Schraufnagel swam in the 100yard ….

Schraufnagel swam in the 100yard backstroke’s first heat, taking up residence on the far lane one, which can be a little more difficult to judge pace given the lack of visibility that inner lanes enjoy. Still, Schraufnagel put together a solid time over the first 50 yards, beating her split from the sectional meet by three-tenths of a second. While she couldn’t quite match her faster pace over the second 50 yards, the freshman still finished just four-tenths of a second slower than her previous personal best.

Senior Anna Balfanz of Baraboo narrowly defeated Sauk Prairie’s Savannah Acker for the state title in the event, with Balfanz finishing with a time of 56.23 and Acker coming in just six-hundredths of a second later with a final time of 56.29.

Schraufnagel was the first Colby- Abby swimmer to advance past the sectional meet since 2010. This achievement, while impressive in its own right, also harbors excitement for the future as well.

“State was a great experience for Madisyn,” head coach Monica Tesmer stated following the meet. “To advance as a freshman is impressive, and allows her to set goals for the future.”

This also extends to the rest of the team, which saw a lot of growth as the season progressed.

“We had a great swim and dive season,” Tesmer reflected. “ Working with such a young team and small numbers, the girls really stepped up to reach individual and team goals. It will be fun to watch them continue to work hard, and see the results.”

“This [trip to state] will help the team set goals both individually and as a team to work hard to achieve success,” she added. “I am very excited to see the girls’ hard work pay off in the coming years.”

The co-op ended their year in the middle of the Great Northern conference with a 3-4 dual record and a fifth place finish at the conference meet to end fifth overall in the standings.