SVM state girls swimming: Sterling’s Madison Austin, Byron quintet seeking medals this weekend

The 2023 IHSA Girls Swimming and Diving State Meet will be held Friday and Saturday at the FMC Natatorium in Westmont.

This year, the Sauk Valley area will be represented by Sterling junior Madison Austin and a quintet of qualifiers from the Byron co-op.

Austin heads to state for the second straight year. Last season, she placed 18th in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 52.35 seconds, missing the Day 2 cut by .17 seconds.

This year, she qualified again in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 52.73 seconds at the 12-team Rockford Jefferson Sectional on Saturday.

After a strong state debut as a sophomore, Austin hopes to improve as a junior and reach Day 2 of the meet in her second opportunity.

“I think last year I did very well. It was my first year at state for high school, so it was a new experience and I’m glad I got to experience it. But this year, I’m hoping to improve my time, so we’ll see,” Austin said. “My goal on the first day, obviously, is to make it to finals. As long as I do the best I can, I’ll be proud of how I did.”

Austin thinks her past experience will work to her advantage.

“I think since I was there before, I got to experience how many people there were and I got to race in such a crowded environment, it will just prepare me for this year,” she said.

The Byron co-op, which won the Rockford Jefferson Sectional, qualified five members of its team for state.

Byron seniors Rylie Vatch and Madi Groharing each qualified individually in one event and together in the sectional-winning 200-yard medley relay with freshman Abby Krueger and junior Bailey Vincer (1:53.63).

Vatch won the 100-yard breaststroke sectional title in 1:09.44 to advance and Groharing clocked a 58.12 seconds for a second-place state-qualifying finish in the 100-yard butterfly.

Byron junior Addison Bausman, another 2022 state qualifier, was the only local diver to qualify this year, tallying a 491.6 score to earn yet another sectional title for the Tigers.