Waukesha South/Catholic Memorial (Boys Swimming)
In one of the most surprising turnouts in recent State tournament history, the Waukesha South/Catholic Memorial boy's swim team took home the Division 1 State Title Saturday from the UW Natatorium. Yet it wasn't so much that the South/CMH team won, but more so how they accomplished the feat that earned them it this week's PlayInTheDells.com Splash of the Week.
The Blackshirts outscored second-place and defending champion Madison Memorial by 14 points when the pool settled, yet the co-op squad from greater Milwaukee won exactly zero races. South/CMH's best finish was a second place and 17-point earning race from junior Max Evans-Nolan in the 500 Freestyle finals. The relay of Alex Swain, Ryan Finke, Evans-Nolan and Collin Neitzel added a seventh-place finish and a big 24 team points to the bard, but aside from those, the Blackshirts used incredible depth to earn the majority of their remaining team points.
Three swimmers earned a top-16 finish in the 100 Butterfly, taking home 33 team points in that race alone. Two more added 21 points in the 200 Free, with seven more points coming in the 50 Free with 12th- and 15th-place finishes.
The unconventional State champs had been ranked in the Wisconsin Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association polls for most of the year and came into the State competition at #2 behind Arrowhead. But the Blackshirts proved much more well-rounded en route to its first Division 1 State title since 1974, when Waukesha boasted just one high school.
Honorable Mention
Katie Wedig, Port Edwards (Girls Basketball): Wedig had a monster night for the Blackhawks in an 89-58 victory against Bowler, scoring 41 points en route to the fourth-best point total in the state thus far on the girls side. The 5'11" junior also grabbed 22 rebounds and went 16-for-17 from the free throw line in the win. Her teammate, Veronica Coates, also recorded a double-double with 23 points and 10 assists.
Matt Friede, Sauk Prairie/Wisconsin Heights (Boys Swimming): Entering the Division 1 State tournament as a potential favorite, the Sauk Prairie/Wisconsin Heights boy's swimming squad was no stranger to stiff competition. The same went for senior Matt Friede, whose final State meet was a memorable one. Friede won a pair of Freestyle events, the 50 and 100 yard, to be precise, and was part of the championship 200 IM Medley Relay in Saturday's State meet at the UW Natatorium.
North Shore Conference Underdogs (Boys Basketball): There must have been something in the waters of the North Shore Conference underdogs Friday night as three of the four teams with better league marks fell. League-leading Port Washington was edged by Homestead 82-77, seventh-place Cedarburg upset Whitefish Bay 57-42 and sixth-place Milwaukee Lutheran took down Nicolet 66-55. Only Germantown survived with a blowout win over Grafton, and in doing so, moved into a tie with Port with just one game left.
Jake Barber, Wisconsin Rapids (Boys Hockey): Barber, a senior forward, notched two of his three goals in the final 17 minutes of the Raiders' 4-2 Regional Final victory over Aquinas Thursday night. Senior forward Zach Campbell picked up an assist on all of Barber's goals as well, as Wisconsin Rapids will travel to top-seeded Sparta in Tuesday's Sectional Semifinals.
The Splash of the Week is sponsored by PlayInTheDells.com. It highlights the player, coach or team that has "made a splash" in the world of high school sports. Coming out of nowhere to do something great, going above and beyond the call of duty, etc. Basically making something big happen and having the ripples of the accomplishment resonate throughout your sport. Please contact us to nominate your hometown heroes today.
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