Whitnall Diver Rachel Stave Looking For Second State Title

Rachel Stave was unmatched at the WIAA Cudahy Sectional over the weekend, and might be again Friday in the season's finale.

Stave, a junior and one of the state's best divers ever, will compete in the WIAA Division 2 State Meet at the University of Wisconsin Natatorium at 2:30 p.m. Friday.

Stave advanced to the state meet by dominating the sectional with an effort of 454.75 points, nearly 150 points better than the runner-up. Her state qualifying performance was nearly 100 points better than anyone else's statewide.

Stave won the school's fourth state diving championship - the first since Samantha Feinauer in 2003 - with a school-record 470.2 points, 99.9 ahead of River Falls junior and runner-up Sierra Becker at last year's state meet.

Her effort was the third-best performance in D2 history, and the sixth-highest total in either division. She was within 9.8 points of breaking the D2 state record set by Wisconsin's only four-time champ, Brown Deer's Gina Ketelhohn, who scored 480.0 as a senior in 1995.

Stave was the runner-up at state as a freshman in 2009.

Stave set a pool and conference record in winning the Woodland Conference championship at on Oct. 29, according to a story by Greenfield NOW.

Whitnall also has two entries in the state swimming competition which will be held at the UW Natatorium at 6:30 p.m. Friday. Senior Laura Sullivan will compete in the 100-yard breaststroke after qualifying at the sectional in 1 minute, 10.68 seconds. Also qualifying was Whitnall's 200 medley relay.