wawasee (Julie Mishler, Addison Beasley, Reese Beasley, Emma Yoder) 1:46.88; x-2. Concord (Bella Biggers, Brynlee Yoder, Mya Ernsberger, Mady Oiler) 1:47.28; 3. Northridge (Izzy Melvin, Lily Bekhterev, Ava Yeater, Faye Hunsberger) 1:51.15.

200 freestyle: 1. Catie Brenneman (Concord) 1:50.27; 2. Faye Hunsberger (Northridge) 2:00.08; 3. Gia Sponseller (Concord) 2:02.51.

200 individual medley: 1. Addison Beasley (Wawasee) 2:04.77; x-2. Brynlee Yoder (Concord) 2:06.04; 3. Izzy Melvin (Northridge) 2:08.72.

50 freestyle: 1. Julie Mishler (Wawasee) 22.24; x-2. Ella Sears (Angola) 24.17; 3. Lily Bekhterev (Northridge) 24.86.

Diving: 1. Kalie Starzyk (Concord) 347.60; 2. Maggie Weldy (Concord) 314.85; 3. Bella Estep (Northridge) 292.20

100 butterfly: 1. Mya Ernsberger (Concord) 57.50; 2. Reese Beasley (Wawasee) 1:00.15; 3. Ava Yeater (Northridge) 1:00.79.

100 freestyle: 1. Catie Brenneman (Concord) 51.20; 2. Bella Biggers (Concord) 54.14; 3. Lily Bekhterev (Northridge) 54.92.

500 freestyle: 1. Brynlee Yoder (Concord) 5:05.26; 2. Joscelyn Gibbs (Wawasee) 5:27.33; 3. Taylor Shelburne (Angola) 5:32.42.

200 freestyle relay: 1. Concord (Mady Oiler, Megan Posthauer, Gian Sponseller, Catie Brenneman) 1:39.63; 2. Wawasee (McKenna Close, Emma Young, Emma Yoder, Joscelyn Gibbs) 1:46.11; 3. NorthWood (Eden Wiggins, Brooke Faller, Laura Faller, Victoria Vega) 1:46.61.

100 backstroke: 1. Julie Mishler (Wawasee) 54.53; x-2. Ella Sears (Angola) 57.34; 3. Bella Biggers (Concord) 58.20.

100 breaststroke: 1. Addison Beasley (Wawasee) 1:03.56; x-2. Izzy Melvin (Northridge) 1:05.38; 3. Gia Sponseller (Concord) 1:09.26.

400 freestyle relay: 1. Wawasee (Emma Yoder, Reese Beasley, Addison Beasley, Julie Mishler) 3:31.18; x-2. Concord (Brynlee Yoder, Bella Biggers, Mya Ernsberger, Catie Brenneman) 3:32.83; 3. Northridge (Lily Bekhterev, Faye Hunsberger, Audrey Yeater, Izzy Melvin) 3:40.55.

x-qualifies for state by cut time

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: IHSAA Girls Swimming and Diving Sectionals at Riley and Northridge