New Trier Swimming and Diving placed 5th in the Team Championship competition at Evanston from Nov. 18 and Nov. 19.

This year was different compared to previous years in that there was also a Combined Team Championship which includes both the traditional competition and events for athletes with disabilities. New Trier dominated this part of the meet, winning the first ever overall Combined Team Championship.

Over 70 teams were present at the meet. The top 3 finishers in the Team Championship were Rosary, Loyola and Oswego.

Head girls Coach Mac Guy was proud of the work the team put in and their outcome.

“More than anything, the girls did a great job competing. They absolutely gave it their all, and we put up some really fast times.”

Guy also approved of the addition of a Combined Team Championship.

He said, “This portion of the competition is new, and it gives students who didn’t have the chance to compete at the state meet a new opportunity. I’m really proud that we got to be a part of that and I’m proud of the way the girls competed.”

New Trier produced two state champions at the meet.

Jesse Creed was the state champion in diving, earning 462.55 points. This is the fourth time a diver was a champion in the school’s history.

Sela Cornell, a freshman, was also a state champion in the 100-yard breaststroke for athletes with disabilities, swimming the event in 1:28.39, which is a state record by 14 seconds.

Joelle Ohr, who participated in the 200 free relay with Madeleine Hines, Sophia Girgenti and Lydia O’Connell, was excited about  producing a school record in the event. “Breaking the varsity record was the highlight of my weekend.

“Once Lydia O’Connell finished, we turned to look at the board, and all screamed.  It was especially awesome because it was Lydia and Maddie’s last high school state meet, so it was their last chance to get their names on the record board, and they did,” Ohr said.

Some athletes were somewhat saddened by the fact that this is the last official competition for the season.

Vivian Wu, who was a member of the medley relay, said, “The end of the season is always bittersweet. It’s sad seeing the seniors have their last practice, their last team cheer, and their last race, especially knowing that I’ll have to experience my ‘lasts’ next year.”

Regarding her performance in the relay, Wu said, “ We were seeded first going into finals on Saturday. We knew that we could be a little faster on our relay exchanges in finals, but in the end, Oak Park out touched us by .13. They went 1:43.94. Regardless, it was a great experience being able to lead off the first event of the meet.”

Guy mentioned how every year, the team takes the lessons from the previous year and tries to improve upon them.

The seniors typically have the biggest role in this improvement process, and even though place-wise, the team finished at the same standing, Guy believes that there is a gradual progression from year to year.

“I’m interested to see how things play out next year,” he said.

Part of this improvement process is the work in the off season. Many of the swimmers will head into the club season in the upcoming weeks, where they plan to improve their times for next year. Some have hopes to compete in national meets.

Senior Sara Nicholas, at the end of the season, is grateful for her memories of being on the team.

She said, “I can’t even begin to describe how appreciative I am for being a part of NTGS&D. Spending so much time together and training twice a day and competing almost every weekend has created a strong and irreplaceable bond with my teammates. Even beyond swimming, I know they are always there to support me. I am confident that this team will continue to grow and improve in the coming years, and I can’t wait to see what they accomplish.”