Lemont Swimmer Qualifies for Two Events at State Finals

Lemont High School’s girls’ swimming program will be represented in state finals competition for the second straight season, but it will be a fresh face representing the Indians. Freshman Alex Knutte met the IHSA’s qualifying standards in both the 100 and 200 freestyle events at the IHSA Metea Valley Sectional to earn a trip to the 2014 IHSA Girls’ Swimming State Finals, which will be contested on November 21-22 at Evanston Township High School.

Knutte earned two top-seven finishes at the IHSA Metea Valley Sectional on November 15, while also meeting the IHSA’s qualifying standards in both events, All swimmers who equal or surpass an established minimum qualifying time in sectional competition advance to the state finals.

Knutte was the runner-up in the 200 free with a time of 1:54.45, leaving her just under three-tenths of a second short of winning a sectional title in the event. Her time was nearly a full second quicker than the IHSA’s minimum qualifying time (1:55.28) in the 200 free, and also established a new school record. She is one of four swimmers from the IHSA Metea Valley Sectional who advanced to the IHSA State Finals in the 200 free, and will be one of 30 state finalists in the event.

Knutte was seventh in the 100 free with a school-record time of 53.09, which was three-tenths faster than the IHSA’s minimum qualifying time (53.39). She is one of ten swimmers from the IHSA Metea Valley Sectional who advanced to the IHSA State Finals in the 100 free, and will be one of 45 state finalists in the event.

Knutte captured both the 100 and 200 free events at the South Suburban Conference-Blue Division meet earlier this fall, and helped head coach MJ Gasik’s Indians to a third-place finish in the team standings.

Lemont’s best finish by an individual in IHSA State Finals competition came from Melanie Waszak ‘10, who was eighth in the 100 butterfly at the 2009 IHSA State Finals. Current senior Annette Lesnicki qualified for the IHSA State Finals in the 100 fly in 2013, becoming the first Lemont girls’ swimmer since 2009 to advance to state finals competition.

Single-session tickets for the IHSA State Finals are $10, while a ticket for all sessions is $20; tickets may be purchased at the event. Swimming preliminaries will begin at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, November 21, while finals competition will start at noon on Saturday, November 22. Consolation finals will be swum immediately prior to the championship finals in each event.

Girls’ swimming is the third Lemont High School sport to be represented in IHSA State Finals competition this year. The girls’ cross country team was fourth at the IHSA Class 2A State Finals; and the boys’ golf team tied for ninth at the IHSA Class 2A State Finals.