Tennessee recruit Avery Luedke, St. Charles North swimmers not to be denied, win sectional title

ST. CHARLES – St. Charles North watched as West Chicago celebrated a sectional championship in St. Charles last season.

The North Stars finished sixth at the state meet while West Chicago was 12th.

The talented North Stars weren’t going to be denied Saturday at St. Charles East.

The North Stars won all 11 swimming events in scoring 338 points. West Chicago was a distant second with 224 points.

SCN was aided by Avery Luedke, a transfer from Minnesota, who won the 200 freestyle in a time of 1:50.81.

Luedke also won the 100 freestyle in 50.74. The Tennessee recruit also was on the winning 200 freestyle relay team (1:36.05) and 400 freestyle relay team (3:26.74).

“The team has been awesome,” said Luedke. “It has been a smooth transition.”

“We are fortunate people having transferred jobs,” North Stars Rob Rooney said. “These kids have really fit into the culture.”

The steady veterans, seniors Isabelle Beu and Tessalina Stavropoulos, also excelled.

Beu, the defending 200 individual medley state champ, won the event with a time of 2:02.74. The Georgia recruit, who was second in the state in the 100 butterfly last year, won Saturday’s event with a time of 55.39. Beu was also part of the 200 and 400 relay teams.

“We beat the demons after last year,” Beu said. “The new talent has fit in. I sign my letter of intent (Georgia) this week and I can just concentrate on the state meet next week. We are the underdogs.”

West Chicago’s Claire Conklin won the 50 freestyle but was disqualified because of a false start. Stavropoulos, who finished second, was declared the winner with a time of 23.34. Stavropoulos won the 100 freestyle in a clocking of 50.74. The junior was on the 200 and 400 relay teams.

“The environment is good and the new kids fit in,” said Stavropoulos. “We have been training so hard. I love racing at the state meet. It is so much fun.”

Rooney praised Beu and Stavropoulos.

“Izzy Beu is a wonderful leader and a loyal young lady,” Rooney said. “Tess works so hard and is someone I trust. We have a great culture and have had great student athletes over 25 years. We are looking forward to the state meet. Rosary, New Trier and Lyons Township are outstanding teams.”

The 200 medley relay team of Jenna Williams, Thea Bike, Burlington Central transfer Katie Farrell and Hayden Kruse were first with a clocking of 1:45.96.

Other individual winners were Bike (100 backstroke, 56.60) and Gianna Messina (100 breaststroke, 1:07.92).

State qualifiers for the North Stars include Abigail Hill, 200 freestyle; Farrell, 200 IM, 500 freestyle, Bike, 100 butterfly; and Williams, 100 backstroke.

West Chicago co-op (Geneva, Batavia) was second behind Conklin who finished second in the 100 freestyle.

“Claire was really disappointed with the disqualification,” said coach Sophie Parr. “She handled the disappointment well and did a fantastic job of qualifying for the 100 freestyle.”

Other state qualifiers for the Wildcats included Audrey Lindstrom (200 freestyle, 500 freestyle), Emery Larsen (200 freestyle, 100 backstroke) and Jenna Bilut (100 butterfly).

“It feels good to advance to the state meet,” said Larsen. “It is exciting.”

The Wildcats relay teams did well: (200 medley, Claire Simon, Bilut, Ryann Lehan, Maddie Seykora), 200 freestyle relay (Maddie Seykora, Lindstrom, Conklin, Maddie Schumacher), and 400 freestyle, Bilut, Larsen, Lindstrom, Conklin).

Dundee-Crown co-op (Jacobs, Hampshire) was third with 182 points.

State qualifiers included Rachel Johnson (200 freestyle), Margaret Nowak (100 butterfly), D-C’s 200 medley relay team of Johnson, Nowak, Kaitlyn Tomaszewski and Elaina Niemi, and the 400 freestyle relay team (Carly Pierzchalski, Niemi, Johnson, Johnson).

St. Charles East was fourth with 153 points.

Sophomore Lulu Negro, a state qualifier as a freshman, qualified in the 200 freestyle and 500 freestyle.

“It is very exciting,” said Negro. “I think my experience at the state meet last year will help this year.”

Burlington Central’s Hannah Johnson qualified in the 200 and 500 freestyle.

South Elgin’s Morgan McCloskey, 10th in the state in 1-meter diving a year ago, won the sectional with 466 points.

https://www.dailyherald.com/20241109/girls-swimming/girls-swimming-st-charles-north-dominates-sectional/