WIAA DIV. 2 GIRLS SWIMMING - State dreams to be chased at Saturday’s WIAA Menomonie swim sectional

WIAA DIV. 2 GIRLS SWIMMING

Qualifiers for the WIAA girls swimming state championships will be determined Saturday, including locally in Division 2 where Menomonie High School is the host of a sectional meet.

The meet starts at 1 p.m. and features 14 teams from northern and central Wisconsin.

The field includes the entire Great Northern Conference ––Medford, Colby-Abbotsford, Rhinelander, Antigo, Lakeland, Mosinee, the Ladysmith Co-op and Tomahawk –– as well as the host Menomonie Mustangs and Rice Lake from the Big Rivers Conference, and the Merrill Blue Jays and Wausau East from the Wisconsin Valley Conference. Wittenberg-Birnamwood and the Black River Falls Coop fill the field.

Rhinelander is the five-time defending sectional champion and is also the defending Division 2 state champion. The Hodags are ranked third in the state in Division 2 by the Wisconsin Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association behind Whitefish Bay and Madison Edgewood.

Medford, whose roster includes a twotime 200-yard individual medley state qualifier in senior Sydney Sperl, finished second in the GNC this fall, while Colby-Abbotsford was third. Rice Lake was fourth in the final BRC standings while Menomonie was seventh. Merrill tied for fourth and Wausau East was sixth in the Valley. Both of those leagues consist primarily of Division 1 teams.

In Menomonie Saturday, the champions of each event will earn automatic bids to the state meet. The rest of the state field will be filled by the top 12 non-winning times in event statewide from the Menomonie, Ashwaubenon, McFarland and Shorewood sectionals.

The state meet is set for Friday, Nov. 15 at the Waukesha South High School natatorium.