At last year’s state meet, the South women’s swim team took fifth place and claimed two individual titles, both IHSA records.
The Titans are undefeated so far in dual meets and have placed in third in a pair of invites so far this season. They have achieved this despite swimming four meets without senior Olivia Smoliga, the Titans’ four-time state champion, holder of three state records, and owner of the 13th-best 100 backstroke time in the world in 2012, who has been away on recruiting trips. According to head coach Kelly Timson, Smoliga’s absense has allowed the Lady Titans to show off their depth.
“We’re pretty deep, and our [200 and 400] free relays are really good without her,” Timpson said. “It’s a lot easier to set a lineup with her, but we can be more creative without her to make sure we’re covering all our bases.”
Though she prefers having Smoliga because the team is better with her, sophomore Katie Wells (pictured above) believes swimming without her will make the team better for when they swim with her at late-season championship meets.
“There’s a lot of stepping up that needs to be done,” Wells said. “There’s a lot more pressure on [some of the younger girls] to do well, but I feel like that pressure helps us go a lot faster. It’s good practice for us to be in pressure situations, though it’s nice to have [Smoliga] to help score points and make winning meets easier.”
The Titans went into a Sept. 14 dual meet against Fremd without Smoliga. Despite being ranked fourth, over 20 places higher than Fremd in the state by wildkitaquatics.com, the Titans failed to clinch the meet before the final event, the 400 free relay. However, the Titans wound up winning the race after Wells posted a time of 51.8 seconds in her leg of the relay, a season best. According to Wells, the pressure of the situation made her go faster.
“[Knowing the meet was on the line] was really motivational, just to look around and see both teams lining up at the side of the pool [cheering],” Wells said.
A week later, at full strength, the Titans took on their archrivals, the Glenbrook North Spartans, who wildkitaquatics.com ranked 15th in state heading into the meet. The meet began with a Spartan victory in the 200 medley relay, but the Titans answered by sweeping the first three spots of the 200 yard freestyle. Smoliga won both the 200 individual medley and the 100 backstroke, and senior Kimmy Durkin won the 200 and 500 freestyle. The Titans also won both freestyle relays, finishing the meet with a score of 116 to GBN’s 70.
According to junior Bailey Moynihan, beating North has special meaning to the team.
“Beating GBN was really exciting because they’re our biggest rivals,” Moynihan said. “It gives us a boost of confidence knowing we can beat our biggest rivals, which gives us confidence going up against even better teams like New Trier.”
At this point in the season, the Titans have the fourth ranked team in the state. They will finish up conference play over the coming weeks before the CSL South Conference meet Nov. 2, their sectional meet Nov. 9, and state Nov. 16-17.
Smoliga has high hopes for herself at these late season meets, specifically hoping to achieve one long-term aspiration.
“It’s been my goal [since my freshman year] to get the national record in the 100 back,” Smoliga said.
Smoliga’s time of 53.43 from 2010 is less than two seconds off of Minnesota’s Rachel Bootsma’s national record of 51.53. Smoliga and Olympic gold medalist Missy Franklin both will have their last shot at the high school record at their respective state meets this year. Smoliga’s expectation for herself and her team are very high for the postseason.
“We want to get top three in state,” Smoliga said. “Not only have we gotten stronger, but [our top competition], like New Trier, has gotten weaker.”
A top three finish at state would award the Titans a trophy, something no Glenbrook South swim team has done since the 2009 men’s team took third in state and set a national record in the 200 freestyle relay. No women’s team at South has ever taken home a trophy.
