:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/shawmedia/LRKXIGHFGG3W5ALDSWUYVSE3UI.jpg)
St. Charles North junior Angelina Messina spent most of her day in the pool, but she had one more dive left to complete Oct. 24.
After winning two events and earning a second-place finish to lead the North Stars to the St. Charles North Sectional title, Messina made one last leap with her teammates into the pool to commemorate the achievement.
The North Stars racked up 228 points to claim their fifth straight sectional championship, beating St. Charles East (204) and West Chicago (127).
Messina sparked the North Stars, recording a pool record time of 2 minutes, 2.59 seconds in the 200-yard intermediate medley. She also won the 100 breaststroke (1:03.85) and placed second in the 100 freestyle (52.02).
“It was great ... we won and got the trophy and we all jumped into the pool,” Messina said. “It felt like a state championship, so we all felt like jumping into the pool with the trophy.”
Less than a day later, the North Stars notched second place in a virtual state championship held online through a database by the Illinois High School Coaches Association. Neuqua Valley was awarded the virtual state title, with New Trier earning third, St. Charles North coach Rob Rooney said.
Messina said the second-place virtual state showing added an extra layer to an already special weekend.
“That meant so much to all of us,” she said. “It showed that all of our hard work paid off this season. I was in utter shock when I found out Sunday morning. We were so happy to just win on Saturday. It was an amazing meet. We all performed super well, and we were thankful for the opportunity because it was definitely looking at one point not good that we were even going to have a season.”
Messina, a leader among a strong junior class, said she was building toward setting the pool record through her work with Rooney.
“My strategy was the really big thing that helped me get the pool record,” she said. “My free was the key.”
The North Stars were first in six of the eight swimming events, while also recording six second-place finishes.
St. Charles East’s Molly Yetter took first in the 50 free (22.68) and the 100 free (51.29).
St. Charles East’s Katie Kempff won the diving event.
St. Charles North junior Paige Armstrong put together a noteworthy performance by winning the 200 free (1:50.27) and the 100 backstroke (55.93) and claiming second in the 500 free (4:59.50).
“Angelina is really turning into something special, just in the way she trains and the positive vibes she brings to the pool,” Rooney said. “It was great to see her break the pool record in the 200 IM. Paige and Elizabeth Bawolek set the tone by placing first and second in the 200 freestyle. That was a great start for us. When the first race goes off that way, the kids see and believe everything else is in line for the day. That was the key. They put in the ignition and started the rest of the team.”
Bawolek won the 500 free in 4:58.39 for the North Stars.
St. Charles North’s Jillian Wilson won the 100 butterfly (55.72).
Rooney said the North Stars have the talent to be a special group next season. Senior Payton Baxter, who placed second in the 200 IM and the 100 butterfly and fourth in the 100 breaststroke, is the lone senior on the team, Rooney said. Baxter is planning to swim at Cincinnati next season.
“I’m really excited for the kids,” Rooney said. “I wanted to just have a championship meet. They really took advantage of it. Plus, I was really happy to have the girls conclude the season with a second place in the virtual state meet. There were no relays involved in the virtual meet, just individual swims, but it was great.
“We’re going to miss Payton. She carried this team through a season where nobody knew what tomorrow was bringing. She came in every day and trained hard and kept the girls positive and optimistic. I’m really looking forward to our future. We’ve got a great group of girls returning. I’d like to see us make a run at state next year.”