Record Swims Push ETHS To Top 16 State Finish

Evanston’s swimmers couldn’t have had a better start at the Illinois High School Association state finals, scoring two school record swims in the first two events of Friday’s preliminaries at the FMC Natatorium in Westmont.

That’s a pace the Wildkit girls couldn’t sustain into Saturday’s finals. But those two record efforts, by junior Vanya Gojakovic in the 200-yard individual medley and the 200-yard medley relay team, pushed Evanston to its best team finish at State since the 2018 season.

The Kits qualified for Saturday’s finals in two individual races and two relay events, chalking up a tie for 16th place team finish overall with Whitney Young at 46 points apiece. That’s the program’s best finish since a 10th place showing in 2018.

Stevenson edged St. Charles North 236 to 227 for the team championship.

Evanston counted an 8th in the 200 IM and a 14th in the 100 backstroke from Gojakovic, along with a 7th place effort by Gojakovic, Nina Gatchell, Tacy Jamison and Annika Wartowski in the medley relay and a 13th place showing by the 200 freestyle relay team that featured Gojakovic, Wartowski, Jamison and Talia Wexler.

“It was a roller coaster here for us. That’s what the state finals usually are,” said ETHS head coach Kevin Auger. “This is the most intense meet these girls will ever swim at and you can’t be on this deck (as a state qualifier) and not feel the tension. But qualifying for the finals (championship and consolation heats) in two individual races and two relays is incredible. This whole season has been a big step forward for everyone.

“Vanya had four races both days and it’s hard to sustain a high level in all four races at this meet. There’s nowhere to go, nowhere to hide from the intensity here. But she had three fabulous races in the IM (setting school records in three consecutive swims at the conference and sectional meets, in addition to Friday’s prelims) and what she did is nearly impossible. That’s something only great swimmers can do.”

Auger, who also coaches the boys team at ETHS, updates the record board at the school’s pool every summer but typically the only changes required are the parts that list state records for either the boys or girls.

Not this year. Gojakovic kept cutting into her own IM record in the month of November, and the Kits also took down both the medley and 200 freestyle relay records with their strong postseason surge.

On Friday, the lanky junior made a splash right from the start, with a backstroke leg of 25.2. Gatchell, a sophomore, followed with a swift 29.5 in the breaststroke and Jamison (26.5 in the butterfly) and Wartowski (23.6 freestyle) finished off the impressive performance that resulted in a school record of 1:44.42.

That time eclipsed the previous mark of 1:44.51 set in 2016. But the Wildkits had to wait a few minutes to find out because the scoreboard malfunctioned and didn’t post any splits or final time in their lane in that heat.

It was worth the wait. That same foursome came back to post a time of 1:45.21 on Saturday in a race won by Stevenson in 1:42.89.

“That medley team really stepped up,” Auger praised. “They swam very, very fast and all at the same time, and we were very close to that time when they came back on Saturday. We started out the season playing around with that relay, putting different people in different positions, until Tacy went 26.9 in the fly at a meet and that really solidified it. We knew then they’d do great.

“It was incredible when they qualified last week, and then they came in here and went faster. That, and Vanya’s IM (on Friday) were definitely the high points of the season.”

Gojakovic got back in the pool a few minutes later and posted the third fastest prelim time in the IM, with a time of 2:02.65 that was a full second faster than her sectional performance. The junior standout faded to 8th place on Saturday, clocked at 2:04.59, and never really mounted a challenge in a finals race won by Kate Farrell of St. Charles North in 1:59.84.

But the smile didn’t leave her face even though she was aiming higher.

“I was really excited and honestly, really glad I got this opportunity this year,” Gojakovic said. “I think the accomplishments outweigh the negatives --- really, there ARE no negatives --- and it was an incredible opportunity for me.

“On the whole, the season was an 11 out of 10 for me. I was part of four records in one year and that’s just crazy. When I came in as an 8th grader I was at 2:13 in the IM and now I’m at 2:02. I’m just speechless! A drop like that is almost unheard of.

“There was definitely pressure on me in the IM (after the prelims), but I tried to see it as an opportunity, and I’d never been in an A final (championship heat) at State before. I was really more excited than nervous. I was disappointed in my finish, but after the race I thought about how the whole season came together and I couldn’t be disappointed. My taper was a lot better this year --- I think it was structured a lot better --- and next year I just have to focus more on carrying momentum over to the finals.”

Gojakovic reached the consolation finals in the backstroke as well, advancing with a prelim time of 56.23 and settling for a 56.71 on Saturday.

In the 200 freestyle relay, ETHS posted a prelim time of 1:35.67 and almost matched that on Saturday, finishing in 1:35.89. Gojakovic contributed a 22.92 anchor leg on Saturday after switching places in the order with the usual anchor, Wartowski, a senior who started off the race in 23.99.

Evanston’s other entrants were eliminated on Friday, in a format where the eight fastest times advanced to the championship heat and the next eight fastest moved on to the consolation finals.

Junior Susannah Keller’s 5:15.59 fell short of advancing in the 500 freestyle, and Gatchell bowed out in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:06.24 that was slower than her sectional effort of 1:05.87. The Wildkits’ other entry was the 400 freestyle relay team of senior Merrill Short, Jamison, Keller and Wartowski, clocked in 3:38.45 in the prelims.