Girls Swim: Witt-Birn's Metropulos, relay team qualify for state

Updated: 11:00 a.m., 11/11

WISCONSIN RAPIDS — The Wittenberg-Birnamwood High School girls swim team qualified for state in two individual events and a relay while competing in the Division 2 Wisconsin Rapids Sectional on Saturday.

Junior McKenna Metropulos qualified for state after tying for second in the 50-yard freestyle (25.07 seconds) and taking third in the 100 butterfly (1:00.65).

“Making state is the ultimate goal in this level of swimming,” said Metropulos. “Being able to make state this year is a dream come true, especially after the hard loss (not qualifying for state in the 500 freestyle at sectionals) last year. It is so nice to come back this year stronger and more determined than ever and see the hard work I put in show in the pool.”

Metropulos was also a part of the seventh-place finishing 200 freestyle relay team that qualified for state. Christina Thrun, Lauren Bahr and Annika Resch filled out the team that posted a time of 1:42.29.

Witt-Birn’s swimmers will compete in the State Girls Swimming and Diving Championships on Friday at the UW Natatorium in Madison. The timed finals begin at 6:30 p.m.

Bahr and Thrun will get the privilege of ending their high school careers at state.

“Every senior dreams of ending their final season at state, and I am so incredibly thankful that I am one of the few who do,” said Bahr. “We’ve worked hard all season, and having this big of a payoff really is amazing. I can’t think of a better way to end my high school swimming career.”

“I feel so blessed that I get to compete at state for my last swim meet ever,” said Thrun. “It’s something that I thought I could only dream of, but now it’s a reality right in front of me, and I cannot wait to swim that one last time. It’s going to be hard and there will be lots of tears, but I know that this is something that we deserved. We worked so hard for this, and we finally earned it.”

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Resch will be ending her freshman year on the sport’s biggest stage.

She and the rest of the relay team didn’t have a specific goal in terms of what place they wanted to finish, instead hoping to cut some time off from their sectional swim and to enjoy the experience.

“It means a lot qualifying for a relay because I got to do it with my teammates and knowing that we were able to qualify together,” said Resch. “I think our main goal is to try and beat the time we just swam and try and beat a few teams in front of us.”

Witt-Birn earned several other strong finishes at sectionals, totaling 122.5 points to take 10th out of 14 teams.

Bahr, Metropulos, Resch and Isabella Hegewald teamed up to take fifth in the 200 medley relay (1:54.77), while Resch took seventh in the 200 IM (2:23.69). Hegewald came in ninth in the 100 breaststroke (1:16.02).

Shawano/Bonduel

The Shawano/Bonduel co-op competed in the Division 1 Hudson Sectional, but they did not qualify any individuals or relays for state. The co-op earned 30 points and finished 13th at the 13-team sectional.

Isabel Colon turned in the team’s top individual performances, placing 17th in the 100 backstroke (1:12.46) and 18th in the 100 freestyle (1:01.32).

Lydia Quandt, Allison Brown, Elizabeth Dillenburg and Ashauntee Smith formed Shawano/Bonduel’s 200 freestyle relay (2:04.6), the team’s top-finishing relay.

Clintonville

Clintonville competed in the Division 2 Plymouth Sectional, with no individuals or relays advancing. The Truckers scored 52 points and took 13th in the 13-team sectional.

Brianna Foth posted the team’s top individual finishes. She came in 11th in the 100 freestyle (1:01.7) and 12th in the 200 freestyle (2:15.63).

The 200 freestyle relay team of Foth, Isabella Koeppen, Kelli Smith and Emma Wittman came in ninth in 2:00.93.

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Full sectional results can be found at www.wiaawi.org/Sports/Fall/Girls-Swim-Dive/Tournament