Individual title wins and a record-breaking time highlight the WIAA girls state swim and dive meet

WAUKESHA − The WIAA state swimming and diving meet concluded Saturday with Division 1 events. Here were the notable performances from area athletes:

Fynn Langley wins dive title over ‘teammates’ from Badger, Arrowhead

A season after finishing third at state in the 1-meter dive, Germantown junior Fynn Langley won the diving title with a finals score of 497. Langley did not have a fellow Warhawk like 2022 state champion Kristina Wittmann as a practice partner this year, but as it turned out, the top three in the event nonetheless shared a practice facility.

Second-place finisher and senior Wylde Chupich of Badger co-op (487.85), as well as third-place finisher Tatum Brasfield, a junior from Arrowhead (446.80), have been practicing alongside Langley all season at Germantown. Langley credited the camaraderie shared with Chupich and Brasfield for bringing up the performances of all three Saturday night.

"Tatum and Wylde are also my teammates, even though they technically aren't," Langley said. "We’re all best friends, and we all push each other to do our best."

That familiarity with each other's dives cuts both ways however, and Langley added that she knew it would take her best to bring home the title.

"We all know when we’re having an on or off day. They were both on today, and it was really just about who had the better dives or who was just really focused in today," Langley said. "We all were, and we were all very proud of each other no matter what happened."

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Olivia Wanner climbs from third to first in two events

Waukesha West/Catholic Memorial senior Olivia Wanner entered the 2023 state meet poised for title contention as the top seed in two events, the 50-yard freestyle and 100 freestyle, after finishing third in each at the 2022 state meet. To defend those seeds Saturday, her approach was to stay focused on the controllable aspects of her own performance.

"We put a lot of emphasis on working on the process and not focusing on the outcome, so I tried not to focus on being the top seed or trying to get first or anything," Wanner said.

That emphasis proved effective as the University of Minnesota commit won the 50 in 22.82 seconds and the 100 in 49.43. She also contributed to a winning 200 freestyle relay team (Elizabeth Beam, Avelyn Brown, Karlee Marusik) that finished in 1:34.22, and a second-place 400 freestyle relay team with the same three teammates that finished in 3:25.48. Waukesha West/Catholic Memorial took sixth in the team standings, despite having the fewest qualifiers (nine) of any team in the top nine team scores.

"I'm super proud of my team, I love these girls," Wanner said. "Smaller (team) than usual, but I'm still super proud of them, we have a ton of fun."

Ella Antoniewski defends titles in two events

Waukesha South/Mukwonago sophomore Ella Antoniewski was not sneaking up on her competition this year after a breakout freshman year that culminated in two titles. Instead, she blew right by them to repeat as the 200 freestyle (1:47.14) and 500 freestyle (4:47.16) champion. Knowing first hand how a freshman can make an immediate impression, Antoniewski said she was surprised to repeat in both events.

"I knew the talent was high going in, so I was definitely worried, but getting up there again was a big goal of mine, and I’m glad I did it," Antoniewski said.

Now halfway to a four-peat in two events, Antoniewski suggested that pursuit may fall behind her desire to try other events in the years to come.

"There’s always events I like more and enjoy more, but it comes down to what I’ll compete in the best and what realistically my coach think is best for me, and I’ll always listen to him first," Antoniewski said.

Maggie Wanezek sets 100-yard backstroke record a third time

Brookfield East senior Maggie Wanezek broke the WIAA state meet record in the 100 backstroke Saturday, a record she already had set twice in 2021 and 2022. Her time of 50.97 also broke a coveted milestone of 51 seconds that had been a goal of hers for years.

"I was super happy with it," Wanezek said. "Honestly, it just made me super excited to see that time on the board, and super excited for the years to come in Madison."

The senior also won the 200 individual medley in 1:58.43. Wanezek's wins brought her to 10 individual and relay state titles combined for her career, a milestone only 16 other swimmers have met or exceeded in the 54-year history of the WIAA state meet. Brookfield East 2023 graduate Lucy Thomas' 11 titles are first in program history, and Wanezek's two on Saturday also moved her out of a tie with her aunt, Sarah Wanezek's eight.

"It’s pretty surreal, honestly. I did not expect any of this when I went into high school swimming so I’m just super proud of myself," Maggie Wanezek said. "Super thankful for all of the coaches and family members and teammates that have gotten me to where I am."

Maggie will join her sister, current Wisconsin sophomore Abby Wanezek, on the Badgers women's swimming and diving team next fall. She hopes to continue cheering for younger sister and sophomore Caroline Wanezek in years to come at the WIAA state meet.

"(Abby) was super supportive of me while I was finishing up high school, so I plan on doing the same for (Caroline)," Maggie Wanezek said. "I’m super happy for her and how she’s progressing."

Arrowhead, Brookfield East miss top two

For the first time since 2018, neither Arrowhead nor Brookfield East were the WIAA D1 team champion or runner-up. The reigning-champion Warhawks took third in the team standings behind champion Middleton and runner-up Verona, while the Spartans fell to fourth after a runner-up finish last year. Brookfield East won three consecutive team titles from 2019-2021 with Arrowhead as the runner-up each time, before the Warhawks won the 2022 title with the Spartans finishing as runner-up last year.

Arrowhead was led Saturday by podium finishes from junior Brasfield in the dive (446.80, third), sophomore Haley Johnson in the 200 individual medley (2:03.64, third), senior Dani Stemper in the 100 butterfly (56.01, third) and junior Audrey Worgull in the 100 backstroke (55.76, fifth). The Warhawks also got podium finishes from their 200 medley relay team (Worgull, Johnson, Stemper, Juliana Drake) that finished fourth (1:44.50) and a 200 freestyle relay team (Kate Lucyshyn, Stemper, Drake, Allison Lucyshyn) that finished third (1:35.73).

Beyond the individual contributions of Maggie Wanezek, Brookfield East got podium placements from senior Clara Newman in diving (444.80, fourth), senior Audrey Olen in the 200 freestyle (1:50.75, second) and 100 freestyle (51.21, fourth), and Caroline Wanezek in the 100 butterfly (56.32, fifth). The Spartans also won the 400 freestyle relay (Maggie Wanezek, Caroline Wanezek, Paris Fullerton, Olen) in 3:25.32 and had a 200 medley relay team (Maggie Wanezek, Caroline Wanezek, Fullerton, Olen) finish second in 1:42.08.

Other area podium highlights

• Junior Madison Rummel (426) of West Bend West/East and sophomore Kendall Rummel (425.75) of Divine Savior Holy Angels finished fifth and sixth, respectively, in the dive event.

• Germantown's 200 medley relay team of senior Isabelle Barger, senior Abby Bruss, junior Julia Saxman and sophomore Caden Kelly won the event in 1:41.55. Saxman also took fourth (56.06) and Bruss sixth (56.34) in the 100 butterfly. Barger was second in the 100 backstroke (53.76), and the fifth-place finisher in the 100 freestyle (51.49). Bruss added a fifth in the 100 breaststroke (1:04.74). The Germantown 400 freestyle team of Barger, Saxman, Kelly and Bruss also took sixth (3:30.22).

• Waukesha West/Catholic Memorial's Marusik also took fourth in the 100 backstroke (55.43), and fifth in the 200 freestyle (1:51.96).

• Badger co-op senior MacKenzie Thomas won the 100 breaststroke in 1:02.87, and finished second in the 50 freestyle (23.22). She also contributed to a fourth-place 400 freestyle relay team with junior Aspen Whowell, sophomore Addison Palmer and senior Sailor Whowell (3:29.10).

• Brookfield Central junior Sophia Brueggeman finished second in the 100 butterfly (54.70). Brueggeman also contributed to a 400 freestyle relay team with sophomore Baleigh Miller, senior Kennedy Rainwater and junior Anya Brueggeman that finished fifth (3:29.94).

• Burlington co-op senior Averi Larsen finished sixth in the 100 freestyle (51.69).

• Brookfield Central's Rainwater finished third (4:57.95) while Muskego sophomore Bridget Corro came in sixth (5:04.19) in the 500 freestyle.

• Muskego's 200 freestyle relay team of sophomore Lindsey Schlegel, junior Melena Glysch, sophomore Ellyn Rask and junior Jillian Kneisler finished fifth (1:37.11).

• Waukesha West/Catholic Memorial's Beam and Muskego sophomore Emmy Meyer tied for sixth in the 100 backstroke (55.82).

Division 1 team results

1, Middleton, 212.5; 2, Verona , 202; 3, Arrowhead, 198; 4, Brookfield East, 196; 5, Badger Co-op, 163; 6, Waukesha West/Catholic Memorial, 162.5; 7, Germantown, 161; 8, Muskego, 131.5; 9, Oregon, 108.5; 10, Brookfield Central, 91; 11, Waukesha South/Mukwonago, 83; 12, Madison Memorial, 80; 13, Appleton North, 54; 14, De Pere/West De Pere, 50; 15, Monona Grove, 39; 16, Madison West, 34; 17, Eau Claire Memorial, 33; 18, Divine Savior Holy Angels, 32.5; 19, Menomonee Falls/Hamilton, 31; 19, SPASH, 31; 19, Neenah, 31; 22, Oshkosh North Co-op, 30; 23, Burlington Co-op, 29; 24, DeForest, 24; 25, Green Bay Southwest Co-op, 17; 26, Wet Bend West/East, 14; 27, Oak Creek, 13; 28, Monroe/New Glarus, 11; 29, River Falls, 9; 30, Oshkosh West, 8.5; 30, Bay Port, 8.5; 32, D.C. Everest, 7; 33, Appleton East Co-op, 6; 33, Milton, 6; 35, Kenosha Indian Trail, 5.5; 36, Waukesha North/Kettle Moraine, 5; 37, Appleton West/Kimberly, 4; 38, Franklin, 3.

Full individual results are available on the WIAA website.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Individual titles, record highlight WIAA D1 girls state swim and dive