Dundee-Crown co-op’s Maggie Nowak, CL South co-op’s Bella Fontana win 1st individual state medals

IHSA Girls Swimming and Diving State Meet: At FMC Natatorium in Westmont, Dundee-Crown co-op’s Maggie Nowak wrapped up her high school career with a 10th-place finish in the 100-yard butterfly, and Crystal Lake South co-op’s Bella Fontana was 16th in the 200 free to earn her first state medal in an individual event.

Nowak improved on her 11th-place result from Friday’s preliminaries to tie for 10th with a time of 56.66 seconds. Lockport’s Haley Johnson won the consolation heat in 55.73.

Nowak, a senior at D-C, returned to high school swimming after taking off her sophomore and junior years while still competing for Reach Aquatics Swim Club.

Saturday’s meet was her last.

“I’m going to hang up the suit, which is why this is so emotional for me,” Nowak said. “But it’s been a fun ride for sure. I definitely thought state was a possibility, but medaling and placing 10th wasn’t on my list. I’m so beyond happy with it.”

Nowak and teammates Rachel Johnson, Kaitlyn Tomaszewski and Eli Niemi almost made the 200 medley relay finals, taking 17th in 1:46.96. D-C co-op’s 400 free relay of Johnson, Nowak, Niemi and Carly Pierzchalski also were 17th (3:34.16) to just miss Saturday’s finals.

Johnson, a sophomore at Jacobs, almost made the consolation finals in the 200 free, finishing 17th in 1:52.53.

Dundee-Crown co-op, in its second year as a team with Jacobs and Hampshire, won the Fox Valley Conference Invite earlier this month, beating two-time defending champion Crystal Lake South co-op.

“I’m so excited to see what they do next year,” Nowak said. “We’ve got a couple of pretty good freshman coming in, too, and I know Rachel and Eli and everyone are going to live up to what they did this year and make next year just as great.”

Fontana, a junior at Crystal Lake South, finished 16th in the 200 free with a time of 1:53.84. She swam the 15th-fastest time during Friday’s preliminaries (1:52.48) to qualify for Saturday’s consolation finals and will enter her final season with four state medals. Her previous three all came in relays.

Fontana also competed Friday in the 100 free and placed 21st (52.25). She also was a part of the team’s 400 free relay, along with Abby Uhl, Penny Brereton and Emely Rudsinski, that placed 20th (3:34.46). That same foursome finished 27th in the 200 free relay (1:38.87).

“I was so excited to final in my 200 free and get to the second day,” Fontana said. “Obviously my times were a little different than sectionals. They were a little disappointing, but I’m still so proud of everything I accomplished. It was a blast to be [at state] with my teammates – seeing Emely’s and Penny’s faces when they got to swim their first state race.

“I know there is more to come for me. It’s definitely a big learning experience and one I will always cherish.”

Uhl – who ended her high school career with five state medals, including a fourth-place finish last season in the 200 free, finished 17th in the 200 IM (2:07.93), just missing a spot in the consolation finals. She also was 19th in the 100 free (51.78) in Friday’s preliminaries.

Burlington Central senior Hannah Johnson was 23rd in the 200 free (1:53.68) and 28th in the 500 free (5:10.56) to end her high school career. She placed seventh in the 500 free as a junior.